Salesforce-native

07Dec

Ushering in the Era of AI-Driven Workforces

Agentforce: Ushering in the Era of AI-Driven Workforces “Agentforce is redefining what’s possible in business and beyond, ushering in a new era of AI abundance and limitless workforces that augment every employee, build deeper customer relationships, and drive unprecedented growth and profitability.”— Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO Key Features and Takeaways Out-of-the-Box AI Agents Agentforce introduces pre-built, customizable agents that are deployable with low-code or no-code tools, working tirelessly across any channel. Its first generally available solution, the Agentforce Service Agent, surpasses traditional chatbots by handling a diverse range of tasks—from simple inquiries to complex scenarios. Key capabilities include: Seamless Integration with Salesforce Platform Agentforce eliminates the complexity of building AI solutions from scratch. Unlike other platforms that demand intricate data integration and custom automation, Agentforce is fully embedded within the Salesforce ecosystem. With Agentforce, businesses can: Always-On Automation Agentforce operates independently of human intervention. Agents can be triggered by changes in data, predefined business rules, or pre-built automations, ensuring uninterrupted workflows. This blend of autonomous operation and human collaboration creates a symbiotic relationship between people and AI, enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction. A Competitive Edge in the AI Space Salesforce emphasizes that Agentforce goes beyond chatbots and copilots, setting a new benchmark for enterprise AI. In a strategic swipe at competitors, Marc Benioff likened rival offerings—like Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 AI agents—to “Clippy 2.0,” critiquing their inaccuracies and risks of corporate data leaks. By contrast, Agentforce builds on Salesforce’s proven Einstein AI platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and secure integration. Redefining Customer Success Agentforce isn’t just about automation—it’s about driving outcomes. By enabling businesses to automate complex processes, deepen customer relationships, and scale operations, it paves the way for limitless growth in the age of AI. Ready to transform your workforce? With Agentforce, the future of AI-driven business is already here. 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

December 7, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Enterprise, Mulesoft, Salesforce0 Comments

