Google removes "beta" tag off Gmail and other applications

SAN FRANCISCO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- In a move to win more corporate customers, Google on Tuesday announced that it is removing the "beta" tag from its Gmail as well as some other applications.

Both enterprise and consumer versions of Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk are out of beta or testing mode, Matthew Glotzbach, director of product management for Google Enterprise, wrote in a posting on the company's blog.

Google's tradition of keeping many applications in beta for a long time has puzzled users who see the applications in testing as not really ready for prime time.

For example, the Gmail e-mail service has worn the beta tag for more than five years since it was launched in 2004.

Two years ago, Google introduced Google Apps, a package for business customers which include Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and other web applications.

Compared with free services for consumers, Google Apps, at a cost of 50 U.S. dollars per year, offers corporate users added features such as around-the-clock customer support.

Although over 1.75 million companies around the world used Google Apps, the "beta" tag has met reluctance from large enterprises that are not keen to run their business on the product that sounds like it's still in the trial phase, Google said.

"Beta" label will be removed from the logos of Gmail and other products starting from Tuesday, Glotzbach said in the blog posting.

"We'll continue to innovate and improve upon the applications whether or not there's a small 'beta' beneath the logo," Glotzbach noted.