Microsoft has added a number of features, including the ability to customize the software without extensive code working and more native Outlook integration. It will also be offered in a subscription-based format, said Brad Wilson, general manager of the CRM division. Potentially, this sort of licensing takes away some of the risk involved in deploying CRM.

Asked about the release, several users this week said they are looking forward to CRM 3.0's rollout.

Michael Kruger, information systems manager at Designer Doors Inc. in River Falls, Wis., said he hopes the new version will correct some of the shortcomings of earlier iterations. Designer Doors currently runs CRM 1.2 for "limited functions" to support customer service operations and is awaiting a copy of CRM 3.0 to give it "a long and critical evaluation."

Kruger plans to start that evaluation in December but expects that process to take at least three months. "We are hoping to get from 3.0 what was promised with 1.0 -- in short, a collaborative sales tool that would tie together our sales force with our customer service and allow all customer information to reside in one searchable location."

Because of glitches in CRM 1.0, Designer Doors had to take the application off the desktops of its sales force. Those workers now use Outlook to support selling processes.