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Agentforce for Retail
17Jan

Agentforce for Retail

Salesforce Introduces Agentforce for Retail and Retail Cloud with Modern POS Just ahead of the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference in New York, Salesforce has announced Agentforce for Retail and Retail Cloud with Modern POS, further expanding its AI-driven capabilities into the retail sector. This launch underscores Salesforce’s commitment to leveraging agentic AI to enhance productivity and streamline retail operations. Saks Fifth Avenue and SharkNinja: Early Adopters Retail giants like Saks Fifth Avenue and SharkNinja are among the first to test Agentforce for Retail, showcasing its potential to redefine customer engagement and operational efficiency in the industry. Agentforce for Retail Agentforce for Retail equips businesses with a library of pre-built AI agent skills tailored specifically for retail use cases, delivering what Salesforce calls “digital labor.” These skills are designed to simplify routine tasks, freeing up human employees to focus on higher-value activities. New Pre-Built Skills These tools aim to help retailers deploy AI agents efficiently, improving customer satisfaction and operational scalability. Retail Cloud with Modern POS Retail Cloud with Modern POS consolidates online and offline inventory data into a single, unified platform, empowering retailers with modern tools for seamless customer experiences. Key Features Retail Cloud integrates seamlessly with Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, and Order Management, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem for retailers. Why This Matters This dual announcement highlights Salesforce’s strategy to embed Agentforce as a foundational capability across its multi-cloud architecture, while also tailoring solutions for specific industries like retail. “Together, AI-fueled digital labor and a modern POS can unlock a new scale of operational capacity for retailers,” said Nitin Mangtani, Salesforce SVP and GM of Retail, in a press release. With Agentforce for Retail, Salesforce empowers brands to embrace AI-driven automation while modernizing their point-of-sale systems, enabling a seamless blend of personalized customer engagement and operational excellence. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 17, 2025in Agentforce Platform, Agentic AI, Data, Salesforce0 Comments
Agentic AI is Here
14Jan

