Customer Data Platform Archives

Data Cloud Billable Usage

Data Cloud Billable Usage Overview Usage of certain Data Cloud features impacts credit consumption. To track usage, access your Digital Wallet within your Salesforce org. For specific billing details, refer to your contract or contact your Account Executive. Important Notes ⚠️ Customer Data Platform (CDP) Licensing – If your Data Cloud org operates under a CDP license, refer to Customer Data Platform Billable Usage Calculations instead.⚠️ Sandbox Usage – Data Cloud sandbox consumption affects credits, with usage tracked separately on Data Cloud sandbox cards. Understanding Usage Calculations Credit consumption is based on the number of units used multiplied by the multiplier on the rate card for that usage type. Consumption is categorized as follows: 1. Data Service Usage Service usage is measured by records processed, queried, or analyzed. Billing Category Description Batch Data Pipeline Based on the volume of batch data processed via Data Cloud data streams. Batch Data Transforms Measured by the higher of rows read vs. rows written. Incremental transforms only count changed rows after the first run. Batch Profile Unification Based on source profiles processed by an identity resolution ruleset. After the first run, only new/modified profiles are counted. Batch Calculated Insights Based on the number of records in underlying objects used to generate Calculated Insights. Data Queries Based on records processed, which depends on query structure and total records in the queried objects. Unstructured Data Processed Measured by the amount of unstructured data (PDFs, audio/video files) processed. Streaming Data Pipeline Based on records ingested through real-time data streams (web, mobile, streaming ingestion API). Streaming Data Transforms Measured by the number of records processed in real-time transformations. Streaming Calculated Insights Usage is based on the number of records processed in streaming insights calculations. Streaming Actions (including lookups) Measured by the number of records processed in data lookups and enrichments. Inferences Based on predictive AI model usage, including one prediction, prescriptions, and top predictors. Applies to internal (Einstein AI) and external (BYOM) models. Data Share Rows Shared (Data Out) Based on the new/changed records processed for data sharing. Data Federation or Sharing Rows Accessed Based on records returned from external data sources. Only cross-region/cross-cloud queries consume credits. Sub-second Real-Time Events & API Based on profile events, engagement events, and API calls in real-time processing. Private Connect Data Processed Measured by GB of data transferred via private network routes. 🔹 Retired Billing Categories: Accelerated Data Queries and Real-Time Profile API (no longer billed after August 16, 2024). 2. Data Storage Allocation Storage usage applies to Data Cloud, Data Cloud for Marketing, and Data Cloud for Tableau. Billing Category Description Storage Beyond Allocation Measured by data storage exceeding your allocated limit. 3. Data Spaces Billing Category Description Data Spaces Usage is based on the number of data spaces beyond the default allocation. 4. Segmentation & Activation Usage applies to Data Cloud for Marketing customers and is based on records processed, queried, or activated. Billing Category Description Segmentation Based on the number of records processed for segmentation. Batch Activations Measured by records processed for batch activations. Activate DMO – Streaming Based on new/updated records in the Data Model Object (DMO) during an activation. If a data graph is used, the count is doubled. 5. Ad Audiences Service Usage Usage is calculated based on the number of ad audience targets created. Billing Category Description Ad Audiences Measured by the number of ad audience targets generated. 6. Data Cloud Real-Time Profile Real-time service usage is based on the number of records associated with real-time data graphs. Billing Category Description Sub-second Real-Time Profiles & Entities Based on the unique real-time data graph records appearing in the cache during the billing month. Each unique record is counted only once, even if it appears multiple times. 📌 Example: If a real-time data graph contains 10M cached records on day one, and 1M new records are added daily for 30 days, the total count would be 40M records. 7. Customer Data Platform (CDP) Billing Previously named Customer Data Platform orgs are billed based on contracted entitlements. Understanding these calculations can help optimize data management and cost efficiency. Track & Manage Your Usage 🔹 Digital Wallet – Monitor Data Cloud consumption across all categories.🔹 Feature & Usage Documentation – Review guidelines before activating features to optimize cost.🔹 Account Executive Consultation – Contact your AE to understand credit consumption and scalability options. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

February 26, 2025in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud0 Comments

26Feb

Salesforce Service Assistant

Salesforce Service Assistant is an AI-powered tool that helps service representatives resolve cases faster. It’s available on Service Cloud and is designed to save time for agents. How it works Benefits Helps agents resolve cases faster, Saves time for service representatives, Grounded in the organization’s knowledge base and data, and Adheres to company policies. Additional information Alongside agent guidance, the Service Assistant provides two other notable features. The first enables agents to create conversation summaries with “just a click” after using the solution to complete a case. The second allows agents to request that the assistant auto-crafts a new knowledge article when its guidance proved insufficient, based on how they resolved the query. Thanks to this second feature, the Service Assistant may get better with time, aiding agent proficiency, customer satisfaction, and – ultimately – average handling time (AHT). However, despite this capability, Salesforce has pledged to advance the solution further. Indeed, during a recent webinar, Kevin Qi, Associate Product Manager at Salesforce, teased what will come in June. Pointing to Service Cloud’s Summer ‘25 release wave, Qi said: The next phase of Service Assistant involves actionable plans. So, not only will it help guide the service rep, but it’ll also take actions to automate various steps, so it can look up orders, check eligibilities, and more to help speed up the efficiency of tackling that case. Beyond the summer, Salesforce plans to have the Assistant blend modalities, guiding customer conversations across channels to further streamline the interaction. “The Service Assistant will become even more adaptive, support more channels, including messaging and voice, being able to adapt to changes in case context,” concluded Qi. The Latest AI Solutions on Service Cloud Alongside the Service Assistant, Salesforce has released several other AI and Agentforce capabilities, embedded across Service Cloud. Qi picked out the “Freeform Instructions in Service Email Assistant” feature for special reference. “If the agent doesn’t have a template already made for a particular instance, they can type – in natural language – the sort of email they’d want to generate and have Agentforce create that email in the flow of work,” he said. That capability may prove highly beneficial in helping agents piece their thoughts together when resolving a tricky case. After all, they can note some key points – in natural language – and the feature will create a coherent customer response. Alongside this comes a solution to quickly summarize case activity for wrap-up in beta. Yet, most new features focus on improving the knowledge that feeds into AI solutions, like the Service Assistant. For starters, there’s a flow orchestrator in beta that helps contact center leaders build a process for approving new knowledge articles and updates. Additionally, there’s an “Update Knowledge Content with AI” feature. This ingests prompts and – as it says on the tin – updates the tone, style, and length of particular knowledge articles. Last comes the “Knowledge Sync to Data Cloud” tool that pulls contact center knowledge into the Salesforce customer data platform (CDP). Not only does this democratize service insights, but it also supports contact centers in grounding the Service Assistant and other AI agents. Both of these final knowledge capabilities are now generally available. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

