Gmail Finally Out of Beta. Now Will You Adopt It?

Interesting news from Google this week: After five long years, Gmail is no longer in beta. Does that simple fact change the way you, as a businessperson, feel about it?

Google hopes so, because the only thing different about Gmail in its post-beta reality is that the Gmail logo no longer says "beta." (It doesn't say "Final," either -- that's just our own weak attempt at humor.)

So if nothing has changed from a functional standpoint, why is Gmail officially out of beta? Simple: Google wants businesses to take Gmail (and other newly post-beta services Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Talk, and Google Sites) more seriously.

In other words, it wants more Google Apps customers, and recognizes that many organizations might be reluctant to pay for mission-critical apps that are still in the beta stage.

So, over to you, business-folk: Does the removal of the "beta" sticker make you any more likely to consider Google Apps? Hit the comments and opine. [via TechCrunch]