Airline Virgin America said today it is moving its operating systems into the cloud with Google Apps and will use Gmail as its email provider.

 Virgin America said the move to Gmail will improve its productivity for its more than 1,700 employees and it will help to streamline its IT infrastructure.

“Google answers our data, connectivity and security needs better than any other system.  Our business model is based on staying ahead of the competition by remaining flexible and efficient,  said said Ravi Simhambhatla, Chief Information Officer for Virgin America.

“Google Apps allow us to do just that, so we can upgrade based on the latest technology, and not be confined by budget or staffing to out-of-date systems.  Once you have Google Apps, you have the most recent version."

Virgin said it is transitioning all of its employees across North America to Gmail. The airline said all of its employees will have made the sift to Gmail by November 10.

"With Google Apps and on-board WiFi, Virgin America teammates now have their office in the clouds wherever their final destination may be,” said said Matthew Glotzbach, Google Enterprise product management director.