Office 14: TAP and Beta Specifics Emerge

(Follow me on Twitter: UX Evangelist)

With the recent flood of information surrounding Windows 7 and its official status of Beta 1, I thought I would take a moment to shed some light on some of Microsoft's current plans for the Office 14 Beta. As some of you know, Microsoft begins collaborating very early on in its development process with select customers via a program called TAP (Technology Adoption Program). The next tier of testing much later down the road is a program called a Technical Beta. A Technical Beta is much more far-reaching with testers than participants of a TAP, but even then, the number of people on a Technical Beta is drastically less than the third tier of testing; a Public Beta. Both Windows and Office have followed these testing tiers, though it's questionable as to if the recent Windows 7 Beta invites sent to select people are merely a formality or if they're truly an invite to a Technical Beta program to be distinguished from that which the public will be able to participate in. Regardless, here is a detailed breakdown of the tiers of customer interaction with Office 14:


TAP (Technology Adoption Program)


There are two phases of the Office 14 TAP: PV (Product Validation) and RD (Rapid Deployment)

TAP - PV: Extending from Alpha builds through Beta 2 builds, TAP - PV customers interact directly with their very own Microsoftee(s) to "provide actionable feedback throughout the product development cycle and commit substantial resources for the duration of the program." To be eligible for this phase of the TAP, you are required to have a sponsored business solution/POC (proof of concept), architectural and deployment plans readily reviewable, and a pilot deployment at Beta 2 (based on POC status). Alternately, you can just hope you happen to work for and have access within a company who goes through this process and gets nominated. That, or you can write the script for "Ocean's 14" and make the payload that of builds galore. Your choice.

TAP - RD: Getting involved at the end of Beta 2/beginning of the RC (Release Client) phase, TAP - RD customers "drive marketing evidence for launch" via requirements of production employment at Escrow and participation in launch activities. TAP - RD is "ideal for companies looking to showcase their involvement in leading edge industry efforts [and] engage in joint public relations efforts with Microsoft."

The total number of TAP customers is ~150 and regardless of which TAP phase they're a part of, they are the cream of the crop in working the closest with Microsoft. Some of the benefits are pre-release software, early documentation and guidance, technical readiness content, Beta technical support, private newsgroups, an MS Connect account, and much more. Call within the next 10 minutes and you'll receive not one but two - count 'em - TWO of said product! Back to reality, the extent of their involvement runs through the entire phase of product development; in the case of Office 14, that will be from Alpha to RTM +90 where each milestone has an activity appropriated for it:

Alpha - POC envisioning and planning.
Beta 1 - Lab testing and evaluation of POC.
Beta 2 - Departmental pilot (non-mission critical 50-100 seats).
RC - Full production deployment.
RTM - Upgrade to RTM bits within X days post release.
+90 (Customer/Partner Account TAP Closeout) - Scorecard review, survey, and set clear expectations of future interactions.


Technical Beta


Of the two Beta phases/tiers beneath the TAP, the Technical Beta is the step Microsoft takes to solicit broader feedback. By invitation only, Microsoft's customers and partners receive content and support via an MS Connect account. Pre-release software, documentation, and bug feedback are typically amongst the perks of landing a spot on the Technical Beta. The Technical Beta starts at Beta 1 and carries through to RTM. Even when the Public Beta starts, Technical Beta participants typically receive more content just as TAP participants receive more content than either of the Beta phases. The number of Technical Beta customers is ~5000.


Public Beta


Essentially a free-for-all, the Public Beta drives pre-launch excitement by putting the product into the hands of ~5,000,000 individuals. A unique addition to the Office beta this year will be Office Online.


With the Office 14 TAP already under way, Beta 1 should be soon to follow. An early 2009 Beta 1 means Microsoft is a year off from their initial target of a first-half 2008 Beta 1 which I found in multiple slides and posted about back in 2007 here. Regardless, Office is a product that Microsoft has just about always managed to keep a tight lid on. There has been plenty of chatter going on via company presentations in regards to Office 14 since early 2007 but that lid is still quite tightly sealed.

For what it's worth, the final name for Office 14 may be "Microsoft Office System 2009". Why do I say this? Well, Microsoft has a Product Roadmap that it releases often for all of their products to select customers. Since March of 2008, I have been seeing Office 14 as being listed additionally as "Microsoft Office System 2009" with an RTM year of 2009. Take it for what it's worth.

-Stephen