On Premise Gen AI

In 2025, enterprises transitioning generative AI (GenAI) into production after years of experimentation are increasingly considering on-premises deployment as a cost-effective alternative to the cloud. Since OpenAI ignited the AI revolution in late 2022, organizations have tested large language models powering GenAI services on platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These experiments demonstrated GenAI’s potential to enhance business operations while exposing the substantial costs of cloud usage. To avoid difficult conversations with CFOs about escalating cloud expenses, CIOs are exploring on-premises AI as a financially viable solution. Advances in software from startups and packaged infrastructure from vendors such as HPE and Dell are making private data centers an attractive option for managing costs. A survey conducted by Menlo Ventures in late 2024 found that 47% of U.S. enterprises with at least 50 employees were developing GenAI solutions in-house. Similarly, Informa TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group reported a rise in enterprises considering on-premises and public cloud equally for new applications—from 37% in 2024 to 45% in 2025. This shift is reflected in hardware sales. HPE reported a 16% revenue increase in AI systems, reaching $1.5 billion in Q4 2024. During the same period, Dell recorded a record .6 billion in AI server orders, with its sales pipeline expanding by over 50% across various customer segments. “Customers are seeking diverse AI-capable server solutions,” noted David Schmidt, senior director of Dell’s PowerEdge server line. While heavily regulated industries have traditionally relied on on-premises systems to ensure data privacy and security, broader adoption is now driven by the need for cost control. Fortune 2000 companies are leading this trend, opting for private infrastructure over the cloud due to more predictable expenses. “It’s not unusual to see cloud bills exceeding 0,000 or even million per month,” said John Annand, an analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. Global manufacturing giant Jabil primarily uses AWS for GenAI development but emphasizes ongoing cost management. “Does moving to the cloud provide a cost advantage? Sometimes it doesn’t,” said CIO May Yap. Jabil employs a continuous cloud financial optimization process to maximize efficiency. On-Premises AI: Technology and Trends Enterprises now have alternatives to cloud infrastructure, including as-a-service solutions like Dell APEX and HPE GreenLake, which offer flexible pay-per-use pricing for AI servers, storage, and networking tailored for private data centers or colocation facilities. “The high cost of cloud drives organizations to seek more predictable expenses,” said Tiffany Osias, vice president of global colocation services at Equinix. Walmart exemplifies in-house AI development, creating tools like a document summarization app for its benefits help desk and an AI assistant for corporate employees. Startups are also enabling enterprises to build AI applications with turnkey solutions. “About 80% of GenAI requirements can now be addressed with push-button solutions from startups,” said Tim Tully, partner at Menlo Ventures. Companies like Ragie (RAG-as-a-service) and Lamatic.ai (GenAI platform-as-a-service) are driving this innovation. Others, like Squid AI, integrate custom AI agents with existing enterprise infrastructure. Open-source frameworks like LangChain further empower on-premises development, offering tools for creating chatbots, virtual assistants, and intelligent search systems. Its extension, LangGraph, adds functionality for building multi-agent workflows. As enterprises develop AI applications internally, consulting services will play a pivotal role. “Companies offering guidance on effective AI tool usage and aligning them with business outcomes will thrive,” Annand said. This evolution in AI deployment highlights the growing importance of balancing technological innovation with financial sustainability. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 14, 2025in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Technology0 Comments
Payload and REDA One Launch REDA Pay Embedded Payment Solution Payload has unveiled REDA Pay, an embedded payment solution tailored for Salesforce users. This new offering stems from a strategic partnership between Payload and REDA One, aiming to streamline and enhance payment processes for businesses. “REDA One needed a payment solution that could be deployed quickly, efficiently, and effectively to expand their platform’s capabilities,” said Zach Jacob, Vice President of Partnerships at Payload. “Payload’s robust APIs proved to be the perfect match, seamlessly integrating with REDA One’s existing infrastructure." Jacob emphasized the ease and speed of implementation, noting, “In no time, REDA One was able to activate REDA Pay, demonstrating the simplicity and adaptability of our payment tools. This collaboration underscores Payload’s commitment to delivering powerful, straightforward solutions that enable SaaS platforms like REDA One to provide cutting-edge payment experiences without unnecessary complexity.” The Growing Role of Embedded Payments Highlighting the importance of embedded payments, Jacob stated, “In today’s digital era, embedded payments are not just a feature—they are an essential element of an exceptional user experience.” With REDA Pay, Salesforce users can now process payments seamlessly within their workflows, reducing friction and enhancing efficiency. Jacob outlined three core advantages of REDA Pay: Intuitive Experience: “Users can send and receive payments directly within the platform, boosting productivity and convenience.” Security: “Built to the highest industry standards, our solutions protect every transaction with advanced security measures.” Scalability and Flexibility: “As REDA One’s customers grow, REDA Pay will evolve to meet their changing requirements.” Elevating SaaS Platforms Jacob also highlighted the broader impact of this launch for SaaS providers: “REDA Pay exemplifies how effortlessly SaaS platforms can elevate their offerings by integrating embedded payment solutions. Payload’s APIs are designed for seamless integration, enabling platforms to quickly add enhanced payment capabilities for their users. This not only improves the user experience but also unlocks new opportunities for growth and revenue.” With REDA Pay, Payload and REDA One have set a new standard for embedded payment solutions in Salesforce, driving innovation and efficiency for businesses in the digital age.
13Jan

Payload and REDA

Payload and REDA One Launch REDA Pay Embedded Payment Solution Payload has unveiled REDA Pay, an embedded payment solution tailored for Salesforce users. This new offering stems from a strategic partnership between Payload and REDA One, aiming to streamline and enhance payment processes for businesses. “REDA One needed a payment solution that could be deployed quickly, efficiently, and effectively to expand their platform’s capabilities,” said Zach Jacob, Vice President of Partnerships at Payload. “Payload’s robust APIs proved to be the perfect match, seamlessly integrating with REDA One’s existing infrastructure.” Jacob emphasized the ease and speed of implementation, noting, “In no time, REDA One was able to activate REDA Pay, demonstrating the simplicity and adaptability of our payment tools. This collaboration underscores Payload’s commitment to delivering powerful, straightforward solutions that enable SaaS platforms like REDA One to provide cutting-edge payment experiences without unnecessary complexity.” The Growing Role of Embedded Payments Highlighting the importance of embedded payments, Jacob stated, “In today’s digital era, embedded payments are not just a feature—they are an essential element of an exceptional user experience.” With REDA Pay, Salesforce users can now process payments seamlessly within their workflows, reducing friction and enhancing efficiency. Jacob outlined three core advantages of REDA Pay: Elevating SaaS Platforms Jacob also highlighted the broader impact of this launch for SaaS providers:“REDA Pay exemplifies how effortlessly SaaS platforms can elevate their offerings by integrating embedded payment solutions. Payload’s APIs are designed for seamless integration, enabling platforms to quickly add enhanced payment capabilities for their users. This not only improves the user experience but also unlocks new opportunities for growth and revenue.” With REDA Pay, Payload and REDA One have set a new standard for embedded payment solutions in Salesforce, driving innovation and efficiency for businesses in the digital age. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 13, 2025in Salesforce0 Comments
Amazon Q Business
12Jan

