Google is now officially in the hardware business. The Nexus family of products – Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 and Nexus Q – show that Google is serious about competing with Apple, Amazon and others. Add on top of that the acquisition of Motorola Mobility and you have a hardware powerhouse in the making. The next question, of course, is where does Google go next?

Google’s Eric Schmidt presented the Nexus 7 and Nexus Q to a room full of journalists last week at the Allen & Company conference. We’ve seen these products since their reveal at Google I/O, so why is Schmidt showing them off again? According to the New York Times, he was sending a statement that Google is now a major player in the hardware business.

To be in the hardware business means that you have to keep cranking out products. Apple does this and they do it very well. Amazon has the Kindle line that performs well, while Microsoft is attempting to get their foot in the door with the Surface. Google went straight for the top with their acquisition of Motorola Mobility which Schmidt admitted was meant to rival Apple.

As for the future, he says that Google has some new products that are “nearly ready for prime time.” The interesting bit comes in as Schmidt says that Google has “always wanted to be in the hardware business.” Speaking of Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, he said that they “always wanted to do hardware” and that the Nexus line was “a way to get into it quickly.”

There are already rumors going around that Google will be pushing a 10-inch tablet before the end of the year to compete with the iPad. The Nexus 7 and Nexus Q should already be shipping out to some customers while the Galaxy Nexus was recently altered to avoid an injunction brought on by Apple.

If anything, it shows Google’s dedication to getting their foot in the door. Once they have a foot in, they’re obviously going to try to get the rest in as well. When that time comes, it will be interesting to see how they mingle with those already in the hardware business party. Google is here to stay and they have the money to make sure that happens.