The US government's new cloud computing initiative, for reducing federal computing costs, took a practical shape on Tuesday, with the White House CIO Vivek Kundra unveiling a new Web site - Apps. gov.

Managed by the US General Services Administration, Apps. gov, which marks the Obama administration's first venture into the cloud computing arena, is essentially a storefront catering to the purchase of on-demand applications and basic computing services by federal agencies, from private vendors.

Though initially, the Apps. gov site will pertain strictly to the purchase of software-as-a-service applications or other Internet services from companies like Google and Salesforce. com; later, it will also offer IT services like storage, Web hosting and virtual machines.

The launch of the Apps. gov site on Tuesday saw the availability of popular social networking options like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Further, Saleforce. com apps were notable for customer relationship management, recruitment, and project management; and, under the productivity apps category, Google Docs and other on-line apps were also available.

Noting that Apps. gov "is starting small," Kundra said in a blog posted on the Whitehouse Web site: "We are just beginning this undertaking, and it will take time before we can realize the full potential of cloud computing. By consolidating available services, Apps. gov is a one-stop source for cloud services -- an innovation that not only can change how IT operates but also save taxpayer dollars in the process."