Amazon Q Business

Amazon Q Business: Revolutionizing Enterprise Productivity with Generative AI and Plugins Amazon Q Business is a generative AI-powered assistant that empowers employees by solving problems, generating content, and offering actionable insights from across enterprise data sources. In addition to its robust search capabilities across indexed third-party services, Amazon Q Business enables real-time access to dynamic data like stock prices, vacation balances, and location tracking through its plugins. These plugins also allow employees to perform direct actions—such as prioritizing service tickets—within enterprise applications, all through a single interface. This eliminates the need to toggle between systems, saving valuable time and increasing productivity. This insight delves into how Amazon Q Business plugins seamlessly integrate with enterprise applications through built-in and custom configurations. We’ll explore: Simplifying Enterprise Tasks with Plugins Amazon Q Business enables users to access non-indexed data—such as calendar availability, stock prices, or PTO balances—and execute actions like booking a meeting or submitting PTO using services like Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Fidelity, Vanguard, ADP, Workday, and Google Calendar. This unified approach streamlines workflows and minimizes reliance on multiple apps for task completion. Solution Overview Amazon Q Business connects to over 50 enterprise applications using connectors and plugins: Plugins are categorized into two types: Built-in Plugins Amazon Q Business supports more than 50 actions across applications: Category Application Sample Actions Ticketing ServiceNow Create, update, delete tickets Zendesk Suite Search, create, update tickets Project Management Jira Cloud Read, create, update, delete issues Smartsheet Search and manage sheets and reports CRM Salesforce Manage accounts, opportunities, and cases Communication Microsoft Teams Send private or channel messages Productivity Google Calendar Find events, list calendars Salesforce Plugin Example The Salesforce plugin allows users to: Configuration Steps: Custom Plugins For scenarios not covered by built-in plugins, custom plugins enable seamless integration with proprietary systems. For example: HR Time Off Plugin Example This plugin allows employees to: Setup Steps: End-to-End Use Cases 1. Salesforce Integration Sam, a Customer Success Manager, retrieves high-value opportunities using the Salesforce plugin. She creates a new case directly from the Amazon Q interface, enhancing efficiency by reducing application switching. 2. ServiceNow Ticket Management Sam uses Amazon Q Business to resolve a laptop email sync issue. After referencing indexed IT documentation, she creates a ServiceNow ticket and escalates it directly through the plugin interface. 3. HR System Integration Sam checks her PTO balance and submits a vacation request using the HR Time Off custom plugin, ensuring seamless task completion without switching to another app. Impact on Workflow Efficiency Amazon Q Business plugins simplify workflows by: Conclusion Amazon Q Business plugins represent a transformative step in automating enterprise workflows and enhancing employee productivity. From preconfigured integrations to custom-built solutions, these plugins provide unparalleled flexibility to adapt to diverse business needs. How can Amazon Q Business transform workflows in your organization? Whether through built-in integrations or custom solutions, explore the power of Amazon Q Business plugins to unlock new levels of efficiency. Share your feedback and use cases to inspire innovation across enterprises! Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 12, 2025in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Salesforce0 Comments