07Oct

Salesforce Agentforce Integration

The rise of AI-powered solutions is transforming customer service, support, and automation. For organizations such as nonprofits, national associations, and large enterprises, delivering seamless customer experiences has become crucial. Salesforce’s Agentforce, a next-generation conversational AI tool, plays a vital role in this transformation. Designed to elevate customer support and interaction, Agentforce provides an intelligent and scalable solution for integrating AI chatbots into content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Drupal, and HubSpot. Salesforce Agentforce Integration. In this detailed feature review, we will dive into the extensive capabilities of Salesforce Agentforce, analyzing its role as a conversational tool, its technical requirements, and the benefits it provides for nonprofits, national associations, and businesses. We’ll also compare its applications across various CMS platforms like Drupal, WordPress, and HubSpot, exploring its potential as a powerful AI assistant for website automation and customer interaction. Salesforce Agentforce: A Technical Perspective Salesforce Agentforce is an advanced AI-driven conversational assistant that seamlessly integrates into the Salesforce environment. By tapping into Salesforce CRM’s vast data resources, Agentforce serves as an intelligent interface, automating everything from initial customer inquiries to more personalized interactions. Utilizing natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, it continually refines responses and scales interactions, making it an indispensable tool for organizations aiming to enhance customer service workflows. Agentforce integrates smoothly with Salesforce Service Cloud, automating both live chat support and chatbot responses. Additionally, it can connect with third-party platforms, including popular CMS solutions like WordPress, Drupal, and HubSpot, allowing organizations to centralize customer service operations in one interface. Core Features and Technical Architecture of Agentforce Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Processing (NLP) Agentforce’s NLP capabilities are its backbone, allowing it to understand complex human language and respond contextually. This empowers it to manage initial inquiries as well as more sophisticated support requests. Agentforce’s NLU also enables it to work across different languages, dialects, and industry-specific terminology, making it particularly valuable for global organizations and national associations serving diverse audiences. Machine Learning for Continuous Improvement Agentforce’s machine learning feature enhances its ability to improve accuracy and understanding over time. Each interaction helps the chatbot evolve, making it more effective at delivering relevant, real-time responses. This model integrates directly with Salesforce’s data infrastructure, giving Agentforce access to historical data and interactions to offer highly personalized, context-aware answers. Deep Integration with Salesforce CRM As a Salesforce-native tool, Agentforce can harness CRM data in ways other AI tools cannot. By accessing customer histories, purchase data, and previous interactions, it creates personalized experiences that build customer trust. Nonprofits and associations can use this data to improve donor or member interactions, offering targeted support and outreach. Agentforce can also be tailored to retrieve specific datasets, such as an individual’s support history or ongoing service case updates. Cross-Platform Flexibility and API Integration Agentforce offers flexible APIs that enable integration with third-party systems, including CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and HubSpot. This flexibility ensures that AI-powered chatbots can be deployed on organizational websites, providing a seamless experience for customers, donors, and members alike. Whether it’s a nonprofit using Drupal or a business on WordPress, Agentforce acts as the central hub for support and engagement, offering fluid interactions on top of your CMS. HubSpot users can further leverage Agentforce’s marketing features to align lead generation with personalized, chat-based interactions. Use Cases for Agentforce in Nonprofits, National Associations, and Businesses Nonprofit Organizations For nonprofits managing donor, volunteer, and beneficiary relationships, Agentforce offers scalable, automated support: National Associations National associations can use Agentforce to handle high volumes of inquiries from members and professionals: Businesses For service-based enterprises, Agentforce is essential for customer service: Salesforce Agentforce and CMS Integration: WordPress, Drupal, and HubSpot WordPress and Salesforce Agentforce Integration For WordPress users, Agentforce offers customizable chatbot widgets that enhance customer engagement, handle ecommerce inquiries, and integrate with WooCommerce for product support. Drupal and Agentforce Integration Drupal’s modular architecture allows Agentforce to automate membership management, provide multilingual support, and distribute content for nonprofits and associations. HubSpot and Agentforce Integration HubSpot users benefit from Agentforce’s ability to automate lead nurturing, sales and marketing workflows, and customer support, all while keeping HubSpot and Salesforce CRM data synchronized. Tectonic and Salesforce Agentforce Integration At Tectonic, we understand that adopting AI-powered solutions like Salesforce Agentforce is only the first step toward delivering exceptional customer experiences. We specialize in crafting, training, and implementing tailored AI chatbot solutions that enhance engagement, streamline processes, and drive growth, all while seamlessly integrating with your current website or mobile app. As a full-service digital strategy firm, Tectonic excels in integrating advanced tools like Salesforce Agentforce into platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and HubSpot, ensuring your automation strategies are executed with precision. From custom chatbot implementations to comprehensive digital strategy services, our team is dedicated to optimizing your website for engagement and lead generation. 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

October 7, 2024in Agentforce Platform, AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Service Cloud

29Sep

Salesforce ERP Integration

Unlock the Power of Salesforce and ERP Integration Salesforce is known worldwide for its unmatched capabilities as a CRM platform. But when integrated with an ERP system, the potential multiplies. Together, they create a cohesive environment where workflows are streamlined, financial processes are optimized, decision-making is enhanced, and customer relationships are improved—all within one unified system. However, you might have questions like: How does ERP integration with Salesforce work? or What are the benefits of this integration? Let’s jump in and answer all your questions! What is ERP and Its Benefits? ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is software that integrates multiple business functions into a single platform. It enables you to manage key processes like human resources, accounting, sales, inventory, compliance, and order management. What makes ERP systems unique is the shared database that gives all employees access to the same real-time information across departments. While different from a CRM platform, ERP can be integrated with Salesforce to further boost business efficiency and productivity. Key benefits of an ERP system include: How Do Salesforce and ERP Work Together? Salesforce focuses on managing customer relationships, sales, marketing, and service operations. In contrast, ERP systems handle core business processes like finance, human resources, and supply chain management. When Salesforce and ERP are integrated, they create a seamless data flow between both systems. This integration synchronizes key data, like transactions and customer information, providing unified visibility across departments. It enhances efficiency and delivers better customer experiences by offering personalized services. Why Integrate Your ERP with Salesforce? While Salesforce helps manage customer relationships, integrating it with an ERP system offers additional advantages: Types of Salesforce – ERP Integrations There are various ways to integrate Salesforce with an ERP, depending on your business needs: Choosing the Right ERP to Integrate with Salesforce Not sure which ERP system is right for your Salesforce integration? Consider the following factors: ERP Systems Compatible with Salesforce Salesforce’s flexibility allows it to integrate with most ERP systems, including Sage Intacct, Sage X3, Sage 300, Sage 100, Sage 50 US, and Acumatica, among others. This flexibility ensures you can find the right ERP for your business operations. Key Functionalities with Salesforce – ERP Integration Here are some essential features you can expect from Salesforce and ERP integration: Best Practices for Seamless Integration To ensure a smooth Salesforce and ERP integration, follow these best practices: Conclusion Integrating an ERP system with Salesforce CRM can transform your business by unlocking new levels of productivity, efficiency, and growth. As your integration partner, Tectonic offers expertise in Salesforce and third-party ERP systems. Ready to streamline your operations and boost performance? Contact us today to start your ERP-Salesforce integration journey! 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