February 26, 2025in Data, Salesforce0 Comments

17Feb

Salesforce Service Assistant Now Generally Available

Salesforce Service Assistant Now Generally Available in Service Cloud Salesforce has officially launched Service Assistant in Service Cloud, bringing AI-powered agent guidance to customer service teams. The assistant creates step-by-step action plans to help agents resolve queries efficiently by analyzing intent, case history, and customer context. Previously known as Salesforce Service Planner, the solution entered a pilot phase in October 2024 and is now live just four months later. Enhancing Accuracy with Data Cloud Integration To maximize accuracy, Salesforce recommends integrating Service Assistant with Data Cloud and the contact center knowledge base. This connection enables the assistant to access critical business processes and customer history across service, sales, marketing, and more. Key Features of Service Assistant Beyond real-time agent guidance, Service Assistant introduces two standout capabilities: This continuous learning cycle improves agent proficiency, enhances customer satisfaction, and reduces Average Handling Time (AHT). What’s Next for Service Assistant? Despite these capabilities, Salesforce plans to further enhance Service Assistant. In a recent webinar, Kevin Qi, Associate Product Manager at Salesforce, revealed upcoming enhancements in the Summer ’25 release (June 2025): “The next phase of Service Assistant involves actionable plans. It will not only guide service reps but also automate steps like looking up orders and checking eligibility to speed up case resolution.” Beyond summer, Salesforce aims to make Service Assistant more adaptive, supporting additional channels such as messaging and voice while dynamically adjusting to case context changes. Expanding AI & Agentforce Capabilities in Service Cloud Alongside Service Assistant, Salesforce has introduced several AI and Agentforce capabilities across Service Cloud. Highlighted features include: What’s Coming in the Summer ’25 Release? One of the most anticipated features in June 2025 is Agentforce: Service Actions in Slack. Salesforce already enables case swarming in Slack, allowing agents to collaborate with external teams. Now, this guidance will be automatically recorded in the case summary and converted into knowledge articles for future reference. Other upcoming knowledge management features include: Custom AI with Agentforce Beyond prebuilt AI solutions, Agentforce enables brands to create AI-powered workflows tailored to their needs. Service teams can: By integrating Agentforce with Data Cloud, businesses can connect cross-platform workflows and automate enterprise-wide operations. Content updated March 2025. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

February 17, 2025in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Service Cloud0 Comments

Data Cloud Permissions

Data Cloud Standard Permission Sets Permission sets determine the level of access and visibility Salesforce users have to Data Cloud features and data. Salesforce provides six standard permission sets for Data Cloud, which administrators assign to users. While it is possible to create custom permission sets, it is generally recommended to use the standard ones, as they are updated automatically with each release. However, these can be combined with other Salesforce permission sets to expand user access as needed. Identifying Your Data Cloud License To check your org’s Data Cloud license: Important: For details on the transition from legacy standard permission sets to enhanced standard permission sets, see Data Cloud Permission Set Naming Changes During the Enhanced Security Migration Period. System Administrator Access System Administrators can manage and assign users within Setup and access Data Cloud Setup. They must have either the System Administrator user profile or permissions that grant access to Salesforce Setup. Note: A Data Cloud standard permission set is not required to access Data Cloud Setup. Data Cloud Standard Permission Sets General Data Cloud Permission Sets These permission sets can be assigned to users and combined with other Salesforce permission sets: Marketing-Specific Permission Sets Organizations with the Segmentation and Activation Add-On License, commonly used with Marketing Cloud Engagement and third-party applications, have additional marketing-specific permission sets: For details on the Segmentation and Activation Add-On License, contact your account executive. Feature Access by Permission Set The following table outlines the access levels for each permission set: | Feature | System Admin | Data Cloud Admin | Data Cloud User | Data Cloud Marketing Admin | Data Cloud Data Aware Specialist | Data Cloud Marketing Manager | Data Cloud Marketing Specialist | |—|—|—|—|—|—|—|| Data Cloud Setup | Full Access | | | | | || Data Space Management | Full Access | | | | | || Data Additions to a Data Space | | Full Access | | Full Access | Full Access | || Data Streams | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Data Shares | | Full Access | View Only | View Only | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Data Lake Objects | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Data Transforms | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Data Model | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Identity Resolution | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Calculated Insights | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only || Segments | | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | || Activation & Targets | | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | View Only | || Communication Capping Setup | Full Access | | | | | || Search Index Configurations | | Full Access | View Only | Full Access | Full Access | View Only | View Only | Best Practice: Use Standard Permission Sets It is strongly recommended to assign standard permission sets rather than creating custom ones. Standard permission sets are automatically updated with each release, ensuring users have access to the latest features. Custom permission sets may not include new functionality, potentially limiting access to new capabilities. Customer Data Platform Standard Permission Sets Salesforce provides four standard permission sets for Customer Data Platform (CDP) licensed orgs. These define access to Data Cloud features under the CDP contract. For details, refer to Customer Data Platform Standard Permission Sets in Data Cloud documentation. Data Cloud Permission Set Changes During the Enhanced Security Migration Starting November 2023, Salesforce introduced enhanced security measures, renaming existing Data Cloud standard permission sets and creating new permission sets with similar names in all Data Cloud orgs. Refer to the Data Cloud Permission Set Naming Changes documentation for details. Creating Custom Permission Sets in Data Cloud If a custom permission set is required, it is best to clone an existing standard permission set rather than creating one from scratch. Some Data Cloud features may not be accessible if a permission set is built manually. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