Autonomy, Architecture, and Action

Redefining AI Agents: Autonomy, Architecture, and Action AI agents are reshaping how technology interacts with us and executes tasks. Their mission? To reason, plan, and act independently—following instructions, making autonomous decisions, and completing actions, often without user involvement. These agents adapt to new information, adjust in real time, and pursue their objectives autonomously. This evolution in agentic AI is revolutionizing how goals are accomplished, ushering in a future of semi-autonomous technology. At their foundation, AI agents rely on one or more large language models (LLMs). However, designing agents is far more intricate than building chatbots or generative assistants. While traditional AI applications often depend on user-driven inputs—such as prompt engineering or active supervision—agents operate autonomously. Core Principles of Agentic AI Architectures To enable autonomous functionality, agentic AI systems must incorporate: Essential Infrastructure for AI Agents Building and deploying agentic AI systems requires robust software infrastructure that supports: Agent Development Made Easier with Langflow and Astra DB Langflow simplifies the development of agentic applications with its visual IDE. It integrates with Astra DB, which combines vector and graph capabilities for ultra-low latency data access. This synergy accelerates development by enabling: Transforming Autonomy into Action Agentic AI is fundamentally changing how tasks are executed by empowering systems to act autonomously. By leveraging platforms like Astra DB and Langflow, organizations can simplify agent design and deploy scalable, effective AI applications. Start building the next generation of AI-powered autonomy 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

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January 11, 2025in Agentic AI, Data, Enterprise, Technology0 Comments
What is Heroku
04Jan

What is Heroku

What is Heroku? Heroku is a modern, container-based Platform as a Service (PaaS) that enables developers to deploy, manage, and scale applications with ease. Designed for simplicity, flexibility, and elegance, it provides the fastest path for developers to take their apps to market. Key Features of Heroku: The Evolution of Heroku Heroku has recently undergone a transformation, becoming fully cloud-native with advanced integrations like Kubernetes, OpenTelemetry, and Agentforce, an AI-powered enhancement to its platform. These upgrades retain the platform’s hallmark simplicity while delivering more performance and tools, such as Graviton processors, EKS, ECR, and AWS Global Accelerator. AI-Powered Innovation: Agentforce Agentforce, Heroku’s latest feature, brings AI-powered automation to app development. It empowers both technical and non-technical users by offering natural language workflows for building applications, making it accessible to a wider range of business users. According to Betty Junod, Heroku’s Chief Marketing Officer at Salesforce, the platform now seamlessly combines user-friendly experiences with cutting-edge AI capabilities: “We’ve replatformed while keeping the experience as simple as ever, but now with added horsepower, Graviton performance, and managed AI tools like Bedrock.” Agentforce is particularly impactful for non-developers, guiding them through building apps and automating processes with no-code or low-code tools. This innovation aligns with Heroku’s mission to make app creation easier and more interactive: “It’s not just apps serving information anymore; users are engaging with them in entirely new ways.” Deliver Apps, Your Way Heroku is designed to serve a variety of needs, from quick prototypes to mission-critical enterprise applications. Its fully managed ecosystem allows you to build and scale apps efficiently, leveraging the tools and languages you already know and love. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 4, 2025in AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Salesforce0 Comments
Salesforce AI Research Introduces BLIP-3-Video
02Jan

Salesforce AI Research Introduces BLIP-3-Video

Salesforce AI Research Introduces BLIP-3-Video: A Groundbreaking Multimodal Model for Efficient Video Understanding Vision-language models (VLMs) are transforming artificial intelligence by merging visual and textual data, enabling advancements in video analysis, human-computer interaction, and multimedia applications. These tools empower systems to generate captions, answer questions, and support decision-making, driving innovation in industries like entertainment, healthcare, and autonomous systems. However, the exponential growth in video-based tasks has created a demand for more efficient processing solutions that can manage the vast amounts of visual and temporal data inherent in videos. The Challenge of Scaling Video Understanding Existing video-processing models face significant inefficiencies. Many rely on processing each frame individually, creating thousands of visual tokens that demand extensive computational resources. This approach struggles with long or complex videos, where balancing computational efficiency and accurate temporal understanding becomes crucial. Attempts to address this issue, such as pooling techniques used by models like Video-ChatGPT and LLaVA-OneVision, have only partially succeeded, as they still produce thousands of tokens. Introducing BLIP-3-Video: A Breakthrough in Token Efficiency To tackle these challenges, Salesforce AI Research has developed BLIP-3-Video, a cutting-edge vision-language model optimized for video processing. The key innovation lies in its temporal encoder, which reduces visual tokens to just 16–32 tokens per video, significantly lowering computational requirements while maintaining strong performance. The temporal encoder employs a spatio-temporal attentional pooling mechanism, selectively extracting the most informative data from video frames. By consolidating spatial and temporal information into compact video-level tokens, BLIP-3-Video streamlines video processing without sacrificing accuracy. Efficient Architecture for Scalable Video Tasks BLIP-3-Video’s architecture integrates: This design ensures that the model efficiently captures essential temporal information while minimizing redundant data. Performance Highlights BLIP-3-Video demonstrates remarkable efficiency, achieving accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art models like Tarsier-34B while using a fraction of the tokens: For context, Tarsier-34B requires 4608 tokens for eight video frames, whereas BLIP-3-Video achieves similar results with only 32 tokens. On multiple-choice tasks, the model excelled: These results highlight BLIP-3-Video as one of the most token-efficient models in video understanding, offering top-tier performance while dramatically reducing computational costs. Advancing AI for Real-World Video Applications BLIP-3-Video addresses the critical challenge of token inefficiency, proving that complex video data can be processed effectively with far fewer resources. Developed by Salesforce AI Research, the model paves the way for scalable, real-time video processing across industries, including healthcare, autonomous systems, and entertainment. By combining efficiency with high performance, BLIP-3-Video sets a new standard for vision-language models, driving the practical application of AI in video-based systems. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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January 2, 2025in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Salesforce0 Comments

