Master data management will be part of Office 14, a first Community Technology Preview (CTP) of which is due in the first quarter of 2008.

That�s according to a September 19 blog post by Microsoft IT Pro Evangelist �PatricG.�

Master data management is technology that allows for the management of common reference data across disparate IT systems or groups. Microsoft stuck a toe in the MDM space in June 2007 with its acquisition of privately held MDM specialist Stratature. Microsoft said at the time of the acquisition that it planned to withdraw existing Stratature products from the market and instead integrate the Stratature +EDM technology into Office applications and servers.

The first iteration of Stratature�s technology that will be part of Office 14 � most likely a component of the SharePoint Server product, it would seem� is codenamed �Bulldog,� according to PatricG�s post. Bulldog�s successor is codenamed �Greenwich,� he said, providing no delivery vehicle for that particular release of MDM. Greenwich will add new integration, analytical and transactional capabilities on top of what�s shipped with Bulldog, PatrickG said.