September 29, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Managed Services, Salesforce Manufacturing Automotive Energy

24Sep

Choose Salesforce for SMS

Why Integrating SMS with Salesforce Transforms Business Communication Effective communication is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment. A company’s success often hinges on its ability to interact seamlessly with customers—whether through personalized service, timely updates, or the latest product offerings. Choose Salesforce for SMS. Today’s customers demand a seamless, omnichannel experience that goes beyond traditional communication methods like flyers and emails. They expect real-time, two-way interactions, which is where Salesforce SMS apps come into play. These apps, which integrate smoothly with existing CRM systems, are transforming how businesses engage with their customers. 5 Reasons to Integrate SMS with Salesforce Integrating SMS with Salesforce offers numerous benefits, primarily enhancing customer-facing efficiency and effectiveness. Here are five key advantages: SMS for Salesforce enables businesses to provide immediate customer support. For instance, logistics companies can use SMS to notify customers about delivery statuses or appointment updates in real time. SMS boasts an impressive open rate—over 95% within the first three minutes—making it a highly effective medium for increasing marketing engagement compared to email. You can even couple Salesforce SMS with tools like geofencing to send notifications via SMS when they are in the store. Integrating SMS with Salesforce allows for streamlined automation of processes such as order updates and appointment reminders. This reduces the need for manual intervention, boosts productivity, and frees up resources for more strategic tasks. Automated texts can be scheduled based on customer behavior or sales stages, optimizing workflows and enhancing efficiency. With a response rate of approximately 45%, SMS is highly effective for engaging customers. It facilitates prompt replies due to its immediate nature. Sales and marketing teams can leverage SMS for direct interactions, while retailers can use it to distribute discount codes and drive quick responses. Additionally, SMS is ideal for important notifications, enhancing customer service. By integrating SMS with Salesforce, businesses can tailor their messages to address specific customer needs and preferences. This personalization fosters stronger customer relationships and improves conversion rates. For example, a travel agency can send personalized vacation recommendations, while financial advisors can provide client-specific updates and advice. Salesforce’s integration with SMS allows for robust tracking and analysis of customer interactions and campaign effectiveness. Marketing teams can refine their strategies by reviewing metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates from SMS campaigns. Additionally, customer support teams can evaluate response times and resolution rates to improve service efficiency. How to Implement SMS in Salesforce To send and receive texts via Salesforce, you have several options: Salesforce offers two primary SMS solutions: Mobile Studio and Digital Engagement. For more tailored functionality, you can use Salesforce API or another API provider to develop a custom texting solution. While this offers greater flexibility and avoids extra costs, it involves significant development time and expense. Opting for a Salesforce-native SMS app from the Salesforce AppExchange can be advantageous. These apps, designed specifically for SMS within Salesforce, often offer: These native apps also come with dedicated customer support, making them a cost-effective and efficient choice. Best Practices for SMS Communication While SMS boasts high engagement rates, it’s essential to follow best practices to maintain a positive customer experience: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA by securing clear consent from customers before sending SMS. Automate re-opt-in processes to maintain compliance. Send messages during the recipient’s regular business hours to avoid disturbing them at inconvenient times. Stay in touch with your audience regularly but avoid overwhelming them with excessive messages. Provide valuable content to keep engagement high. Use the same number for messaging to help customers recognize your communications and build trust. Respond promptly and courteously to customer replies. Provide clear, detailed responses to inquiries. Acknowledge and reward outstanding customer actions with thoughtful messages or gestures, such as donations to their favorite charities. Even a thank you for your purchase message can contain a surprise such as a coupon or a notification that a free gift is included with their order. Use SMS to highlight important announcements, events, or opportunities, tapping into the fear of missing out to drive engagement. SMS is the perfect omnichannel tool to incorporate into all your Salesforce journeys. Balance promotional content with conversational engagement to avoid appearing pushy and to keep the communication enjoyable for customers. People are much happier to get news they can use rather than advertisements. Encourage further engagement by including clear, actionable steps in your SMS messages, such as signing up for a free trial or using a discount code. A call to action must be designed with smaller screen views in mind. Include an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe from future messages to comply with legal requirements and respect customer preferences. By integrating SMS with Salesforce and adhering to these best practices, businesses can enhance their communication strategies, foster better customer relationships, and drive greater engagement. 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

