Clear, accurate sales invoices make the payment process straightforward, helping to reduce customer service inquiries and ensuring a smoother revenue lifecycle. By designing an invoicing process that balances organizational needs with customer convenience, businesses can increase both satisfaction and timely payments.
Understanding your organization’s goals is critical to selecting the right platform. Whether it’s improving patient outcomes or bringing groundbreaking therapies to market, Salesforce offers the tools you need to succeed.
Salesforce Introduces Agentforce: A New AI Platform to Build Custom Digital Agents Salesforce has unveiled Agentforce, its latest AI platform designed to help companies build and deploy intelligent digital agents to automate a wide range of tasks. Building on Salesforce’s generative AI advancements, Agentforce integrates seamlessly with its existing tools, enabling businesses to enhance efficiency and decision-making through automation. Agentforce Custom AI Agents. With applications like generating reports from sales data, summarizing Slack conversations, and routing emails to the appropriate departments, Agentforce offers businesses unprecedented flexibility in automating routine processes. The Problem Agentforce Solves Salesforce’s journey in AI began in 2016 with the launch of Einstein, a suite of AI tools for its CRM software. While Einstein automated some tasks, its capabilities were largely predefined and lacked the flexibility to handle complex, dynamic scenarios. The rapid evolution of generative AI opened new doors for improving natural language understanding and decision-making. This led to innovations like Einstein GPT and later Einstein Copilot, which laid the foundation for Agentforce. With Agentforce, businesses can now create prebuilt or fully customizable agents that adapt to unique business needs. Agentforce Custom AI Agents “We recognized that our customers want to extend the agents we provide or build their own,” said Tyler Carlson, Salesforce’s Vice President of Business Development. How Agentforce Works At the heart of Agentforce is the Atlas Reasoning Engine, a proprietary technology developed by Salesforce. It leverages advanced techniques like ReAct prompting, which allows AI agents to break down problems into steps, reason through them, and iteratively refine their actions until they meet user expectations. Key Features: Ensuring Security and Compliance Given the potential risks of integrating third-party LLMs, Salesforce has implemented robust safeguards, including: AI in Action: Real-World Applications One notable use case of Agentforce is its collaboration with Workday to develop an AI Employee Service Agent. This agent helps employees find answers to HR-related questions using a company’s internal policies and documents. Another example involves agents autonomously managing general email inboxes by analyzing message intent and forwarding emails to relevant teams. “These agents are not monolithic or tied to a single LLM,” Carlson explained. “Their versatility lies in combining different models and technologies for better outcomes.” Measuring Success Salesforce gauges Agentforce’s success through client outcomes and platform adoption. For example, some users report that Agentforce resolves up to 90% of customer inquiries autonomously. Looking ahead, Salesforce aims to expand the Agentforce ecosystem significantly. “By next year, we want thousands of agent skills and topics available for customers to leverage,” Carlson added. A Platform for the Future of AI Agentforce represents Salesforce’s vision of creating autonomous AI agents that empower businesses to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. With tools like Agentbuilder and integrations across its ecosystem, Salesforce is positioning Agentforce as a cornerstone of AI-led innovation, helping businesses stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
AI is Revolutionizing Salesforce: Transforming Sales Teams in the Era of AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the sales landscape, disrupting traditional processes, and redefining how businesses interact with customers. The rapid adoption of AI-native systems is altering how data is captured, how sales teams engage, and how the entire sales cycle is structured. The shift toward AI-driven solutions is fueling unprecedented opportunities for sales organizations to achieve more by doing less manual work. Success in this transformation will favor those who use AI to make smarter, data-driven decisions, shifting the focus from activities to meaningful achievements. From Rolodex to Real-Time Insights: The Evolution of Sales The history of sales is one of continual evolution. From the bartering days of ancient commerce to the introduction of Rolodexes in the mid-20th century, and later to early CRM tools like Act! and Siebel Systems, the industry has always innovated to meet changing customer needs. Salesforce’s arrival in 1999 brought CRM to the cloud, empowering sales teams with unparalleled accessibility. Yet, all these systems had one thing in common—they relied on human input. Logging calls, updating lead statuses, and noting feedback all depended on sales reps’ diligence. That dependency is now being disrupted by AI, which captures and processes data autonomously. AI-Native Systems: Capturing Context Without Human Input AI-native systems represent a seismic shift. Unlike traditional CRMs, these systems capture data in real-time without relying on human intervention. From emails and Slack messages to Zoom calls and social media interactions, AI aggregates unstructured data into actionable insights. This creates a rich, context-driven record of customer behavior, reducing reliance on manual entry and unlocking deeper understanding. Automating the Mundane: Eliminating Data Entry AI is erasing the inefficiencies of manual processes. Sales development representatives (SDRs) once spent countless hours cold-calling, sending follow-ups, and updating records—a monotonous grind that yielded limited value. Today, AI automates these tasks, enabling SDRs to focus on high-impact activities like relationship-building and deal-closing. This automation, often referred to as intelligent pipeline management, identifies prospects, crafts personalized outreach, and schedules meetings—effortlessly managing the early stages of the sales funnel. AI as a Partner: Voice Agents and