1 Billion Enterprise AI Agents

Inside Salesforce’s Ambition to Deploy 1 Billion Enterprise AI Agents Salesforce is making a bold play in the enterprise AI space with its recently launched Agentforce platform. Introduced at the annual Dreamforce conference, Agentforce is positioned to revolutionize sales, marketing, commerce, and operations with autonomous AI agents, marking a significant evolution from Salesforce’s previous Einstein AI platform. What Makes Agentforce Different? Agentforce operates as more than just a chatbot platform. It uses real-time data and user-defined business rules to proactively manage tasks, aiming to boost efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction. Built on Salesforce’s Data Cloud, the platform simplifies deployment while maintaining powerful customization capabilities: “Salesforce takes care of 80% of the foundational work, leaving customers to focus on the 20% that truly differentiates their business,” explains Adam Forrest, SVP of Marketing at Salesforce. Forrest highlights how Agentforce enables businesses to build custom agents tailored to specific needs by incorporating their own rules and data sources. This user-centric approach empowers admins, developers, and technology teams to deploy AI without extensive technical resources. Early Adoption Across Industries Major brands have already adopted Agentforce for diverse use cases: These real-world applications illustrate Agentforce’s potential to transform workflows in industries ranging from retail to hospitality and education. AI Agents in Marketing: The New Frontier Salesforce emphasizes that Agentforce isn’t just for operations; it’s poised to redefine marketing. AI agents can automate lead qualification, optimize outreach strategies, and enhance personalization. For example, in account-based marketing, agents can analyze customer data to identify high-value opportunities, craft tailored strategies, and recommend optimal engagement times based on user behavior. “AI agents streamline lead qualification by evaluating intent signals and scoring leads, allowing sales teams to focus on high-priority prospects,” says Jonathan Franchell, CEO of B2B marketing agency Ironpaper. Once campaigns are launched, Agentforce monitors performance in real time, offering suggestions to improve ROI and resource allocation. By integrating seamlessly with CRM platforms, the tool also facilitates better collaboration between marketing and sales teams. Beyond B2C applications, AI agents in B2B contexts can evaluate customer-specific needs and provide tailored product or service recommendations, further enhancing client relationships. Enabling Creativity Through Automation By automating repetitive tasks, Agentforce aims to free marketers to focus on strategy and creativity. Dan Gardner, co-founder of Code and Theory, describes this vision: “Agentic AI eliminates friction and dissolves silos in data, organizational structures, and customer touchpoints. The result? Smarter insights, efficient distribution, and more time for creatives to do what they do best: creating.” Competitive Landscape and Challenges Despite its promise, Salesforce faces stiff competition. Microsoft—backed by its integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT—has unveiled AI tools like Copilot, and other players such as Google, ServiceNow, and HubSpot are advancing their own AI platforms. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has not shied away from the rivalry. On the Masters of Scale podcast, he criticized Microsoft for overpromising on products like Copilot, asserting that Salesforce delivers tangible value: “Our tools show users exactly what is possible, what is real, and how easy it is to derive huge value from AI.” Salesforce must also demonstrate Agentforce’s scalability across diverse industries to capture a significant share of the enterprise AI market. A Transformative Vision for the Future Agentforce represents Salesforce’s commitment to bringing AI-powered automation to the forefront of enterprise operations. With its focus on seamless deployment, powerful customization, and real-time capabilities, the platform aims to reshape how businesses interact with customers and optimize internal processes. By targeting diverse use cases and emphasizing accessibility for both technical and non-technical users, Salesforce is betting on Agentforce to drive adoption at scale—and position itself as a leader in the increasingly competitive AI market. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 27, 2024in Agentforce Platform, AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Google, Salesforce, Technology0 Comments
26Dec

Why Build a General-Purpose Agent?