January 4, 2025in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

04Nov

Martech Modernization

Martech Modernization: The Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities A Snapshot of Martech Strategies and CDP Adoption According to research by Acxiom, 65% of companies with a defined martech strategy utilize a Customer Data Platform (CDP), compared to just 43% without one. This significant gap underscores the strategic role of CDPs in martech adoption. Additionally, nearly all businesses surveyed plan to revise their martech stack within the next 12 months, with 29% adding new tools and 15% consolidating existing ones. The Transformative Marketing Landscape Rapid technological advancements, changing customer expectations, and evolving identity ecosystems are fundamentally reshaping how brands engage their audiences. In this environment, modernizing martech has become essential for delivering the personalized experiences customers demand. However, modernization presents challenges such as siloed data, fragmented technologies, and gaps in expertise, complicating efforts to adapt. To gain insights into these dynamics, Acxiom surveyed 200 martech decision-makers from the US and UK about their modernization plans, motivations, and obstacles. The findings reveal a widespread push for martech updates, with brands seeking support to navigate this complex journey. SECTION ONE: A Martech Reset is Underway Martech Strategy Rises to the Top When asked to prioritize their marketing objectives, 34% of respondents listed developing a martech strategy among their top three goals. This places it alongside traditional objectives like increasing brand awareness and customer acquisition, reflecting its growing importance in achieving broader marketing goals. Even considering that survey respondents may prioritize martech more than the average business leader, the results highlight the industry’s dynamism and the pressing need for a martech reset. Widespread Stack Adjustments Nearly all surveyed businesses (99%) plan to adjust their martech stack in the next year. Key trends include: This widespread activity emphasizes the high priority placed on martech optimization. Streamlining and Experimentation Some organizations focus on refining their existing stacks, while others are piloting new platforms: C-Suite Engagement Martech modernization has also captured the attention of executive leadership. 60% of respondents noted that martech has become a higher priority for their C-suite in recent years, particularly in smaller companies leveraging technology to maximize resources and compete with larger rivals. Budget Increases Despite Economic Pressures In a challenging economic climate, 65% of respondents expect their martech budgets to grow over the next year, while only 10% foresee cuts. This trend reflects the recognition of martech as a strategic investment critical for maintaining competitiveness. SECTION TWO: Drivers of Martech Modernization Why Modernize? Modernization efforts are driven by a mix of goal-oriented and technical motivations. Key drivers include: Secondary motivations include streamlining integration, ensuring regulatory compliance, and reducing operational complexity. Key Takeaways As martech modernization accelerates, businesses must balance innovation with strategic planning to navigate this transformative era successfully. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, 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

November 4, 2024in Data, Technology

25Oct

Transform Customer Experience

In today’s AI-driven business environment, customer experience (CX) has evolved from being a buzzword to a critical factor in determining success. It’s no longer enough for businesses to offer high-quality products or excellent service alone—today’s customers are always online, engaged, and seeking the most convenient, relevant, and enjoyable experiences. This is where Salesforce Data Cloud becomes a game-changer, providing the tools needed to meet modern customer expectations. Transforming Customer Experience with Salesforce Data Cloud Salesforce enables businesses to collect, integrate, and leverage critical customer information within its ecosystem, offering an all-encompassing view of each customer. This unified customer data allows organizations to forecast visitor trends, assess marketing impact, and predict customer behavior. As data-driven decision-making becomes increasingly central to business strategy, Salesforce Data Cloud and its Customer Data Platform (CDP) features provide a significant competitive edge—whether in e-commerce, fintech, or B2B industries. Data Cloud is more than just your traditional CDP. It’s the only data platform native to the world‘s #1 AI CRM. This means that marketers can quickly access and easily action on unified data – from across the entire business – to drive growth and increase customer lifetime value. Data Cloud’s Role in Enhancing CX By unifying data in one place, Salesforce Data Cloud enables organizations to access real-time customer insights. This empowers them to track customer activity across channels like email, social media, and online sales, facilitating targeted marketing strategies. Businesses can analyze customer behavior and deliver personalized messaging, aligning marketing, sales, and customer service efforts to ensure consistency. With these capabilities, Salesforce customers can elevate the CX by delivering the right content, at the right time, to the right audience, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and growth. New Features of Salesforce Data Cloud Salesforce continues to evolve, introducing cutting-edge features that reshape customer interaction: To fully maximize these features, partnering with a Salesforce Data Cloud consultant can help businesses unlock the platform’s full potential and refine their customer engagement strategies. Agentic AI Set to Supercharge Business Processes Salesforce’s vision extends beyond customer relationship management with the integration of Agentic AI through its Customer 360 platform. According to theCUBE Research analysts, this signals a shift toward using AI agents to automate complex business processes. These AI agents, built on Salesforce’s vast data resources, promise to revolutionize how companies operate, offering customized, AI-driven business tools. “If they can pull this off, where it becomes a more dynamic app platform, more personalized, really focused on those processes all the way back to the data, it’s going to be a clear win for them,” said Strechay. “They’re sitting on cloud; they’re sitting on IaaS. That’s a huge win from that perspective.” AI agents create a network of microservices that think and act independently, involving human intervention only when necessary. This division of labor allows businesses to capture expertise in routine tasks while freeing human workers to focus on more complex decision-making. However, the success of these AI agents depends on access to accurate and reliable data. As Gilbert explained, “Agents can call on other agents, and when they’re not confident of a step in a process or an outcome, they can then bounce up to an inbox for a human to supervise.” The goal isn’t to eliminate humans but to capture their expertise for simpler processes. Empowering Developers and Citizen Creators At the core of this AI-driven transformation is Salesforce’s focus on developers. The platform’s low-code tools allow businesses to easily customize AI agents and automate business processes, empowering both experienced developers and citizen creators. With simple language commands or goal-setting, companies can build and train these AI agents, streamlining operations. “It’s always going to be about good data—that’s the constant,” Bertrand said. “The second challenge is how to train agents and humans to work together effectively. While some entry-level jobs may be replaced, AI will continue to evolve, creating new opportunities in the future.” Is Salesforce Data Cloud the Right Fit for Your Business? Salesforce Data Cloud offers comprehensive capabilities for businesses of all sizes, but it’s essential to assess whether it aligns with your specific needs. The platform is particularly valuable for: For businesses that fit these scenarios, working with Salesforce’s partner ecosystem or a Data Cloud consultant can help ensure successful integration and optimization. What’s New in Salesforce’s Latest Release? The latest Salesforce Spring Release introduced several exciting features, further enhancing Salesforce Data Cloud: These updates reflect Salesforce’s commitment to providing innovative, data-driven solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive business success. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 25, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

