Google announced the release of a new system which allows users to access their accounts offline. The messages will be cached on the system by using Google Gears and without any Internet connection, users will be able to enter Gmail.com, check their inbox, read their messages and even write replies, which will be sent from the outbox as soon as the system reconnects.

The service uses the two-year-old Google Gears platform, which is used for offline access in Google Docs, Google Reader, and also several other third-party Web applications. For now, there is only a beta version available, which is accessible through Gmail Labs. The new service is not yet opened for everyone, as it is considered an experiment at this point.

“As long as you're connected to the network, that cache is synchronized with Gmail's servers. When you lose your connection, Gmail automatically switches to offline mode, and uses the data stored on your computer's hard drive instead of the information sent across the network,” said Gmail Engineer Andy Palay.

Todd Jackson, Gmail's product manager, explained that the decision to develop such a service came as a direct result of the enterprise’s demand. The company is looking to appeal to business customers and this is considered a very important step in its quest to please its customers. 

The company’s officials announced that business users will also get offline access to Google Calendar in the near future, but they did not provide an exact date.