Salesforce.com, Google Collaborate on Ads

In an effort to better compete with rival Microsoft, Google and Salesforce.com said Tuesday that they would collaborate on several services aimed at small business. The first is a web advertising collaboration where Salesforce.com customers can order ads from the company's website. Other collaborations could include integration with other Google products as well, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

Neither company will confirm that the moves are indeed aimed at taking on Microsoft head on, although Google's onine productivity applications could be combined with Salesforce.com's business applications to offer a comprehensive package for enterprise customers, some say.