September 24, 2024in Salesforce

06Sep

Salesforce and Ortoo Integration

Ortoo Launches Smart Actions: A Revolutionary Salesforce-Native App for AI Automation Ortoo, a leading provider of Salesforce productivity solutions, has unveiled its latest innovation, Smart Actions, now available on the Salesforce AppExchange. This groundbreaking Salesforce-native app allows businesses to seamlessly integrate AI automation into their Salesforce workflows, dramatically boosting efficiency and simplifying complex processes with a single click. Salesforce and Ortoo integration for Smart Actions. How do I sync Ortto activities to Salesforce? In your Ortto account, navigate to Data sources > Salesforce > Sync Ortto activities to Salesforce. Choose up to 5 activities. At Sync settings, select whether you wish to sync these Ortto activities as activities and/or as tasks. If you are syncing the Salesforce Task object to Ortto (selected at Salesforce fields): Smart Actions empowers companies to deploy AI and GPT-powered automations across sales, service, and support functions within Salesforce, eliminating the traditionally high costs associated with advanced AI tools. By integrating smoothly into the Salesforce ecosystem, Smart Actions enables businesses to automate manual tasks, personalize communications, and optimize workflows with unparalleled ease. Track and manage email conversations within Salesforce. AI-powered actions to streamline sales workflows. SEAMLESS SALESFORCE INTEGRATION “With Smart Actions, we’re making AI automation accessible to businesses of all sizes,” said Amy Grenham, Head of Marketing at Ortoo. “If you’ve ever built a custom GPT using OpenAI, creating a Smart Action will feel very familiar. Ortoo’s prompt builder allows you to set the context, specify the Salesforce fields to analyze, and determine where the output should go. This simplicity makes it incredibly easy to deploy AI-driven processes and transform operations within Salesforce.” Key Features and Practical Applications Real-World Applications of Smart Actions Get Started with Smart Actions Today Smart Actions is now available on the Salesforce AppExchange. Businesses can start using the app for free, with additional features available through a premium version. SmartActions is a 5 star product on the Salesforce AppExchange. 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

