The offering is the latest package of its services that Google, Mountain View, Calif., has created for organizations. In August, the company launched a free bundle of online applications, such as email and calendar services, which it says is now used by more than 100,000 small businesses. Google says test users of its new Google Apps Premier Edition include blue-chip companies like General Electric Co.

The new higher-end version of its application offerings for businesses costs $50 per user annually and includes more email storage and support for companies’ technology staff, as well as guarantees that the email service will be available virtually all of the time. Google says it expects to add other services to the bundles, possibly including its Blogger tool for creating Web logs, by year end.

The Google Apps offering is what is known in technology circles as “hosted” software or “software as a service.” Instead of running software on their own computers, companies rely on tech providers such as Google to run the software. Users then access the applications over the Internet through their Web browsers. Companies are spared most of the headaches of installing and managing software themselves and generally pay based on just how many employees use the product.

Trade-offs with such services can include less-sophisticated functions, issues with the security of data stored outside a corporation, and the inability to easily work on documents when there is no Internet connection, such as on a plane.

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