Google announced on its company blog that starting from today the company will remove the beta label from Gmail, Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk.
Matthew Glotzbach, Director of Product Management, Google Enterprise noted "We"re often asked why so many Google applications seem to be perpetually in beta. For example, Gmail has worn the beta tag more than five years. We realize this situation puzzles some people, particularly those who subscribe to the traditional definition of "beta" software as not being yet ready for prime time."
Google says it has added new features to the Google Apps suite. Offline access to e-mail and calendars and better access to Google Apps for BlackBerry users are some of the improvements. Google admitted that they have "come to appreciate that the beta tag just doesn"t fit for large enterprises that aren"t keen to run their business on software that sounds like it"s still in the trial phase". Many analysts have argued that big businesses were concerned Google could keep to their SLAs and this may help win more confidence.
Although Google is removing the beta tags today, users who like the tag will be able to bring it back in Gmail by enabling the "Back to Beta" setting.