September 6, 2024in Salesforce Implementation Services

12Aug

Salesforce Text Messaging

Salesforce Text Messaging: Boost Customer Engagement Directly from Your CRM In this insight, we’ll explore why Salesforce SMS is a powerful tool for your business, how to make your SMS campaigns stand out, and how to send messages through Salesforce with minimal technical complexity. Salesforce Text Messaging. What is Salesforce Text Messaging? Salesforce SMS is a feature that enables users to send SMS messages directly from Salesforce. By integrating SMS with Salesforce, businesses can communicate efficiently with their customers, enhancing engagement and streamlining operations. Benefits and Use Cases of Salesforce SMS Effective customer engagement is crucial for every business, and Salesforce SMS offers an efficient way to connect with your audience. Here are some of the top advantages: 1. Enhanced Customer Engagement SMS boasts a 99% open rate, making it one of the most effective communication channels. Salesforce SMS helps businesses: 2. Real-Time Communication Timely communication is essential in customer service. Salesforce SMS enables businesses to send relevant, real-time information such as: 3. Automation and Efficiency Salesforce SMS allows for automated messaging, saving time and reducing errors. Benefits include: 4. Personalized SMS Messaging Leverage customer data in Salesforce to create personalized, targeted messages that resonate with recipients. Use Salesforce SMS to: 5. Employee Ease of Use Integrating SMS into Salesforce means employees can manage communication through a familiar platform. Benefits include: Additional Advantages of SMS in Salesforce Best Practices for Salesforce SMS Campaigns To ensure successful SMS campaigns, follow these best practices: 1. Obtain Explicit Consent It’s important to get clear consent from customers before sending SMS messages. This builds trust and ensures compliance with regulations like TCPA in the U.S. and GDPR in the EU. 2. Make Opt-in Easy Simplify the process for customers to opt-in and clarify the types and frequency of messages they will receive. 3. Provide Opt-out Options Make it easy for customers to unsubscribe at any time to maintain trust. 4. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTA) Each SMS should guide the recipient on what to do next, using actionable language such as “Click here” or “Buy now” to prompt immediate responses. 5. Monitor and Analyze Performance Regularly assess the success of your campaigns by tracking key metrics like open rates and opt-outs. Use A/B testing to optimize performance and customer feedback to refine your approach. LINK Mobility Integration with Salesforce SMS LINK Mobility‘s SMS integration (one Salesforce SMS tool) enhances your Salesforce SMS campaigns with powerful features: Enhance Customer Engagement and Efficiency with Salesforce SMS Salesforce SMS enables businesses to engage customers in real-time, enhancing relationships and operational efficiency. Whether sending order updates, appointment reminders, or personalized promotions, Salesforce SMS creates a strong foundation for meaningful communication with your customer base. Need help with Salesforce SMS? If you’re looking for assistance in configuring SMS within Salesforce or need expert guidance, Tectonic is here to help you maximize the benefits of SMS integration for your business. Contact us today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

August 12, 2024in Data, Salesforce

16Jun

Salesforce Native Explained

What Does Salesforce-Native Mean? SFDC-native refers to products that are built entirely within the Salesforce platform. These products do not require integration through the Salesforce API, as they are inherently part of Salesforce and designed specifically for its environment. Aren’t Most Salesforce Products Built Native? No, most products that claim to be SFDC-native are not fully native. Many are partially built within Salesforce or use Salesforce reports, but they still operate or were developed outside the Salesforce platform. This can be misleading since a product is only truly native if it is entirely built and operates within Salesforce. How Can I Tell if a Product is 100% Native? To determine if a product is 100% native, you can start by checking the Salesforce AppExchange. Additionally, you should ask your provider these questions: If the product is hosted or its data is stored on an external server and not within Salesforce, then it is not a native product. Why Should I Consider a 100% Native Product? Enhanced Security Since a native product doesn’t need to integrate with Salesforce, there’s no need to export data to external servers, which can be vulnerable. Everything remains within Salesforce, adhering to its already robust security settings. Accuracy and Speed A 100% native product ensures real-time data accuracy, eliminating concerns about syncing issues. You can always trust that the data you’re working with is current. Trust Products built within Salesforce follow Salesforce’s best practices and security policies. This ensures that you can trust these products as much as you trust Salesforce. Additionally, since they run on the same server as Salesforce, your product’s uptime is aligned with Salesforce’s uptime. Simplified Tech Stack and Alignment A native solution is easier to manage because it doesn’t require additional user log-ins or new skills to learn. When users log into Salesforce, they automatically access the native product’s features, reducing training needs and improving adoption rates. This also promotes better team alignment by providing a single source of truth, enhancing communication. SFDC-native means that a product is built entirely within Salesforce, using its core technologies and development environment. Native products are written for the platform and don’t need to be integrated using the Salesforce API. When an app is native to Salesforce, that means that an app is dedicated and committed to Salesforce. Non-native apps are more versatile in that they can typically integrate with a variety of different CRMs, but when you use a native Salesforce app, you work with a Salesforce expert. What does platform native mean? Native applications and platforms However, in the context of mobile web apps, the term native app means any application written to work on a specific device platform. The two main mobile OS platforms are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Developers write native apps in the code used for the device and its OS. Non-SFDC Applications means a Web-based, mobile, offline or other software application functionality that is provided by You or a third party and interoperates with a Service, including, for example, an application that is developed by or for You, is listed on a Marketplace, is identified as Salesforce Labs or by a similar designation, or is an open source software product including e.g. the technologies commonly referred to as Non Profit Starter Pack (“NPSP”) and Higher Education Data Architecture (“HEDA”) and that are subject to the terms stated during the installation process and/or located on the landing page during their use. 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

