Ionut made a post today about what the next version of Gmail may contain after a few features were revealed at the recent analyst day:

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/10/next-version-of-gmail-will-be-faster.html

He mentions "a new contact manager that will be shared with other Google apps (Google Docs, Google Calendar etc.)"

I anticipate that the new "contact manager" will have the service code "cp". Why? Because a new service appeared in Google Apps a while ago which uses this code and it was recently updated to be called "Contacts":

https://www.google.com/a/ruscoe.net/ServiceLogin?service=cp

The link on that page points to this not-found URL:

http://www.google.com/m7/a/ruscoe.net

Also, that service code exists for Google Accounts, although it's simply known as "New Service" (which is a same for a lot of the new services now, even once they're released):

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=cp

That's all. Sorry it's not very exciting... :-)

ZOMG yes it IS!!! Woohoo! A VERY needes addition to Google Office!

They still need to intergrate contact manager w/shared calendars.. that is scheduled of meeting /review doc etc with another party, by lookin at the person's calendar .. this feature is really needed raise the bar with collobration efforts across the web

Wern't rumours about there being a new contact manager in Gmail around last year?

Oh well, I'd rather it works properly unlike Sharing Stuff.

What? a new contact manager? Yes. Good. Please. Yesterday.
Almost anything is better than the current one.

Now we just need better filtering and message rules. I still want hierarchical labels, but I don't necessarily NEED them.

If they are updating code that means they may be launching GMail 2.0 or at least *parts* of it before year's end (I hope).

  

Martin that's because shared stuff isn't fully out yet :)

the contact manager will also be something great for easily storing phone numbers. This can be synced to OpenMoko with an api, and obviously the GPhone. Also, services like GrandCentral :)

Why google.com/M7?

And maybe the "new" contact manager is nothing more than the contact manager of Google Video for example.

That's the contact picker.

This is good news indeed. It's probably months away.

I don't know if this debunks your theory about codename cp or not Tony, but I noticed the following url goes to Google Mobile IG customization:

www.google.com/ig/cp

I came across this URL by doing a search for "google mobile ig"

http://www.google.com/search?q=google%20mobile%20ig

Well, perhaps it's different between Google Apps and Google Accounts, but that's usually not the case, and it's definitely called "Contacts" for Google Apps.