A general-purpose LLM agent serves as an excellent starting point for prototyping use cases and establishing the foundation for a custom agentic architecture tailored to your needs. What is an LLM Agent? An LLM (Large Language Model) agent is a program where execution logic is governed by the underlying model. Unlike approaches such as few-shot prompting or fixed workflows, LLM agents adapt dynamically. They can determine which tools to use (e.g., web search or code execution), how to use them, and iterate based on results. This adaptability enables handling diverse tasks with minimal configuration. Agentic Architectures Explained:Agentic systems range from the reliability of fixed workflows to the flexibility of autonomous agents. For instance: Your architecture choice will depend on the desired balance between reliability and flexibility for your use case. Building a General-Purpose LLM Agent Step 1: Select the Right LLM Choosing the right model is critical for performance. Evaluate based on: Model Recommendations (as of now): For simpler use cases, smaller models running locally can also be effective, but with limited functionality. Step 2: Define the Agent’s Control Logic The system prompt differentiates an LLM agent from a standalone model. This prompt contains rules, instructions, and structures that guide the agent’s behavior. Common Agentic Patterns: Starting with ReAct or Plan-then-Execute patterns is recommended for general-purpose agents. Step 3: Define the Agent’s Core Instructions To optimize the agent’s behavior, clearly define its features and constraints in the system prompt: Example Instructions: Step 4: Define and Optimize Core Tools Tools expand an agent’s capabilities. Common tools include: For each tool, define: Example: Implementing an Arxiv API tool for scientific queries. Step 5: Memory Handling Strategy Since LLMs have limited memory (context window), a strategy is necessary to manage past interactions. Common approaches include: For personalization, long-term memory can store user preferences or critical information. Step 6: Parse the Agent’s Output To make raw LLM outputs actionable, implement a parser to convert outputs into a structured format like JSON. Structured outputs simplify execution and ensure consistency. Step 7: Orchestrate the Agent’s Workflow Define orchestration logic to handle the agent’s next steps after receiving an output: Example Orchestration Code: pythonCopy codedef orchestrator(llm_agent, llm_output, tools, user_query): while True: action = llm_output.get(“action”) if action == “tool_call”: tool_name = llm_output.get(“tool_name”) tool_params = llm_output.get(“tool_params”, {}) if tool_name in tools: try: tool_result = tools[tool_name](**tool_params) llm_output = llm_agent({“tool_output”: tool_result}) except Exception as e: return f”Error executing tool ‘{tool_name}’: {str(e)}” else: return f”Error: Tool ‘{tool_name}’ not found.” elif action == “return_answer”: return llm_output.get(“answer”, “No answer provided.”) else: return “Error: Unrecognized action type from LLM output.” This orchestration ensures seamless interaction between tools, memory, and user queries. When to Consider Multi-Agent Systems A single-agent setup works well for prototyping but may hit limits with complex workflows or extensive toolsets. Multi-agent architectures can: Starting with a single agent helps refine workflows, identify bottlenecks, and scale effectively. By following these steps, you’ll have a versatile system capable of handling diverse use cases, from competitive analysis to automating workflows. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

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December 26, 2024in Data0 Comments
Tools to Liberate Salesforce Data
23Dec