Real-Time Coaching AI is not just automating tasks; it’s enhancing human performance. AI-powered voice agents can now assist sales reps during live calls by offering real-time coaching. When a prospect raises an objection, the AI provides instant suggestions based on historical data, empowering salespeople to respond more effectively. This real-time guidance helps sales teams navigate complex conversations with confidence, boosting close rates and accelerating results. Personalization at Scale: Tailored Engagement Across Pipelines Personalization has long been a cornerstone of effective sales, but AI has made it scalable. AI tools analyze customer behaviors and preferences, allowing sales teams to tailor messages, proposals, and outreach at an individual level—even for thousands of prospects. From detecting website visits to auto-generating customized content, AI enables hyper-relevant interactions that build stronger connections with leads and customers. Breaking Down Silos: Unifying Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success AI is bridging organizational divides. Historically, sales, marketing, and customer success operated in silos, each pursuing independent goals. AI aligns these functions around a shared understanding of the customer, fostering collaboration and a unified go-to-market strategy. By consolidating data from every customer touchpoint into a single system of record, AI empowers teams to work together seamlessly, ensuring a consistent and coordinated customer experience. Systems of Record for the AI Age: The Importance of Context Unlike traditional CRMs that rely on structured fields, AI-powered systems excel at capturing unstructured data—conversations, social media mentions, and survey responses. These systems provide the context sales teams need to make better decisions. This rich contextual data benefits not just sales but also product development, marketing, and customer success teams, enabling them to refine strategies and create more responsive organizations. Redefining Metrics: From Activities to Achievements Traditional sales metrics often emphasized activity—calls made, emails sent, meetings booked. AI is shifting the focus to outcomes. By tracking the quality and impact of interactions, rather than the volume, sales leaders can better understand what drives success and optimize their strategies accordingly. The Future of Sales: Empowered by AI AI is not replacing salespeople; it’s empowering them. By automating repetitive tasks and delivering actionable insights, AI frees up teams to focus on building relationships, solving problems, and closing deals. To thrive in this new era, organizations must embrace AI as a core part of their strategy. The question for sales leaders is no longer whether to adopt AI but how quickly they can leverage it to gain a competitive edge. Embrace the future of sales—where intelligent systems drive outcomes, and human ingenuity takes center stage. AI is revolutionizing Salesforce by helping businesses improve customer relationships, streamline operations, and make better decisions: Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Agencies Accelerate Digital Transformation Amid Growing Security Demands Federal agencies are ramping up digital transformation initiatives to meet evolving public expectations and comply with mandates like the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA). However, securely transitioning to modern platforms like Salesforce requires specialized expertise, as highlighted in a new e-book by Own Company. The push for digital transformation is driven by the need to deliver efficient, modernized citizen services while safeguarding critical data. According to Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana, agencies face a dual challenge: adopting advanced technologies and ensuring compliance with stringent security and regulatory frameworks. Salesforce, a leading SaaS platform, plays a pivotal role in these modernization efforts, offering tools to replace outdated systems and streamline operations. Yet, moving to such platforms involves more than migrating legacy data. Agencies must also address complex security requirements and ensure compliance with government regulations. To support secure transitions, companies like Own Company have emerged as key partners in federal digital transformation. Their solutions focus on secure development, data recovery, and long-term archiving. Tools like “Own Accelerate” enable safe and efficient testing within sandbox environments, while “Own Secure” leverages data classification and zero-trust principles to prevent security vulnerabilities. These measures mitigate risks such as insider threats and configuration errors, ensuring sensitive data remains protected throughout the transition process. Compliance with mandates like the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) protocols remains a top priority. Agencies must safeguard citizen data across services ranging from healthcare to housing assistance while maintaining security and operational efficiency over the data’s lifecycle. Secure backups, compliance audits, and controlled data access are essential for building trust and resilience. As agencies incorporate AI into their operations, robust data strategies are becoming even more critical. AI-driven tools rely on accurate, real-time data for effective training and decision-making. Own’s backup and archiving solutions help agencies unlock data for AI applications while managing compliance and controlling storage costs. Ultimately, successful digital transformation requires more than adopting new technologies — it demands a careful balance of modernization, security, cost-efficiency, and alignment with agency missions. By acting decisively and addressing these challenges, federal agencies can meet rising public expectations while maintaining compliance and security. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Salesforce, with over 72,000 employees worldwide, competes aggressively for talent in a fast-growing tech industry. Despite its younger employee demographic, Salesforce also sees a steadily rising median age within its workforce, indicating strong retention. The company emphasizes a people-first culture and strives for a balanced, inclusive environment, with a global commitment to hiring more women and minorities. These efforts have cemented its reputation as a top employer globally.
