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Cloud Managed Services

Advantages of a Cloud Managed Service Provider

Considering outsourcing your IT management to a cloud managed service provider? Here are several benefits of opting for a cloud expert like Tectonic: Cost Savings: Predictable, Recurring Monthly Costs: Future-Proof Technology: Custom and Integrated Service: Robust Infrastructure: Centralized Network Services and Applications: Coverage on All Service Levels: Disaster Recovery: Fast Response Times: Vendor Interfacing: Tectonic offers Managed Services for all your Salesforce platform IT needs.  Contact us today to get started. Like2 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

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A World Series Lesson for Your Business

The Houston Astros won the World Series last night. The first time the organization has won the World Series since the club was established in 1962. Since its foundation, the organization has an aggregate won-loss record of less than .500, and more recently been perennial losers and bottom dwellers. Jim Crane, a successful billionaire entrepreneur, bought and took over the team in 2011. In the six years since purchasing the team, he has changed the culture, attitude and environment of the organization in large part based on the more sophisticated use of big data and analytics throughout the organization. The more advanced and aggressive use of data and analytics, and its benefits, is well documented in player valuation, player match up advantages, statistical based strategy, etc..  For more on this, see The Analytics Series: Dodgers-Astros is a Win for Sabermetrics Both teams stress the heavy use of analytics, so it’s only fitting that they are pitted against one another in the World Series. https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/10/23/16515642/dodgers-astros-world-series-analytics What is less appreciated and reported is the use of data and analytics and its related advantages throughout the organization. I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Crane speak five years ago. He lamented about the poor reputation and track record of the Astros. However, he committed to changing the environment and attitude of the organization into a first class winning organization from top to bottom. How was he going to do it? A key component of his vision and strategy was introducing, embedding throughout over time, and ultimately driving the business through the aggressive use of sophisticated data and analytics in all phases of the company. The benefits would not only be a better product on the field, but better results across the board: marketing, sales, operations, process improvements, expense reductions, employee productivity and evaluations, company morale, customer perceived value proposition, enhanced brand value and ultimately significant increases in revenues, profitability and overall enterprise value of the organization. The results for the Houston Astros are clear and self-explanatory. It is a timely and great case study showing “winning businesses” are the ones which over time adapt, incorporate and drive their businesses through the use of more sophisticated data and analytics in all elements of their business. If you are not aggressively exploring ways to use data and improve your business through analytics, then beware that someone else in your industry is. The examples are endless: Netflix used customer data, trends, preferences and analytics to build a new business model. Netflix went from start up to multi-billion dollar media and content distribution company, while competitor Blockbuster, having every conceivable advantage at the start, is now out of business a few short years after the emergence of Netflix. Where is the retail industry today versus the astronomical rise of Amazon? Where are the teams that are not using data and analytics compared to the Astros? The Astros are the latest example of a bottom to top change in competitive dynamics and market leader in an industry in less than five short years. Are you interested in a dialogue on how you can start your path to more aggressively use data to help in your company? Understanding your customers, your markets, unearth new opportunities, reduce expenses, shorten the time involved in various phases of your operations, improve your customer experience, enhance your brand value, drive sales, enhance cross sell up sell opportunities, etc. The benefits are real and tangible: grow your revenues faster, reduce expenses, become more efficient and automated, make decisions based on information rather than gut feel, and ultimately significantly enhance your market position, growth opportunity and enterprise value for yourself and your investors. At Tectonic, this is what we do. Please call us to start a dialogue. Tectonic can help your start down the path by: As in the case of the Astros, we can help you transform your business into a data driven organization and help generate all the benefits and opportunities that come with it. Give us a call and we are happy to help you start today. Because if you are not, someone else you are or will be competing against is. Chris WilsonPresident Tectonic, LLC Original url: https://www.gettectonic.com/single-post/2017/11/03/a-world-series-lesson-for-your-business 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

