I’ve been using GMail for domains for about two weeks now. I’ve not moved fully to it, but have set up what will probably turn into my main email account going into the future. The service is still in “beta” – one of those long beta’s that Google is famous for – and seems quite solid to me. Of course I’d be surprised if I ran into issues – this is the same GMail system that everyone can sign up for, with the simply addition of being able to point your domain’s MX records to it.

The service comes with room for up to 10 accounts, each getting the now-expected 2GB storage and Google search capabilities built in. You also get the ability to use the chat functionality built into GMail. While I’m not a big “chat” or IM user, this functionality built into the GMail interface is fantastic. We use it at the office since we don’t have an IM system in-house and would rather not use any of the IM clients even though they can now handle the proxy/firewall setup we have. Having this simple chat tool in the browser allows us to send really short, really simple questions and get answers, though I could not see using it for long chat sessions.

The rest of the system is identical to your regular GMail account save for the ability to send invitations. Also, the first account created is the admin account which you will use to manage all other accounts for the domain. Overall the admin interface is simple and straightforward. Very easy to use.

So I recommend anyone who has a domain that needs a powerful, flexible, and affordable set of email accounts sign up for the “beta”. It may take awhile to get a response (mine took two weeks – your mileage may vary), the system itself is fantastic. As a strict Microsoft guy, I’m very fond of my new email setup for the domain your visiting right now. Check it out!