DETROIT -

General Motors employees might be using Google more than they do already according to a reported technology development between the companies.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Google has signed a deal to provide email and online-collaboration software to more than 100,000 employees at GM. The Journal’s findings are based on accounts from individuals familiar with the matter.

WSJ indicated the contract, however, requires Google to meet certain requirements before GM makes a final decision to deploy the software, these people told the newspaper.

A GM spokeswoman declined to comment on the Google contract but said in the Journal report that “the company has not made a decision to deploy Google Apps. We’re always looking for leading-edge technologies, and our information technology department is open to various developers.”

Assuming Google wins final approval, the report suggested the deal could be a watershed moment in Google’s quest to challenge Microsoft’s dominance in application software, marking the largest deal since the Internet company began selling what it calls Google Apps in 2007.

The Journal recapped that Google Apps includes Gmail and Google Docs, which competes with Office applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It now also includes the Google+ social networking service, which features video conferencing.

As franchised dealers probably know, GM has long used traditional business software called Lotus Notes, made by IBM. According to WSJ, Google and Microsoft vied for the contract in recent months to provide the car maker with Web-based email and collaboration software, an element of an industry technology trend called cloud computing.

Representatives of Google and Microsoft declined to comment to the Journal. IBM didn’t respond to WSJ’s requests for comment, either.

The entire Wall Street Journal story can be found here.