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Salesforce Data Studio

Salesforce Data Studio

Data Studio Overview Salesforce Data Studio is Salesforce’s premier solution for audience discovery, data acquisition, and data provisioning, offering access to the world’s largest premium data ecosystem. It provides: Data Studio is a self-service platform that connects data owners and buyers directly, fostering new opportunities for audience discovery, sharing, and activation. Leading brands like Anheuser-Busch, Conagra, Essence, and Heineken leverage Salesforce Data Studio to enhance the value of their data and drive revenue. Announcing Salesforce Data Studio Salesforce Data Studio addresses the shortcomings of traditional data exchanges and marketplaces. Unlike legacy platforms that rely on intermediaries, Data Studio allows data owners to maintain control and transparency. The platform ensures secure transactions with comprehensive data governance tools, enabling precise control over data access, usage, and duration. Key Features of Salesforce Data Studio: Industry Reactions Salesforce Marketing Cloud: The Leader in Digital Marketing Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables marketers to deliver connected, personalized, and real-time consumer engagement across all channels globally. With Marketing Cloud Einstein, marketers can harness artificial intelligence to optimize timing, channel, content, and audience for their marketing messages. Brands like Dunkin’ Donuts and Nestle Waters rely on Marketing Cloud to enhance engagement and advance their business goals. On average, companies using Marketing Cloud see a 27% increase in campaign effectiveness and a 26% boost in marketing ROI. Pricing and Availability Salesforce Data Studio is available now in several editions: The new Audience Discovery and Search feature will be available starting November 2017. 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

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Roles in AI

Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses

The software engine, Optimus Prime (not to be confused with the Autobot leader), originated in a basement beneath a West Elm furniture store on University Avenue in Palo Alto. A group of artificial intelligence enthusiasts within Salesforce, seeking to enhance the impact of machine learning models, embarked on this mission two years ago. While shoppers checked out furniture above, they developed a system to automate the creation of machine learning models. Thus Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses started. Despite being initially named after the Transformers leader, the tie-in was abandoned, and Salesforce named its AI program Einstein. This move reflects the ambitious yet practical approach Salesforce takes in the AI domain. In March, a significant portion of Einstein became available to all Salesforce users, aligning with the company’s tradition of making advanced software accessible via the cloud. Salesforce, although now an industry giant, retains its scrappy upstart identity. When the AI trend gained momentum, the company aimed to create “AI for everyone,” focusing on making machine learning affordable and accessible to businesses. This populist mission emphasizes practical applications over revolutionary or apocalyptic visions. Einstein’s first widely available tool is the Einstein Intelligence module, designed to assist salespeople in managing leads effectively. It ranks opportunities based on factors like the likelihood to close, offering a practical application of artificial intelligence. While other tech giants boast significant research muscle, Salesforce focuses on providing immediate market advantages to its customers. Einstein Intelligence The Einstein Intelligence module employs machine learning to study historical data, identifying factors that predict future outcomes and adjusting its model over time. This dynamic approach allows for subtler and more powerful answers, making use of various data sources beyond basic Salesforce columns. Salesforce’s AI team strives to democratize AI by offering ready-made tools, ensuring businesses can benefit from machine learning without the need for extensive customization by data scientists. The company’s multi-tenant approach, serving 150,000 customers, keeps each company’s data separate and secure. Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses To scale AI implementation across its vast customer base, Salesforce developed Optimus Prime. This system automates the creation of machine learning models for each customer, eliminating the need for extensive manual involvement. Optimus Prime, the AI that builds AIs, streamlines the process and accelerates model creation from weeks to just a couple of hours. Salesforce plans to expand Einstein’s capabilities, allowing users to apply it to more customized data and enabling non-programmers to build custom apps. The company’s long-term vision includes exposing more of its machine learning system to external developers, competing directly with AI heavyweights like Google and Microsoft in the business market. Originally published in WIRED magazine on August 2, 2017 and rewritten for this insight. 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

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Salesforce roles and responsibilities

