According to The Wall Street Journal, citing Google’s Chris Palma, strategic partner development manager for Google Books, the Internet search biggie intends launching Google Editions – its Web-based digital bookstore – in late June or July this year.

The launch of Google Editions will essentially bring in a new distribution channel for digital-book publishers; with Google emerging as a new rival to Amazon and Apple in the digital-book arena.

However, the Google digital-book sales effort will differ from the strategies of both Amazon and Apple in that Google will customers will be able to access digital books exclusively via a Web browser, rather than downloading books sold through the store.

As such, Google Editions will allow users to buy and use its digital books wherever they want, with the means of any device which can surf the Web - a laptop or a desktop; e-readers like Kindle, Nook, and others; and even the iPad. Hence, customers will not require any separate apps or interfaces for accessing or purchasing the Google Editions’ books.

Noting that the “open ecosystem” of Google Editions will boast the participation of bricks-and-mortar stores in the future digital world of books, Google engineer Dan Clancy said: “We're quite comfortable having a diverse range of physical retailers, whereas most of the other players would like to have a less competitive space, because they'd like to dominate.”