This is the first formal introduction outside the Microsoft enclave and the company aims to bring on 300 TAP partners during Q1, rising to 1000 next quarter. As well as testing out Microsoft’s first multi-tenant architecture application, partners will use the time to develop vertical and application extensions, mash-ups and integration connectors. Beta site customers are expected to start getting their hands on the application in Q2.
The CRM pre-launch schedule appears to be running a little late, as previously Microsoft had said it was planning to launch the TAP program for Titan at the end of 2006 and kick off a beta program in Q1 2007 with March as the likely beta test start date. The loosely defined Titan launch date has remained constant at mid 2007, which gives the company a few months of wriggling time.
Titan is an important CRM development for Microsoft as it will be its first multi tenant release and will therefore provide the basics to enable the company to make its first serious play in the SaaS world. The same code base and metadata will be used for Microsoft’s on premise Dynamics CRM software, the Microsoft hosted Live CRM service which is slated for availability in mid 2007 albeit only in North America, and for hosted CRM services provided by Microsoft’s partners.
Under Microsoft’s portable model customers should be able to switch deployment modes as required. In theory they should also be able to kick off a process from an on premise CRM system and continue it under the Live CRM service.