CRM Cloud Salesforce

What is a CRM Cloud Salesforce? Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for Salesforce clients to provide service and support to their business customers. Salesforce based Service Cloud on its Sales Cloud product, a popular CRM software for sales professionals. Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds are considered core products. Numerous other Salesforce cloud-based products exist. Cloud-based CRM is customer relationship management software that is hosted on the CRM provider’s servers and accessed by its customers through the internet. This kind of software is also called software as a service (SaaS). What is Salesforce Service Cloud, a cloud-based CRM? Salesforce Service Cloud stands as a robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform tailored for Salesforce clients, facilitating seamless service and support for their business clientele. Rooted in Salesforce’s renowned Sales Cloud product, Service Cloud caters to the needs of sales professionals. In essence, a cloud-based CRM, like Salesforce Service Cloud, operates as CRM software hosted on the provider’s servers, accessible to clients via the internet. This software-as-a-service (SaaS) model simplifies access and usage, offering flexibility and scalability to businesses. The SaaS model also makes for ease of implementation and managed services by a third party as everything is accessible in the cloud. Understanding CRM Cloud Salesforce: CRM, or customer relationship management, represents a technology aimed at efficiently managing all interactions and relationships between a company and its customers. The overarching objective is to enhance business relationships, achieved through streamlined processes and improved profitability. When referring to CRM, it typically encompasses a CRM system or platform—a multifaceted tool facilitating contact management, sales management, productivity enhancements, and more. This software zeroes in on nurturing organizational relationships with individual entities, be it customers, service users, colleagues, partners, or suppliers, throughout their lifecycle, spanning from acquisition to support and beyond. The Role of CRM Software: CRM software empowers sales and marketing teams to track and optimize customer interaction journeys, thereby enriching the overall customer experience. By meticulously mapping each touchpoint in the customer journey, CRM solutions bolster customer engagement and satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships. Who Benefits from CRM Software? A CRM system extends its benefits across various business functions, including sales, customer service, business development, marketing, and more. It serves as a centralized repository for customer and prospect information, enabling comprehensive contact management, opportunity identification, service issue resolution, and campaign management. With heightened visibility and data accessibility, teams can collaborate effectively, boosting productivity and driving business growth. The Significance of CRM for Businesses: As the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category, CRM software holds increasing importance in modern business operations. Forecasts suggest a substantial surge in worldwide spending on CRM, underlining its pivotal role in organizational strategies centered around customer-centricity and technological enablement. Key Functions of CRM Systems: CRM solutions play a pivotal role in acquiring, retaining, and nurturing customer relationships by organizing and synthesizing customer and prospect data from diverse sources and channels. These platforms facilitate a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and preferences, driving informed decision-making and personalized engagement strategies. Moreover, modern CRM platforms offer seamless integration with complementary business tools, such as document management, accounting, and surveys, providing businesses with a holistic view of their customers and empowering them to forge stronger relationships and accelerate growth. When people talk about CRM, they usually refer to a CRM system or platform, a tool that helps with contact management, sales management, productivity, and more. Who is CRM software for? A CRM system gives everyone — from sales, customer service, business development, recruiting, marketing, or any other line of business — a better way to manage the external interactions and relationships that drive success. With visibility and easy access to data, it’s easier to collaborate and increase productivity. Everyone in your company can see how customers have been communicated with, what they’ve bought, when they last purchased, what they paid, and so much more. CRM software is increasing in importance as it is the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category. Worldwide spending on CRM is expected to reach USD $114.4 billion by 2027. If your business is going to last, you need a strategy for the future that’s centered around your customers and enabled by the right technology. You have targets for sales, business objectives, and profitability. But getting up-to-date, reliable information on your progress can be tricky. How do you translate the many streams of data coming in from sales, customer service, marketing, and social media monitoring into useful business information? More administration means less time for everything else. An active sales team can generate a flood of data. Reps are out on the road talking to customers, meeting prospects, and finding out valuable information – but all too often this information gets stored in handwritten notes, laptops, sticky notes on laptops, or inside the heads of your salespeople. Details can get lost, meetings are not followed up on promptly, and prioritizing customers can be a matter of guesswork rather than a rigorous exercise based on fact. And it can all be compounded if a key salesperson moves on. But it’s not just sales that suffers without CRM. Your customers may be contacting you on a range of different platforms including phone, email, or social media — asking questions, following up on orders, or contacting you about an issue. Without a common platform for customer interactions, communications can be missed or lost in the flood of information — leading to a slow or unsatisfactory response. Salesforce Data Cloud unifies all the data and provides a 360 degree customer view. Even if you do successfully collect all this data, you’re faced with the challenge of making sense of it. It can be difficult to extract intelligence. Reports can be hard to create and they can waste valuable selling time. Managers can lose sight of what their teams are up to, which means that they can’t offer the right support at the right time – while a lack of oversight can also result in a lack of accountability from the