Not Just Another Insight on Salesforce Agentforce This isn’t your typical rundown of Salesforce Agentforce—the AI innovation everyone’s buzzing about. Instead of merely explaining what it is and calling it a day, we’re diving straight into what matters most: how it can transform operations for nonprofits and educational organizations. If you’re in these sectors and are curious about leveraging Agentforce to drive efficiency, deepen engagement, and scale impact, you’re in the right place. What is Salesforce Agentforce? Introduced at Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce Agentforce is an AI-driven solution within Service Cloud, designed to streamline operations using autonomous, intelligent agents. With no-code setup and pre-built templates, organizations can deploy AI agents tailored to specific industries, like banking, healthcare, or retail. These agents assist in customer interactions, case routing, meeting scheduling, and real-time data gathering. They don’t just automate tasks—they enhance processes by making informed decisions powered by Salesforce’s Customer 360 metadata. Inside Agentforce’s AI-Driven Core Agentforce integrates several cutting-edge tools: For example, you can define an agent’s role with natural language prompts and specify the tasks it will handle, such as donor outreach or event management. Why Nonprofits & Educational Institutions Should Care Agentforce isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies—it’s equally transformative for mission-driven organizations. From automating administrative tasks to delivering personalized experiences, here’s how Agentforce empowers nonprofits and educational institutions: Six Agentforce Use Cases Tailored for Nonprofits & Education To inspire your Agentforce journey, here are six impactful use cases: 1. Automating Volunteer Onboarding Streamline volunteer engagement by automating training resources, scheduling, and shift assignments. Agents can even notify backup volunteers in case of last-minute cancellations. 2. Assessing Student Knowledge Enable adaptive learning by tailoring modules based on performance data. AI agents can identify gaps in knowledge and recommend resources or interventions for students. 3. Aligning Investors with Startups For nonprofits fostering innovation, Agentforce matches investors with startups aligned to their goals, automating onboarding and facilitating collaboration. 4. Coordinating Events & Fundraisers From ticketing and donation tracking to live Q&A sessions, Agentforce simplifies event management while capturing valuable engagement data for future use. 5. Supporting Student Admissions Automate admissions processes by routing inquiries, sending personalized reminders, and tracking application progress. This ensures no step is missed during peak enrollment cycles. 6. Matching Donations to Needs For organizations redistributing goods or funds, Agentforce matches donations to recipients efficiently, summarizing opportunities and streamlining logistics. Ready to Get Started? Agentforce marks a new era of AI-driven operations, empowering nonprofits and educators to maximize impact. With its versatility and ease of use, you can create intelligent workflows that align with your mission. Feeling overwhelmed by where to begin? Our team at Advanced Communities can help you navigate Agentforce and tailor it to your unique needs. Let’s take your organization’s impact to the next level. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Sales channels are the platforms or methods through which a business sells its products or services to customers. These channels can be direct (e.g., e-commerce sites and retail stores) or indirect (e.g., resellers and marketplaces). Some businesses rely on a single channel, while others use a mix of several.