Google Apps now out of Beta, so what is this beta all about ?

In a official release by google it is confirmed that Google Apps like Gmail, Google talk, Google Docs and Google Calendar are now out of beta for enterprise and consumers version. (Google Release)

But what this Beta is all about ?

Actually this is a stage in the development of any software which goes to various stages before official release. Google was often mocked about the fact that even after so many days it keeps the product in beta stage. But for all those nostalgic people out there it keep the google beta app which can show that tag of beta even though its not beta so enable that feature in apps.

Some definitions of Beta Software :

What is beta software?

After an initial round of in-house testing, software publishers often release new programs to be tested by the public. These pre-release versions are called beta software, usually denoted by a "b" in the version number, e.g., Firefox 3.1b2. Since the publisher couldn't possibly test the software under all possible conditions, it is reasonable to expect that wider use of the software may uncover problems that were not discovered during in-house testing. The publisher expects to be notified when users find such problems so that the program can be fixed before its official release.
In general, you should expect to run into bugs whenever using any piece of beta software. These bugs may range in severity from minor features that don't work to problems that cause your computer to crash. You should decide whether the benefit of new features in a beta program outweighs the risk of program instability before choosing to use a piece of beta software.

What is Beta Software?

When computer software is being developed it progresses through developmental stages and is given code names to define which stage the software is in.
A beta version or beta release software usually is the first version of a computer program that implements all features in the initial software requirements specification and is considered an intermediate stage. It can be unstable but useful. Generally considered a preview stage where testers (sometimes, the general public) are encouraged to use the beta software and provide feedback for the developers.
The provided feedback from beta testers allow the developers to fix bugs (errors) in the software and sometimes suggested minor features are implemented into the final version of the software.

 

Photo via Wikipedia