Some Google Apps users have been having difficulty getting access to their Gmail accounts since 5 p.m. Wednesday EST.

Google was aware of an issue with some users getting access to their mail and hoped to have a resolution on Thursday. Some Gmail users reported an outage of 24 hours.

So what can you do when access to your Saas software is down. In this case nothing? In my Know the risks with cloud computing I alluded to issues like this. This type of outage might be the exception rather than the rule, but that doesn’t help you explain to your CEO why he cannot get his email.

This is not Gmails first problem either, having 3 outages in August. Saas is a great way for businesses to get access to applications without having to outlay large sums of money, but in terms of support and options for when things go bad, the big players in the market are not doing so well.

Service Level Agreements and alternate access options are needed as part of every Saas subscription contract.

[Via ComputerWorld]