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay, Computer Science PioneerOr, to channel Buzz Lightyear: “To infinity and beyond.” Inventing the Future of Agents The history of computing has always advanced in fits and starts, a pattern biologists call punctuated equilibrium. Revolutionary technologies emerge slowly—nurtured in research labs, garages, and the minds of visionaries—until the moment comes when a breakthrough shifts the axis of possibility. From there, a new paradigm takes shape, unleashing waves of innovation. Think of the Apple Macintosh, the iPhone, and Salesforce’s own Platform, which pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) and sparked an entirely new industry. Each of these milestones reshaped the way we live and work, setting the stage for even greater advances to come. Alan Kay: A Visionary for Computing’s Future One such paradigm-shifter was Alan Kay. In 1971, while working at Xerox PARC, Kay was immersed in an era when computers were room-sized behemoths. At the time, only four of these machines were connected to the fledgling ARPAnet, a precursor to today’s internet. Kay, a skilled musician with a deep appreciation for human-centered design, brought an empathetic and humanistic approach to innovation. In 1972, he introduced the Dynabook—a radical vision for personal computing that was decades ahead of its time. The Dynabook concept featured a battery-powered laptop with a touchscreen, wireless access to global information, and an interface so simple even children could use it. Kay and his team at PARC went on to develop many of the foundational elements of modern personal computing: overlapping windows, graphical user interfaces, and object-oriented programming. Later, while at Apple, Kay helped shape the vision for the groundbreaking 1987 Apple Knowledge Navigator video, which anticipated today’s iPad and iPhone. Agents and Humans: Driving Success Together Fast-forward to today, and we are on the cusp of another technological leap forward: AI agents. Much like Kay’s vision of personal computing, the emergence of intelligent, autonomous agents signals a new chapter in how humans and technology work together. Agentforce: Bringing the Future to the Present This interplay between visionary ideas and emerging technologies was on full display with the launch of Agentforce at Dreamforce 2024. A year earlier, at Dreamforce 2023, Salesforce Futures debuted its Salesforce 2030 film, drawing inspiration from Apple’s Knowledge Navigator. The film offered a glimpse into a world where humans collaborate seamlessly with autonomous AI agents—an aspirational vision of business transformed. Since then, the imagination gap between fiction and reality has narrowed. Salesforce’s work in Agentforce and publications like Personal AI Agents and Agents at Work have explored how agents are already changing business as we know it. These tools are bringing science fiction to life, enabling businesses to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, creativity, and success. A New Paradigm in Progress Like the Macintosh, the iPhone, or the Salesforce Platform, the rise of AI agents represents another transformative moment in computing history. By combining vision with technological breakthroughs, we are witnessing the dawn of a new era—one where humans and AI agents work together to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Alan Kay’s timeless wisdom rings true: the future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we invent. With Agentforce, that future is already here. Inventing the Future of Agents. Are you ready to start Inventing the Future of Agents? Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Agentforce goes beyond traditional chatbots and copilots, leveraging advanced reasoning to perform tasks like resolving customer issues, qualifying leads, and optimizing marketing campaigns—all without human intervention. Triggered by data changes, business rules, automations, or API signals, Agentforce executes actions independently. Companies like OpenTable, Saks, and Wiley are already harnessing Agentforce to enhance employee productivity, expand their workforce, and elevate customer experiences.
Salesforce and Blue Shield of California are launching an AI-driven system to streamline healthcare approvals, aiming to cut down prior authorization wait times from weeks to, potentially, the same day. This partnership, leveraging Salesforce’s healthcare cloud, integrates patient data to streamline approvals while retaining clinician oversight, ensuring AI decisions are always reviewed by a human expert.
