Google email
> he's bailing before anyone realises just what a problem that is.
Would you care to explain what sort of problem that might be? Privacy? Interoperability? Availability?
I've only the experience of moving my personal domain's email from my own server to Google mail (more than 5 years ago) and it saved me a lot of grey hair.
(If it's a problem with security you anticipate, you can relax. Due to The Special Relationship, we have no secrets from our American cousins.)