Google is launching Google Apps Labs today, a new platform for experimental apps (Google Moderator is one of the first to be added).

These are third party applications that can be added by businesses and schools using Google Apps. In addition to Google Moderator, two other apps are available now: Google Code Reviews (peer review of software code) and Google Short Links (change URLs to something shorter and more descriptive).

What’s most interesting about the announcement is that Google will be opening up the platform to third party developers who want their apps to be available to the “million-plus businesses” using Google Apps today. Salesforce’s AppStore developers will certainly take notice.