Yep we can setup and configure at our will a mail server for our own domain, absolutely free with Google Apps having limited 50 users. If you need to have more than 50, you need to have Google Apps for Business! Google Apps for business offers 25GB of storage per user, powerful spam filtering, BlackBerry and Outlook interoperability.
Here goes few steps to setup the Mail Server :
1. Follow this link http://www.google.com/a and choose appropriate version of Google Apps. Click on free trial button to proceed or optionally follow this link...
2. Enter the domain or sub-domain to get started.
3. On sign up page fill up you detail and continue...
4. Here you will be asked to create your first administrator account. When you continue, Google will take you to your control panel/Dashboard.
5. Now it's time to verify your domain, click on "Verify domain ownership" and follow the instruction...
6. You will get specific instruction to verify your domain selecting appropriate verification method and domain registrar. Opt which ever convenient for you. It may take upto 24 hours to get verified...
7. Verifying the domain would not be suffice to exchange mail until and unless you fix MX records at your DNS server. This routes incoming mail to Google. If you are not able to change the MX records now, test the email service with a temporary email address. When you verify your domain, Google assign a temporary email address to each user account. When you change the MX records at your DNS Server temporary email address will be deactivated automatically.
On the Dashboard select Email from Service settings (most right tab) dropdown that will lead to “How to activate Email” page.
Click on change MX records link to set up email delivery.
Now login to you DNS server and create following MX records having appropriate priority. Mail Exchange (MX) records direct email to servers for a domain, and are listed in order of priority. If mail can't be delivered using the first priority record, the second priority record is used, and so on.
MX Server address Priority
ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 10
ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 20
ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM. 20
ASPMX2.GOOGLEMAIL.COM. 30
ASPMX3.GOOGLEMAIL.COM. 30
ASPMX4.GOOGLEMAIL.COM. 30
ASPMX5.GOOGLEMAIL.COM. 30
When you finish adding MX records, return to mail delivery set up page, click on “I have completed these steps”.
Wait for upto 24 hours to come this into effect.
8. Till now your user can access Email at http://mail.google.com/a/{yourdomainname}
In order to access the same having more convenient URL, again go to Email setting choosing Email option from Service setting drop down.
In General Tab click on change URL. Select the second custom URL option, Save the changes and follow the instruction to add CNAME at the DNS server.