June 16, 2024in Salesforce

20Feb

Salesforce Vlocity Acquisition

Salesforce’s Acquisition of Vlocity: A Game-Changer for the CRM Ecosystem The news of Salesforce acquiring Vlocity, though somewhat overshadowed by the end of Keith Block’s tenure as co-CEO, marks a significant milestone for the CRM giant and carries substantial implications for its ecosystem partners. Vlocity, one of the largest and fastest-growing Salesforce-native ISVs, did not initially foresee being acquired by its platform partner when it launched less than six years ago. Even after subtracting the undisclosed value of Salesforce’s own investment from Vlocity’s $163 million in venture funding, the $1.3 billion Salesforce plans to pay the remaining shareholders is a substantial return for a company projected to generate $70-80 million in revenue this year. This is based on Salesforce’s expectation of a million revenue contribution once the deal closes in the second quarter. Vlocity’s Ambitious Vision Vlocity’s founders had envisioned a much more ambitious trajectory, inspired by Veeva, the first Salesforce-native ISV to secure a stock market listing with its 2013 IPO, achieving a near billion valuation. Today, Veeva’s market cap is $22.3 billion. Vlocity aimed to replicate Veeva’s success on a larger scale, targeting multiple industries instead of just pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Founded in January 2014 by CEO David Schmaier and others with industry solutions backgrounds at CRM pioneer Siebel, Vlocity quickly developed solutions for four industries, including communications, media, insurance, and the public sector. These sectors presented an addressable market ten times larger than Veeva’s. Early customers like Telus and Sky Italia demonstrated an appetite for large-scale replacements of legacy systems. Vlocity’s portfolio now spans six industries: communications, media and entertainment, energy and utilities, insurance, healthcare, and government. Why Didn’t Vlocity Surpass Veeva? One crucial difference in Vlocity’s strategy compared to Veeva’s was its deliberate decision to keep its technology closely aligned with Salesforce’s platform. Vlocity adopted a sophisticated approach by building a packaged native application that remains continuously upgradeable with Salesforce’s platform. This extreme alignment ensured fully native compatibility for Vlocity’s customers throughout the product lifecycle but restricted its freedom compared to Veeva, which developed significant content management and regulatory workflow functionality outside Salesforce’s platform. Competition and the Misnomer of Industry Cloud Vlocity faced more intense competition than Veeva did when it started. By 2015, Salesforce was already promoting its own industry clouds, beginning with Financial Services Cloud, followed by Health Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud, and Consumer Products Cloud. Industry penetration was a key part of Keith Block’s mission after he joined Salesforce in 2013. While Vlocity was seen as an ally, Salesforce had to balance this with its growth prospects. Salesforce Vlocity Acquisition In hindsight, “industry cloud” might be a misnomer. Vlocity aimed to be unique, but other ecosystem partners were also targeting industry clouds. For example, Accenture developed a Salesforce-native vertical cloud solution for trade promotions in consumer goods and partnered with Vlocity for telecoms and media offerings. The retail banking edition of Salesforce Financial Services Cloud relies heavily on nCino’s industry solution. The middle office segment, which includes processes between CRM (front office) and ERP (back office), also plays a role in the industry cloud. Middle office processes vary by industry, with companies like Apttus, Rootstock, and FinancialForce targeting specific verticals. Salesforce’s acquisitions in CPQ, ecommerce, and B2B commerce have supported its enterprise deals across various industries. The Future for Salesforce ISVs The acquisition of Vlocity expands Salesforce’s industry cloud offerings and fuels its growth. As part of Salesforce, Vlocity has greater potential to grow than if it remained independent. This deal also includes an acquihire element, with Marc Benioff expressing excitement about David Schmaier joining Salesforce. Factors like the close relationship between Vlocity and Salesforce played a role in the acquisition, as Marc Benioff suggested during the earnings call. Analyst Ray Wang speculated that the move prevents competitors, like Google, from acquiring Vlocity. If Vlocity’s IPO dream has ended this way, it suggests that other Salesforce-native ISVs may also struggle to achieve independence. ServiceMax, for instance, was acquired by GE in 2016, only to be spun out to private equity buyer Silver Lake two years later. Salesforce recently became an investor in ServiceMax again, making its eventual acquisition seem almost inevitable. For Salesforce-native ISVs, this acquisition underscores the reality that, much like the a one way train, however much you may want to get off, you can not. 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

February 20, 2020in Salesforce

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