Gmail for Domains is an intriguing idea. When I heard about it today, I quickly signed up for the beta test (we will see if a small business, like mine, gets accepted).

What is google getting out of it, besides more users of their system?

Goodwill in the market place, millions of little marketing opportunities, and distributed free technical support for their growing Gmail customer base.

If anyone can register a domain, sign-up with Gmail for Domains, market the service within their social sphere, while providing support and peripheral sales opportunities, it is a huge win for everyone.

Customers get an excellent e-mail experience. Businesses get to offer 1st class service. Google gets advertising traffic, market penetration, while offsetting from the technical support issues that comes with the growth.

Google is onto something big here.

Anyone have an inside track on how to get approved? ;-)