This is just a quick post to acknowledge the fact that at long last Google removed the Beta tag from Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gtalk and the rest of the Apps suite.

In software industry, a Beta tag means that the software is still in its testing phase. Usually Beta tags get removed after a couple of months, but Google appears to be really fussy about keeping them for a really long time – 5 years for Gmail, which became a subject for jokes!! Until yesterday, that is. Have a look at the Gmail logo – it’s Beta-less.

By the way, if you feel empty and sad without that Gmail Beta tag, you can re-enable it by going to Settings - Labs and turn on the Back to Beta feature – the tag will be back to lift your spirits.

But seriously, why did Google keep Gmail and other apps in Beta for so long? Apparently, they don’t really know themselves:

“Obviously we haven’t had a consistent set of policies or definitions around beta,” said Matt Glotzbach, a director of product management at Google. Mr. Glotzbach said that different teams at Google had different criteria for what beta meant, and that Google felt a need to standardize those. “It was time to address the issue and bring the products out of beta,” he said (via The New York Times).

I like the way he puts it – if you’re not sure what Beta means, simply pull the product out of Beta. Interesting concept, isn’t it?