[cookiecaper]

Here's a guide to using Google Apps or any other outsourced email provider successfully:

1. Use a resilient external DNS system 2. Configure local mail clients to save messages for "offline browsing" or equivalent. 3. Use local mail client to check mail at least once a day

When email goes down, point the DNS to a pre-configured mail server. You have all your archives and shouldn't be missing any mail since delivery failures will try again not too much later.

As for the Google Docs issue, ensure that users are exporting vital docs frequently, preferably when they're done making a change. You should actually edit locally and use git. You can set it up to automatically upload changes to gdocs on push.