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Salesforce CRM for AI driven transformation

Salesforce Artificial Intelligence

Is artificial intelligence integrated into Salesforce? Salesforce Einstein stands as an intelligent layer embedded within the Lightning Platform, bringing robust AI technologies directly into users’ workspaces. The Einstein Platform offers administrators and developers a comprehensive suite of platform services, empowering them to create smarter applications and tailor AI solutions for their enterprises. What is the designated name for Salesforce’s AI? Salesforce Einstein represents an integrated array of CRM AI technologies designed to facilitate personalized and predictive experiences, enhancing the professionalism and attractiveness of businesses. Since its introduction in 2016, it has consistently been a leading force in AI technology within the CRM realm. Is Salesforce Einstein a current feature? “Einstein is now every customer’s data scientist, simplifying the utilization of best-in-class AI capabilities within the context of their business.” Is Salesforce Einstein genuinely AI? Salesforce Einstein for Service functions as a generative AI tool, contributing to the enhancement of customer service and field service operations. Its capabilities extend to improving customer satisfaction, cost reduction, increased productivity, and informed decision-making. Salesforce Artificial Intelligence AI is just the starting point; real-time access to customer data, robust analytics, and business-wide automation are essential for AI effectiveness. Einstein serves as a comprehensive solution for businesses to initiate AI implementation with a trusted architecture that prioritizes data security. Einstein is constructed on an open platform, allowing the safe utilization of any large language model (LLM), whether developed by Salesforce Research or external sources. It offers flexibility in working with various models within a leading ecosystem of LLM platforms. Salesforce’s commitment to AI is evident through substantial investments in researching diverse AI areas, including Conversational AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Multimodal Data Intelligence and Generation, Time Series Intelligence, Software Intelligence, Fundamentals of Machine Learning, Science, Economics, and Environment. These endeavors aim to advance technology, improve productivity, and contribute to fields such as science, economics, and environmental sustainability. Content updated April 2023. 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

