New CRM Online May Be Headed Toward Earlier-Than-Expected Availability

It's not often that new software and platforms come out earlier than expected, but such may be the case for the widely anticipated Dynamics CRM Online (previously known as CRM Live).

We reported from Convergence 2008 in Orlando early last month that CRM Online would likely debut in June.

Be we've since heard reports from users that they are expecting to have access to CRM Online beginning in mid-April, which is two months earlier than previously expected.

Bill Patterson, director of product management for CRM Online, declines to specify a date for when CRM Online will be generally available. It has been used for some months by about 500 selected users testing the system.

"We are nearing final release," he stated. He also indicated that the test users are the ones gaining initial access to the launch version of CRM Online, noting that his group is "getting existing customers early access to our final version."

The June date emerged from an interview of Patterson at Convergence, in which he stated that CRM Online could be expected during the second quarter. We assumed--mistakenly, it appears--that the release would occur near the end of the second quarter, though Patterson acknowledges that Microsoft "has a history of delivering late in a quarter."

Flux has been the name of the game for CRM Online--just last week, Microsoft announced it was changing the platform's name to CRM Online from its long-held CRM Live label. Patterson shouldn't be encountering too many complaints about surprising users on the early side.

On its web site, Microsoft still refers ...