23Sep

Oracle Advertising Sundown

Oracle Shifts Focus to B2B CX, Introduces New Fusion Cloud Features Despite winding down its online advertising products, Oracle is doubling down on its investment in customer experience (CX) technology, particularly in enabling B2B buying and supporting subscription and consumption models. During the Oracle CloudWorld conference on Wednesday, the company unveiled new capabilities for its Fusion Cloud Customer Experience and Unity Customer Data Platform. These enhancements empower Oracle CX users to analyze customer profiles to assemble B2B buying teams, leverage generative AI tools like native analytics, and utilize industry-specific accelerators to speed up the adoption of customer data tools. Key features include the ability to create self-service sites for individual accounts, enabling customers to review and summarize contracts using generative AI, receive quotes, and renew subscriptions. Other features enhance “assisted buying experiences,” blending self-service and human interaction, while tools like account onboarding and AI-powered email drafting simplify full-service sales processes. Subscription models, though still in their early stages for B2B, offer a streamlined alternative to traditional procurement processes. As Liz Miller, an analyst at Constellation Research, noted, subscription-based buying is easier and quicker, avoiding the lengthy procurement cycles many B2B buyers are familiar with. “The pain of traditional B2B buying is still fresh in everyone’s mind,” she said. Oracle Advertising Shuts Down Oracle’s advertising product support will end on September 30, as confirmed by CEO Safra Catz during the company’s June earnings call. The Oracle Advertising Data Management Platform (DMP), built from its BlueKai acquisition, is being retired, following in the footsteps of Salesforce, which discontinued its Audience Studio in 2021. Despite Oracle winding down its ad platform, this move shouldn’t be seen as a shift away from customer experience. Oracle founder Larry Ellison remains deeply involved in shaping the company’s CX strategy, with a focus on marketing tools and Apex low-code platforms, said Rob Pinkerton, Oracle’s senior vice president. Oracle’s modernized CX suite, built on the Fusion Cloud platform, has evolved significantly in recent years, though questions remain about whether it’s too late to regain market share. “Oracle as a CX platform has fallen off the radar for many buyers,” said Miller, adding that customers are no longer debating between Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce in the CX space. New Industry-Specific Tools for CX Oracle has also expanded its CX platform with industry-specific tools designed to accelerate the adoption of its customer data platform (CDP) across sectors such as high tech, manufacturing, professional services, telecommunications, utilities, financial services, travel, and retail. According to Rebecca Wettemann, CEO of research firm Valoir, Oracle’s Fusion platform has matured significantly and now supports the complexity of modern customer needs. Wettemann highlighted how common components like customer interaction summaries can be adapted for multiple industries, delivering faster results than traditional applications. Oracle’s Clinical Digital Assistant is one such example of this approach, illustrating the platform’s versatility and AI-driven enhancements. With these developments, Oracle continues to refine its CX offerings to better meet the unique demands of B2B customers, providing tools that streamline operations and enhance customer experiences across various industries. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 23, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Salesforce, Technology

19Sep

Salesforce AI Agents and New Data Cloud Features

Salesforce has announced several major updates to its Data Cloud at the annual Dreamforce conference, aimed at enhancing data analysis and boosting the capabilities of its new AI agents, Agentforce. These updates include support for unstructured data in audio and video formats, 50 new data connectors, and a low-latency pipeline to ensure faster AI responses. Salesforce describes Data Cloud as a customer data platform designed to unify data from various sources, providing actionable insights for sales, service, and marketing teams. The latest features will further improve this functionality, according to Rahul Auradkar, Salesforce’s General Manager of Unified Data Services and Einstein. Key Updates 1. Unstructured Data Support: Audio and Video Formats Salesforce has introduced the ability to process unstructured audio and video data. This allows enterprises to analyze information from sources like customer calls, training sessions, product demos, and webinars. The unstructured data can enrich customer profiles, provide deeper insights into behavior, and enhance the performance of AI agents within Agentforce by improving response accuracy. IDC’s Hayley Sutherland highlighted that vectorization of this content enables retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), enhancing the use of large language models (LLMs) to generate more effective and context-aware responses. 2. 50 New Data Connectors Salesforce has expanded its connector library with 50 new options, raising the total to 200. This helps businesses integrate diverse data sources, facilitating improved personalization and decision-making. These connectors are also critical for feeding data to AI agents, enabling them to generate more accurate insights. 3. Sub-second Data Layer for Real-time Responses A new sub-second data layer has been rolled out, allowing enterprises to ingest, unify, analyze, and act on data in real time. This layer powers Einstein Personalization, enabling instant AI-driven recommendations and analytics. It’s especially important for the low-latency needs of Agentforce’s autonomous AI agents, ensuring faster, more accurate customer interactions. 4. Governance and Security Enhancements Salesforce has introduced AI tagging and classification features for unstructured data, automating labeling and organization to ensure secure access. Policy-based governance will offer granular control over data access based on tags, metadata, and user attributes. Additionally, customer-managed encryption keys ensure data security, while the newly available private connect feature allows secure data sharing between Data Cloud and public cloud environments. 5. Data Cloud One and Hybrid Search Data Cloud One, a new feature, will allow enterprises to connect multiple Salesforce accounts across different departments or regions into a single instance, simplifying data management. The hybrid search feature, which combines vector and keyword search, is designed to improve the speed and accuracy of finding industry-specific information. Other updates include Tableau Semantics, which helps organize data based on its meaning, and a new data community platform to foster collaboration among data professionals. These updates reflect Salesforce’s commitment to enhancing data-driven decision-making and delivering powerful AI capabilities for enterprises. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 19, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce

22Jun

Changes in Advertising Changing CRMs

Oracle announced last week that it is exiting the advertising business and will sunset its adtech by September 30. While the announcement is not surprising given the massive layoffs in 2022 affecting Oracle Advertising teams, the rapidity of Oracle Advertising’s decline is a clear indicator of how swiftly the digital advertising landscape can evolve. This move is likely just the first of many significant Changes in Advertising Changing CRMs. What happened? Oracle Advertising faced challenges beginning in 2018 and never managed to recover. Several forces related to data deprecation adversely impacted the business: Changes in Advertising Changing CRMs Retooling its acquisitions to function in a consent-driven and regulated environment would have required significant investment from Oracle. Given its track record with privacy law compliance, this would have been a daunting task, necessitating both rapid innovation and market trust in its solutions. What does this mean for the advertising ecosystem? Oracle’s exit from adtech marks a significant shift in the advertising ecosystem. The sharp decline in advertising revenue from $2 billion in 2022 to $300 million in 2024 suggests a major miscalculation by Oracle. Without demand- or supply-side platforms (unlike Google, Microsoft, and Amazon) and lacking a large audience base (unlike Meta, Disney, and Netflix), Oracle’s benefits as an adtech partner or acquirer were unclear. The key question now is whether Oracle’s intellectual property will find new ownership and continue in some form. What does this mean for the marketing ecosystem? The broader marketing ecosystem is likely to see more shifts as major players adapt to the new landscape. Leading martech vendors like Adobe and Salesforce have already transitioned from DMPs to CDPs. Adobe Real-Time CDP and Salesforce Data Cloud for Marketing are gaining market share, while Oracle has struggled in the B2C martech space. Oracle’s decision to cut investments in martech and adtech has significantly impaired its B2C market efforts, with products like Responsys failing to gain the traction that Eloqua has in the B2B space. Oracle also announced it will sunset related B2C marketing products like Oracle Maxymiser in the coming months. These changes are just the beginning of a broader transformation in digital advertising, driven by evolving privacy standards, consumer expectations, and technological advancements. This marks the dawn of a new era in which agility and compliance will be key to success in the digital advertising and marketing landscapes. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

June 22, 2024in Salesforce Data Cloud

14May

Zero Copy from Salesforce

When was the last time you relocated? Remember the hassle of packing up all your stuff, loading it onto a truck, and unpacking everything at your new digs, hoping it all survived the journey? Now, imagine if your furniture and possessions could simply teleport to your new location in perfect condition. While this may not be possible (yet) in the physical world, the concept of zero copy integration offers a similar seamless experience for handling customer data. Zero Copy from Salesforce. Zero copy integration, also known as zero ETL (extract-transform-load), allows data to be shared among multiple data stores without the need for actual movement or duplication. This is particularly advantageous for companies utilizing cloud data warehouses like Snowflake or Google BigQuery. Some companies hesitate to adopt a customer data platform (CDP) due to concerns about duplicating data. However, with zero copy integration, users can leverage the benefits of a CDP—such as data harmonization, identity management, built-in analytics, and activation—without the drawbacks of physical data movement. Some functions related to data have advanced with astonishing speed: generation, dissemination, storage, even security (and yes, that one still has many challenges). But there are others still mired in the stone age—call it the 80s—of the digital era. For example, think copies. How many business professionals still make multiple copies of sensitive data, just as it’s been done for the last four decades? What does this endless duplication do for regulatory risk, security threats and privacy liabilities? This is a symptom of a larger problem: Far from the data-centric universe we all envisioned, we’re beholden instead to the apps used to create, store, and distribute data. There’s an app for everything, but also a database for every app, leading to dozens of data silos undergoing hundreds of integrations, increasing fragmentation, complexity, and costs. The basic idea, according to Dan DeMers, Cinchy’s CEO, is that the framework aims to remove application data silos by using access-based data collaboration versus standard API-base data integration that involves copying data and branding it with complex app-specific coding. This would be done by access controls set in the data layer. It would also involve: What is Zero Copy Integration? Zero copy integration enables access to data stored in multiple databases simultaneously without the need to move, copy, or reformat the data. This approach not only facilitates faster and easier access to data but also reduces costs and minimizes the risk of errors associated with data movement or transformation. Comparing Traditional Methods with Zero Copy Integration: Traditional Methods: Zero Copy Integration: How It Works: From CDP to Data Warehouse In this scenario, data is accessed from the CDP and shared with the data warehouse, a process known as data sharing. The steps typically involve: How It Works: From Data Warehouse to CDP Conversely, in this scenario, data is accessed from the data warehouse and integrated into the CDP, a process referred to as data federation. The steps typically involve: Real-World Application: How Buyers Edge Utilizes Zero Copy Technology Buyers Edge, a leading procurement optimization company in the food service industry, leverages zero copy technology to access purchase data stored in a data warehouse while building a unified customer profile in a CDP. This allows them to provide better customer insights to their sales and marketing teams. By eliminating the need for data movement, duplication, or reformatting, zero copy technology streamlines data access, harmonizes data for insights and analytics, and provides a real-time holistic view of customers. As data volumes continue to grow exponentially, technologies like zero copy integration will play a crucial role in simplifying data management and facilitating seamless access to valuable insights. Whether it’s optimizing business processes or enhancing customer experiences, zero copy integration empowers organizations to navigate the data landscape with agility and efficiency. Be a zero copy hero and unlock the full potential of your data management strategy. “In today’s digital landscape, companies struggle with islands of data spread across various systems. With this global ecosystem of partners, companies can access all of their data, no matter where it resides, and unlock the power of all of that data within Salesforce — creating more personalized customer interactions and establishing a foundation for trusted AI, in less time and at lower cost.” Brian Millham, President and Chief Operating Officer at Salesforce The Zero Copy Partner Network features initial partners Amazon Web Services (AWS), Databricks, Google Cloud, and Snowflake, and adds Microsoft, all committed to zero copy integrations with Salesforce that give customers a secure and cost-effective way to connect and take action on all of their data New zero copy support for data warehouses and data lakehouses built on open table formats, like Apache Iceberg, with Salesforce Data Cloud, removes the need to copy or move data, so customers can unlock their data, powering Customer 360 experiences with AI, automation, and analytics The network includes Salesforce ISV partners, building new Zero Copy Data Kits to bring valuable new datasets to Salesforce Data Cloud, and Salesforce SI partners including Accenture, Cognizant, Deloitte Digital, and PwC, helping customers with zero copy Salesforce Data Cloud implementations. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

