Microsoft delivers to partners only a new build of Dynamics CRM 'Titan'

Microsoft continues to provide private test builds of the next version of its Dynamics CRM product to selected testers. At the end of August, the company delivered Community Technology Preview (CTP) 3 of its next CRM release, codenamed "Titan," to those enrolled in its partner beta program.

"If you are a partner in our Ascend/Metro or Pre-Release program please sign in to the Connect website and download the latest bits. At this stage access to CTP3 is by invitation only," blogged Microsoft CRM Lead Product Manager Philip Richardson. "FYI: We’ll soon be opening up access to Titan (bits or VPC) to a wider partner audience. Unfortunately I can’t help more partners be admitted to the current programs."

Microsoft officials also acknowledged in July that the Dynamics CRM Live release would not be available to end-user customers until 2008.

Microsoft officials began dampening expectations at Microsoft’s Convergence conference in March that Microsoft would ship the final version of Dynamics CRM Live in 2007, as they originally indicated they would. Instead, only the on-premise and partner-hosted versions of Dynamics CRM 4.0 (which is the core of Dynamics CRM Live) will ship in the third or fourth quarter of 2007. But CRM Live will be in beta throughout 2007 and won’t launch in the first half of 2008.

The customer beta program for Dynamics CRM Live is slated to commence some time in the third quarter, Microsoft officials said earlier this year. The test version will be Professional only. (The Enterprise version won't be available in any form until some time in 2008, the Softies said.)