Gmail in the business world
So Gmail went down today. Its a free service, and a very very good one in fact. Its the kind of service that genuinely redefined the way we use webmail. Hotmail and Yahoo, two other major webmail providers, have been playing a game of catch-up since Gmail launched, and at the moment, for your personal emails, there is no better free service.
There's a reason I emphasise the use of personal here. Its a free service provided to millions of users around the world. It comes without support, guaruntee or warranty. This makes it a risky service to adopt for business use, and as I watched Twitter today I saw a growing number of freelance media types, utterly reliant on Gmail, Tweeting away in disarray.
My advice is simply, if you require email to make money be willing to spend some money on a service that will provide you with someone at the end of a phone-line when things go wrong. It might be tempting as a freelancer just getting started to keep costs low, but in the long run it could be a lot more expensive if you don't get that email from your next meeting asking if they can bring it forward, or you can't get your proposal sent off in time for the deadline.
This isn't a bash at Gmail, I've already said its an amazing service, but when it comes to business I much prefer to be self-sufficent. Feel free to contact me if you need a business grade email account with a nice shiny JavaScript interface!
re: Gmail in the business world
Slight bit more info on Gmail, according to - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7907583.stm - there is a Service Level Agreement for business users, so ignore the no guarantee line, it has a one but still you are not fully protected when its down.