May 14, 2024in Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Snowflake

21Apr

Harnessing Zero Copy Integration

Streamlining Data Management: Harnessing Zero Copy Integration for Efficient Customer Insights Zero copy integration offers a revolutionary approach to accessing and utilizing customer data without the need for burdensome data transfers. By seamlessly linking disparate databases, this innovative technique eliminates the complexities associated with moving, copying, or reformatting data. Let’s explore how zero copy integration can optimize data management processes and enhance the efficiency of customer data platforms (CDPs) alongside traditional data warehouses. Understanding Zero Copy Integration: Zero copy integration, also known as zero ETL (extract-transform-load), facilitates the sharing of data across multiple databases without physically relocating it. This method enables real-time access to data, significantly reducing costs and mitigating the risks of errors inherent in data movement processes. Unlike traditional data replication methods, zero copy integration ensures that data remains in its original location, eliminating the need for redundant storage and synchronization efforts. Good technology standards can actually bring order to the chaos and allow products from different companies to work together, fostering healthy competition and enhancing productivity. That is precisely what Zero-Copy Integration does. Zero-Copy Integration is a framework that eliminates the need for data copies and integration, making it easier to work with applications, analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Canada’s Digital Governance Council recently announced that Zero-Copy Integration has been published for open access by the public, setting a new standard for data collaboration. Moreover, Zero-Copy Integration prioritizes data-centricity and active metadata over complex code and solution modularity over monolithic design. It also facilitates data governance through data products and federated stewardship, eliminating the need for centralized teams. In addition to boosting the development and deployment of new technologies, Zero-Copy Integration also addresses the growing number of data privacy regulations. By putting data at the center of the process, Zero-Copy Integration ensures greater collaboration and control, positively affecting industries like healthcare, research, banking, and public services. Benefits of Zero-Data Integration Proponents of zero-copy integration and dataware say the framework will lower data storage costs, improve performance of IT teams, improve privacy and security of data, and drive innovation in systems for public health, social research, open banking and sustainability through innovations in: Comparing Traditional vs. Zero Copy Integration: Aspect Traditional Zero Copy Replication Requires copying data to target Data remains in original location Updates Data accuracy dependent on synchronization Real-time access to data Cost Involves data movement expenses No additional data movement costs Regulatory Compliance Complex governance due to data duplication Simplified compliance with source data only Errors Data movement introduces potential errors Minimized risk of errors with no data movement Maintenance Increases complexity with copying and synchronization Streamlined management with no data relocation Implementing Zero Copy Integration: The implementation of zero copy integration varies depending on the platform and direction of data access. Let’s explore how it works in scenarios involving Salesforce Data Cloud and Snowflake data warehouse: Case Study: Buyers Edge’s Zero Copy Success Story: Buyers Edge, a procurement optimization company, leveraged zero copy integration to unify customer profiles in a CDP while accessing purchase data from their data warehouse. By seamlessly integrating Salesforce Data Cloud with their warehouse, Buyers Edge enhanced predictive modeling capabilities, resulting in tailored sales and marketing strategies. Zero copy integration revolutionizes data management practices by enabling seamless data access and eliminating the need for data duplication or relocation. As businesses navigate the evolving data landscape, leveraging zero copy integration can streamline operations, enhance insights, and empower organizations to unlock the full potential of their data assets. MILESTONES / TIMELINE Second half 2023 – Internationalization February 21, 2023 – Information Session (watch above ☝ or via YouTube) February 15, 2023 – ‘Zero-copy’ applications published by DCA February 08, 2023 – Published by Digital Governance Council (Press release) December 15, 2022 – Approved by Standards Council of Canada June-Nov 2022 – Public consultation period 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

April 21, 2024in Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Einstein, Snowflake