Transform Your Perspective: From CRM to End-to-End Platform Unleash the power of Salesforce to supercharge your Sales and Service teams. “To sell, you must be your own customer. If it works for you, it’ll work for others as well.” This philosophy drives us to share how you can elevate your Salesforce implementation to unlock its full potential. Our expertise, honed through diverse projects and use cases, has equipped us with strategies to tackle today’s challenges effectively. If you’ve ever felt like your Salesforce platform has untapped potential, you’re not alone. Many organizations encounter roadblocks that limit adoption and the full utilization of cloud solutions. But it’s time to change that. Here are three strategies to help you transform your Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, maximizing their value and creating a competitive edge. 1. Maximize Your Salesforce License: Do More with What You Have Have you explored all that Salesforce has to offer? Start by examining the manual or repetitive processes in your organization—things like spreadsheets or outdated workflows that operate outside your core platform. Salesforce provides tools to digitize and optimize these tasks: By digitizing these workflows, you’ll free up your teams to focus on strategic initiatives while also reducing errors and increasing efficiency. 2. Foster a Learning Culture: The Key to Driving Innovation The success of any digital transformation goes beyond technology—it starts with people. Without proper training and an emphasis on learning, even the most advanced platform can fail to deliver. Salesforce’s Trailhead is an excellent resource to cultivate a culture of learning. We recommend these two modules for leaders and teams: Additionally, partnering with experts like Tectonic ensures tailored training and adoption strategies, helping your teams unlock the platform’s full potential. 3. Leverage Data: Unlock Your Organization’s Hidden Gold Your company’s data is one of its most valuable assets, and if you’ve been using Salesforce for years, you may already have a treasure trove of insights waiting to be leveraged. Enter Agentforce, the evolution of Salesforce’s ‘Copilot.’ Powered by AI, Agentforce automates repetitive tasks, enabling your sales and service teams to focus on high-value activities like closing deals and delivering exceptional service. At Tectonic, we specialize in implementing Agentforce seamlessly and at scale. Our expertise ensures that your data is optimized, empowering your business with actionable insights and AI-driven capabilities. The Tectonic Advantage: Expertise Meets Innovation At Tectonic, we blend deep technical expertise in Salesforce with insights gained from countless successful projects. Through our cross-cloud methodology, we bring together ideas from across industries to solve traditional Salesforce implementation challenges and drive innovation. It’s Time to Act… Transform your Salesforce experience from a basic CRM to an end-to-end platform that drives growth and efficiency. Let’s work together to unlock your platform’s hidden potential and empower your teams to achieve more. Ready to redefine your Salesforce journey? Connect with Tectonic today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Dux-Soup Unveils Salesforce Integration to Enhance LinkedIn Lead Generation Dux-Soup, a leader in LinkedIn automation solutions, has announced a new integration with Salesforce, the world’s top customer relationship management (CRM) platform. This integration empowers businesses to scale their lead generation and sales efforts, offering greater efficiency and improved client engagement in less time. With the new integration, users can manage all outreach activities directly through Dux-Soup and Salesforce without needing to access LinkedIn. Campaigns are initiated within Salesforce, and all engagement data is automatically synced to the CRM. This provides companies with a streamlined process to track, nurture, and convert LinkedIn leads within a unified platform. Key Features Include: Will van der Sanden, Founder of Dux-Soup, stated, “For businesses aiming to scale their lead generation and sales, this integration unlocks new efficiencies and enhances engagement with potential clients. Our goal is to simplify and optimize the user experience, turning LinkedIn connections into real opportunities. With Salesforce integration, users can manage LinkedIn outreach more effectively than ever before.” Scott Wright, Head of Sales at Dux-Soup, added, “Integrating Dux-Soup with Salesforce is a game-changer for sales teams. It allows sales professionals to manage LinkedIn data, connections, and outreach all within Salesforce, creating a seamless workflow that helps them focus on building relationships and driving results.” This Salesforce integration is available to all Dux-Soup Turbo and Cloud users, further enhancing the LinkedIn automation tool’s capabilities. An online demo will be held on December 10th at 4:00 PM GMT, and visitors to the B2B Marketing Expo at Excel on November 27 and 28 can learn more at stand H64. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Navigating Cyber Insurance in an Evolving Threat Landscape The rapidly shifting cyberthreat landscape presents unique challenges for healthcare organizations and underwriters navigating cyber insurance coverage decisions. Cyber liability insurance plays a crucial role in shielding healthcare providers from the mounting costs associated with data breaches and cyberattacks, which now average $9.77 million per incident in the healthcare sector, according to IBM. The Challenges of Retaining Cyber Insurance Healthcare, among other heavily targeted sectors, faces difficulties in securing and maintaining affordable cyber insurance. The constantly evolving threat landscape impacts risk profiles, which drives up premiums and complicates coverage retention. Although year-over-year premium growth plateaued in the U.S. in 2023, 79% of respondents in a Delinea survey still reported increased insurance costs, with 67% experiencing premium hikes between 50% and 100%. As high-profile healthcare cyberattacks and increasing cyber risks persist, navigating the insurance landscape remains a significant challenge. Additionally, the lag in processing claims makes it difficult to anticipate