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Salesforce Jigsaw

Salesforce Jigsaw

Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for $142 million. This agreement also includes an incentive component, allowing for a 10% increase in the purchase price contingent upon meeting specific performance milestones. Cloud computing stands out as the leading trend in the business software realm, attracting attention from established players such as Microsoft (MSFT), SAP (SAP), and Oracle (ORCL). By leveraging internet technologies, cloud computing enhances application usability while reducing costs associated with server and hardware investments. With annual revenues surpassing $1 billion, Salesforce.com (CRM) continues its remarkable growth trajectory. However, to further augment its capabilities and revenue streams, the company is likely to concentrate on strategic acquisitions like Jigsaw. Originating in 2003, Jigsaw embarked on a journey common to high-tech startups, continually refining its business model and securing substantial venture capital funding. The company’s mission was ambitious: leveraging cloud computing and crowd-sourcing to develop a cutting-edge business database to rival established players like D&B (DNB). Overcoming challenges related to data accuracy, duplicate information, and user participation, Jigsaw devised innovative tools and incentive models, resulting in a thriving community of over 1.2 million members and a database comprising 21 million professionals from 4 million companies. By integrating with Salesforce.com, Jigsaw anticipates further enhancements to its database, given the latter’s access to extensive customer data. With approximately 800 existing customers, including notable names like New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Hackett Group, and Sales Performance International, Jigsaw stands to benefit from Salesforce.com’s expansive customer base and cross-selling opportunities. While the transaction is expected to temporarily impact Salesforce.com’s GAAP earnings by approximately 20 to 22 cents per share for fiscal year 2011, this is a common occurrence in rapidly growing markets. Salesforce.com estimates the market opportunity to be $3 billion, signaling significant growth potential. As Salesforce.com’s stock price has doubled over the past year and the company has secured $575 million in debt financing, it is well-positioned for an assertive merger and acquisition strategy. The acquisition of Jigsaw likely marks the beginning of a series of strategic moves for Salesforce.com in the near future. 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 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 Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate Read more

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Salesforce OEM AppExchange

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. This move allows on-demand service providers in various industries to leverage Salesforce’s powerful platform. The OEM edition extends the Salesforce.com platform to third-party SaaS providers, enabling them to tap into its core features, such as the operating system, customization tools, Web Service APIs, workflow, and business logic, according to Kendall Collins, Salesforce’s Vice President of Product Marketing. For example, a real estate management software vendor could utilize Salesforce’s dashboard, customizing it to track real estate data like foreclosures instead of sales opportunities. AppExchange OEM Edition will be available for per user per month, with users managing the pricing and availability of their specific solutions. This expansion highlights the growing adoption of the on-demand model in industries beyond CRM. ISV (Independent Software Vendor) companies commonly sell licenses for their apps via the Salesforce AppExchange, which is one of the most popular methods. For example, they might sell five licenses for a managed package app. With the new AppExchange checkout features powered by Stripe (previously Recurly), processing payments for these licenses is straightforward. Some companies choose to make revenue by selling CRM licenses in addition to their apps, often offering customers discounted CRM licenses. These ISV licenses are custom-built and contractually limited to specific objects and permissions. A significant level of trust is involved, as Salesforce can audit the end-customer at any time to ensure they are only using the objects specified in the agreement. When it comes to pricing, ISVs often charge in two parts: one fee for the app license and another for the CRM license. However, this is typically bundled as a single charge to the customer for simplicity. Customers can adopt these ISV apps as part of a broader Salesforce org, using several onboarding methods, including Trialforce, an AppExchange free trial, or an install with a trial period expiration date. These apps are often integrated into larger business processes, providing value beyond their standalone features. OEM Licensing: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Embedded licensing are essentially the same. OEM licenses are designed for internal apps. For portals, ISV Portal licenses are used, though these do not include Chatter and must interact via a Force.com site. These licenses function similarly to Authenticated Website or Customer Portal licenses. OEM licensing allows companies to use Salesforce as a controlled environment to present their app. For instance, a developer might opt for the OEM model to prevent end-users from making any customizations. The app would have one admin user who sees that it is running on Salesforce, while other users interact with it through a custom interface built on a Force.com site. A common concern for OEM app developers is pricing. While Chatter Plus licenses cost $15 per month (for CRM only), developers often seek clarification on the cost of OEM licenses from Salesforce, hoping for a rate lower than $15 per user per month. They must also factor in their own fees on top of the Salesforce OEM license price. Key Differences Between ISV and OEM Licensing: In an OEM setup, at least one full Salesforce System Administrator is required in the customer’s org. However, this admin does not have the ability to add more licenses to the org or alter the customizations visible to end-users, so their influence over the app’s functionality is limited. ISV app licenses offer more flexibility and are commonly available on the AppExchange, OEM apps represent a complete solution that uses Salesforce as a platform but often hides the underlying Salesforce infrastructure from end-users. Like Related Posts 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 Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate Read more

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