Measures for Granular Calculated Insights

Add More Measures to Calculated Insights Now you can add more measures to your calculated insights to achieve an improved result. The max number of measures per calculated insight has increased from 5 to 20. View Calculated Insights in Builder Now it’s easier to review the objects, filters, relationships, and logic that you selected for a Calculated Insight. When you use the Insight Builder to create a Calculated Insight, you can view insight logic in the builder and in SQL. Where: This change applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. How: From Customer Data Platform, click Calculated Insights, and then click Show In Builder. Install or Update Data Kits That Power Standard Data Bundles Salesforce CRM data bundles are now powered by data kits to enable more scalable delivery and faster innovation for Salesforce CRM data bundles. As a Customer Data Platform Admin, you can install or update data kits that power Salesforce CRM data bundles. Where: This change applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. Exploring the Power of Calculated Insights (CI) Calculated Insights (CIs) in Salesforce Data Cloud enable you to define and compute complex, multidimensional metrics, offering a deeper understanding of your data. These insights help analyze performance across different dimensions—like channel-level activity or customer engagement metrics—empowering your organization to make data-driven decisions. For example, CIs can rank customers by engagement or spending, evaluate product performance, and uncover trends in purchasing or browsing behavior. Let’s walk through how to use CIs effectively, with examples and reporting guidance. Example 1: Simplifying Metrics with a Single Measure Consider a CI with one aggregatable metric, such as Lifetime Value (LTV). To report on this CI: When the report opens, all CI dimensions appear as groupings, while measures display as columns in a summary format. What Happens with CIs Containing More Than Three Dimensions? Currently, reports support up to three groupings. For CIs with more than three dimensions, the first three are automatically included, though you can replace one dimension with another. Salesforce plans to expand this limit in the future. For example, a CI with the dimensions brand, customer ID, and product category will default to these three groupings in a summary report. Example 2: Handling Complex Metrics Now, imagine a CI that includes: A measure is non-aggregatable when summing it wouldn’t provide meaningful results. For instance, summing rank values for 10 customers doesn’t make sense; instead, metrics like min or max can be applied. Reporting for Complex CIs: By default, reports group CI dimensions and display measures as columns in summary format. However, non-aggregatable measures depend on all dimensions being present. For example, Rank values rely on dimensions like Lead Source and Stage—if one dimension is removed, the related non-aggregatable measures will also be excluded to maintain data integrity. Using Calculated Insights in Real-World Scenarios Use Case 1: Optimizing Marketing Efforts Create a report on a CI that ranks web traffic sources and breaks them down by product category. Use Case 2: Enhancing Patient Engagement Develop a report on a unified patient profile CI, grouping patients by age group and health score. Use Case 3: Identifying High-Performing Channels Generate a CI report grouped by marketing channels and regions in your Customer Lifetime Value metric. Visualizing CIs in Reports You can add charts to your CI reports, adhering to the same restrictions as in Lightning Reports. This visualization capability enables you to uncover trends and share insights effectively. Calculated Insights unlock a powerful layer of reporting in Salesforce, offering flexibility, precision, and actionable intelligence. Whether optimizing marketing efforts, improving patient engagement, or refining customer segmentation, CIs empower teams to make data-driven decisions that drive success. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

January 7, 2024in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

15Sep

Data Cloud Free Licenses

Salesforce Announces Data Cloud Free Licenses at Dreamforce 2023 At Dreamforce 2023, Salesforce announced that free Data Cloud licenses are now included for all Enterprise Edition or above customers to help them familiarize themselves with new capabilities and develop use case ideas. Starting September 19th, 2023, Enterprise Edition and above customers can get started with Data Cloud Provisioning at no cost by signing up under Your Account. Data Cloud Provisioning includes: Unlimited Plus Edition customers will get access to 2,500,000 Data Service credits. Two Tableau Creator licenses are a separate line item and can be quoted by your Salesforce Account Executive. Salesforce has been focusing on large data and AI tools for several years, acquiring Tableau, accelerating their Einstein AI tools, and significantly extending the Data Cloud product. Data Cloud allows you to easily harmonize data, analyze it in Tableau, and make it actionable across marketing, sales, and service. What Can I Do with Data Cloud? Data Cloud enables customers to start with one of three use cases: Across these use cases, customers can ingest data from multiple sources, unify data with identity resolution, calculate insights, visualize data in Tableau (with the provisioning of the Tableau Cloud – Creator for Data Cloud SKU), and view consolidated data on the contact record. Differences Between Data Cloud and Data Cloud Provisioning Functionality: Data Cloud Provisioning includes all the features of the existing Data Cloud offerings, except Segmentation and Activation. Credits for Segmentation and Activation can be purchased as add-ons through Marketing Cloud account teams. Capacity: Both include 1 TB of data storage, 1 Data Cloud admin, 100 internal Data Cloud identity users, 1,000 Data Cloud PSL, and 5 integration users. Entitlement: Data Cloud Provisioning entitlement is the same for all Enterprise Edition and above customers. Additional Information Sandbox Availability: Data Cloud is not available in Sandbox orgs; it can only be provisioned to an existing production org. Professional Edition Access: Data Cloud Provisioning is not available to Professional Edition customers. Existing Data Cloud or CDP Customers: Those with an existing Data Cloud or CDP tenant cannot sign up for Data Cloud Provisioning. Unlimited Edition Plus Bundle Customers: Data Cloud Provisioning is not available, as the bundle includes a Data Cloud tenant. Edition Information: Check your Salesforce org’s edition in Setup > Company Information > Organization Edition. Government Cloud: Data Cloud Provisioning is not available. Non-Profit Customers: Data Cloud Provisioning is available. Industry Cloud Customers: Industry Cloud customers with Enterprise Edition and above are eligible. ISV Partners: Data Cloud Provisioning is not accessible via Your Account in ISV Enterprise Edition orgs. ISV Partners need to create a support case with the Partner Ops team to request provisioning. Existing Tableau Customers: Tableau Cloud – Creator for Data Cloud is intended to provision a new Tableau tenant (aka site). Multiple Instances: Only one Data Cloud Provisioning instance is allowed per account/tenant. Access to Tableau Cloud – Creator for Data Cloud: To get access, you must have or include on the same quote any of the following: 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 15, 2023in Salesforce Data Cloud