how underwriters will respond to these changing threats. How the Evolving Threat Landscape Impacts Cyber Insurance Obtaining adequate cyber insurance coverage can be challenging in today’s risk-heavy environment. Unlike traditional insurance, where risks remain static, cyber risks constantly evolve to counteract security controls. “Cyber insurance risk adjusters face a unique challenge; unlike fires, which aren’t actively trying to burn you in new ways, cyberthreats are constantly adapting to bypass existing protections,” said Christopher Henderson, senior director of threat operations at Huntress. This continuous adaptation often means that by the time underwriting is complete, a risk assessment may already be outdated. Shifts in the threat landscape are driving changes in cyber insurance questionnaires. While in 2023 insurers focused on remote access tools, vulnerability management, and administrative access controls, the focus in 2024 shifted to include multifactor authentication (MFA) and identity-based attack prevention. This shift highlights the need for organizations to adapt to new requirements in cyber insurance as cybercriminals add new tactics to their playbooks. Adapting Insurance to Emerging Threats As cyberthreat tactics evolve, insurers may adjust policy terms to keep pace with the latest risks. Henderson suggests that insurers could move toward shorter underwriting cycles, possibly even six-month periods, to better align with the rapidly shifting cyber landscape. Mitigating Risk and Controlling Cyber Costs Several factors influence cyber insurance premiums, including organizational size and security posture. For healthcare providers, adhering to industry standards like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 can demonstrate compliance with best practices, improving coverage terms and potentially lowering premiums. Healthcare organizations using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) as their primary security standard reported lower premium increases compared to those without this framework, according to a 2024 report by KLAS Research, Censinet, and the American Hospital Association. Henderson emphasizes the importance of layering new strategies with proven, traditional ones: “While staying vigilant against newer tactics like social engineering and identity-based attacks, maintaining consistent, auditable identity verification and MFA protocols remains crucial.” Despite upfront costs, cyber insurance can significantly reduce financial impact during cybersecurity incidents. For example, a 2024 Sophos report found that organizations with cyber insurance saw an average ransomware recovery cost of $2.94 million compared to $3.48 million for those without coverage. Navigating cyber insurance can be complex for healthcare organizations, but careful attention to risks and proactive security measures can help them secure the right coverage at sustainable rates. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more
How Salesforce Agents are Transforming Internal Workflows Salesforce CIO and Executive Vice President Juan Perez, with three decades of IT leadership experience, is leading the charge in deploying generative AI solutions like Agentforce within Salesforce. Perez’s approach reflects lessons learned during his tenure at UPS, where he oversaw IT operations for a global enterprise. His strategies emphasize scalability, data strategy, and modernization to support growth, with AI now playing a pivotal role. UPS Lessons Applied to Salesforce Perez draws on his UPS experience in managing IT at scale to navigate Salesforce’s needs as a growing enterprise. At UPS, he managed a complex, global IT organization supporting diverse operations, from running an airline to ensuring timely package delivery. Similarly, Salesforce’s IT strategy prioritizes scalable solutions, robust data strategies, and AI integration. “Salesforce intelligently realized the importance of leveraging its own technologies, including AI, to modernize and support growth,” Perez explains. Generative AI’s Transformative Potential Perez views generative AI (GenAI) as a transformative force on par with the internet’s emergence in the 1990s. By reducing the time spent on data analysis and decision-making, AI enables teams to focus on actions that improve productivity and customer service. While GenAI isn’t a solution in itself, Perez sees it as an enabler that amplifies human efforts. Evaluating and Integrating AI in Salesforce’s Stack Salesforce adopts a rigorous, multi-step approach to evaluate new technologies, including large language models (LLMs) and generative AI tools. Perez outlines a “filtering mechanism” for implementation: This structured approach ensures AI investments are both impactful and sustainable. Measuring AI’s ROI To quantify the impact of AI, Salesforce evaluates metrics like lines of code generated using AI tools and time saved through automation. In one example, approximately 26% of production-ready code in a recent deployment was AI-generated. This efficiency is factored into planning and budgeting, allowing resources to be reallocated to other initiatives. Mitigating “Shadow AI” Risks Perez warns against “shadow AI,” where decentralized or unmanaged AI implementations can lead to security, data privacy, and investment inefficiencies. He stresses the need for visibility and governance to prevent these risks. To address this, Salesforce has established an AI Council that is evolving into an Agentforce Center of Excellence. This body ensures responsible development, aligns projects with organizational goals, and maintains oversight of AI implementations across the enterprise. Responsible and Scalable AI Adoption Salesforce’s commitment to using its own products extends to Agentforce, a generative AI suite designed to streamline internal workflows. With a focus on governance, scalability, and measurable impact, Salesforce sets a benchmark for AI adoption. As Perez explains, “We ensure our AI solutions are safe, effective, and capable of driving significant value while remaining aligned with our strategic goals.” By combining rigorous evaluation, measurable outcomes, and proactive governance, Salesforce demonstrates how AI can transform workflows while mitigating risks. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