13Sep

The Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce

Understanding The Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce At this year’s Dreamforce, AI is the star of the show, but two essential supporting actors are data and integration. Enterprises are increasingly recognizing the importance of unifying their diverse data sources for effective analysis and swift action, and the race to harness AI makes this integration even more critical. Integration is key not only for merging data but also for automating end-to-end processes, enabling organizations to move faster and deliver better outcomes to customers. Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce. It’s no surprise that MuleSoft, acquired by Salesforce five years ago, is now a major contributor to Salesforce’s growth. Brian Millham, President and COO at Salesforce, highlighted this during the company’s recent Q2 earnings call: “In Q2, nearly half of our greater than $1 million deals included MuleSoft. As customers integrate data from all sources to drive efficiency, growth, and insights, MuleSoft has become mission-critical and was included in half of our top 10 deals.” Breaking Down Silos Param Kahlon, EVP and General Manager for Automation and Integration at Salesforce, recently discussed the investments customers are making in data and integration. He emphasized the importance of breaking down operational silos: “We are in the business of breaking silos across systems to ensure that data can travel seamlessly through multiple systems and people for processes like order-to-cash or procure-to-pay. Our technology connects these dots.” The surge in AI interest has increased the urgency to act, as Kahlon explained: “Creating data repositories for AI algorithms requires real-time data across silos, driving significant demand for our integration solutions.” Consolidating Data Enterprises have long struggled with data consolidation due to monolithic application stacks with separate data stores. This has been a challenge even within Salesforce’s own products. Last year, Salesforce introduced a Customer Data Platform (CDP) called Data Cloud, which includes a real-time data layer named Genie. Kahlon elaborated on its significance: “Data Cloud’s strength lies in its understanding and storage of Salesforce metadata. This native integration allows for real-time actions within Salesforce, enhancing the ability to aggregate, reason over, and act on data.” For example, when a customer contacts a bank, Data Cloud can compile their ATM usage, website interactions, and recent support cases, providing the agent with a comprehensive view to better assist the customer. Leveraging Metadata for AI Salesforce’s metadata layer, which has been fine-tuned over two decades, gives it a distinct advantage. Kahlon noted: “This metadata-based architecture allows us to create meaningful AI algorithms that are natively consumed within Salesforce, enabling visualization and action based on real-time data.” This is crucial for training the underlying Large Language Model (LLM) accurately, ensuring generated content is contextually grounded and trustworthy. Kahlon emphasized: “The trust layer is essential. We need to ensure no hallucination or toxicity in the LLM’s responses, and that communications align with our company’s values.” Real-Time Data and API Management Data Cloud’s ability to connect to other data sources like Snowflake without duplicating data is a significant benefit. Kahlon commented: “Duplicating data is not desirable. Customers need real-time access to the actual source of truth.” On the integration front, APIs have simplified connecting applications and data sources. However, managing API sprawl is crucial. Kahlon explained: “Standardizing API use and publishing them in a centralized portal is essential for reusability and consistency. Low-code platforms and connectors are becoming increasingly relevant, enabling business users to access data without relying on IT.” Automation and AI The demand for automation is growing, and low-code tools are vital. Instead of integration experts being overwhelmed, organizations should establish Centers for Excellence to focus on creating reusable connectors and automations. Kahlon added: “Companies need low-code tools to involve more business users in the transformation journey without slowing down due to legacy applications.” In the future, AI may further ease the workload on integration specialists. MuleSoft recently introduced an API Experience Hub to make APIs discoverable, and AI might eventually help monitor execution logs and manage APIs more effectively. Kahlon concluded: “AI could help developers find and use APIs efficiently, enhancing security and governance while simplifying access to data across the organization.” 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 13, 2023in Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein, Snowflake

06Sep

Utilizing a CDP

In the current digital landscape, customer data stands as a pivotal asset for organizations aiming to craft personalized and targeted experiences. Yet, the primary challenge for utilizing a CDP lies in the aggregation and consolidation of this data, often dispersed across a multitude of sources. This is where the significance of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) becomes evident. Configured for optimal use, your data is good to go. A CDP functions as a software system that integrates customer data from various sources, encompassing marketing automation, AdTech, commerce, service, analytics, procurement, production, logistics, compliance, and more. The consolidated data is housed within a unified platform for analysis and marketing purposes. By serving as a single source of truth, CDPs empower organizations to create more pertinent, real-time, contextual, and compliant experiences for their customers. Operating as a connector within existing tech stacks, CDPs play a crucial role in filtering and binding siloed and fragmented customer data from diverse teams. This results in actionable insights, more profitable interactions, and a foundation for the growth of customer value. CDPs extend their utility beyond marketing, offering advantages to sectors like healthcare, where they can unify patient data, eliminate data silos, and furnish timely information to enhance patient outcomes. By addressing prevalent challenges such as unconnected data, non-optimized work efforts, operational inefficiencies, and encumbered time-to-market, CDPs prove instrumental in fostering organizational success. It’s important to highlight that a CDP is not a substitute for a CRM solution, especially in large enterprise settings. Integration with critical data-source systems beyond the martech stack is essential for extracting hidden value from the organization’s data. Utilizing a CDP As the digital marketing industry navigates the transition to a cookieless future, and first-party data takes precedence, the value of CDPs is set to grow. However, to unlock their full potential, the adoption of CDPs should extend beyond marketers. CDPs must evolve into interconnected sources of truth across all departments and interactions, both physical and digital. By functioning as cohesive data aggregators, they enable organizations to harness vast volumes of customer-impacting data and insights, delivering optimized, hyper-personalized, and differentiating experiences. 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 6, 2023in Salesforce Managed Services

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