Student Experience Modernization

Transforming the Student Journey: Utah State University Launches ‘OneUSU CRM’ with Salesforce Utah State University (USU) proudly announces the launch of OneUSU CRM, an AI-driven Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing Automation Platform built on Salesforce Education Cloud for Student Experience Modernization. This forward-thinking initiative is set to transform the student experience by simplifying services, enhancingfor engagement, and creating personalized educational journeys for all students—from prospective applicants to lifelong alumni. “USU is redefining student support, starting from the first interaction as prospective students to ongoing engagement as alumni,” said Margo Martinez, VP & GM of Education at Salesforce. “With their AI-powered engagement platform, USU is enabling deeper collaboration among faculty and staff, delivering holistic, personalized support, and strengthening lifelong relationships with students. These efforts will enhance retention and institutional impact.” Breaking Down Silos for a Unified Experience For years, USU’s student data and communication systems operated independently, resulting in fragmented processes. OneUSU CRM consolidates these disparate systems into a single, unified platform, providing a 360-degree view of students and donors. This comprehensive approach enables USU to offer seamless, student-centric experiences, streamline processes, and improve service delivery across the university. “Implementing Salesforce as an enterprise solution will revolutionize how we operate,” said Bill Plate, VP of Marketing and Communications at USU. “It will foster unprecedented collaboration across the university, breaking down silos, enhancing communication, and allowing us to better engage with students and alumni. The result is an elevated experience that strengthens our institutional impact.” The Lifecycle Connection The CRM will connect every touchpoint in the student lifecycle—from recruitment and admissions to active alumni engagement. This integration provides actionable insights to better serve stakeholders, boost enrollment, improve retention, and cultivate stronger relationships with alumni and donors. The initiative aligns with USU’s mission to leverage data for meaningful improvements in the university experience. “This project lays the groundwork for USU to provide personalized support at every stage of the student lifecycle,” added Niel Nickolaisen, USU’s IT Director. “By making comprehensive data accessible to those best positioned to assist, we are better equipped to meet students’ needs, enhance their learning journey, and create stronger institutional bonds.” Four Pillars of Transformation in Student Experience Modernization The OneUSU CRM initiative will roll out in four key phases over 18 months, each focusing on a core area: Guiding Implementation USU’s Operational Strategy division will oversee the rollout, with cross-divisional teams led by Rene Eborn spearheading the transition to Salesforce Education Cloud. By adopting agile principles, minimizing customizations, and redesigning legacy processes, USU is committed to a smooth and effective implementation. “After an extensive analysis, we’re ready to transform and simplify services for our students and community,” noted Eborn. “This initiative will reimagine how we operate, ensuring a seamless transition and delivering optimal performance across the university.” Driving Institutional Impact The project began in November, with the first phase launching in summer 2025. Each phase will build on the previous one, and progress updates will be shared regularly. “This initiative is an opportunity to streamline processes and create a connected experience for students, faculty, and alumni,” said Eric Hawley, CIO at USU. “By improving data, communication, and marketing with a student-first focus, we aim to boost enrollment and retention, shorten time to graduation, and foster lasting relationships with alumni and donors.” Student Experience Modernization Students, faculty, and staff can expect a more connected, responsive campus environment. Detailed updates and training opportunities will be provided to ensure a smooth transition. Student Experience Modernization. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 23, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Marketing Automation, Salesforce, Salesforce Education Cloud0 Comments
Tectonic Salesforce Implementation Partner
21Dec

Choosing a 2025 Salesforce Solutions Partner

Salesforce has revolutionized how companies manage customer relationships, offering a powerful CRM platform that drives efficiency, productivity, and sales growth. However, fully unlocking its potential requires more than just subscribing to the platform. Successful deployment, seamless integration, and tailored customization are critical to maximizing Salesforce’s benefits. That’s where selecting the right Salesforce Cloud Solutions Partner becomes crucial. This guide will walk you through the key factors to consider when choosing a Salesforce implementation partner to ensure a successful deployment and seamless integration tailored to your business needs. Why You Need a Salesforce Cloud Solutions Partner The Salesforce ecosystem is vast and complex, offering a range of tools, services, and integrations that can be overwhelming without the right guidance. From pricing options to technical aspects of Salesforce Sales Cloud, implementation, and integrations, the right partner can simplify the process. A skilled Salesforce Cloud Solutions Partner can: Choosing the right partner can significantly impact your Salesforce journey, ensuring a smooth transition and long-term success. Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Partner 1. Assess Expertise and Experience Salesforce implementation requires technical proficiency and industry-specific expertise. Look for a partner who: Additionally, ensure the partner is skilled in services you may require, such as Salesforce Outlook Integration or trial configurations. 2. Evaluate Customization Capabilities Every business is unique, and your Salesforce CRM must reflect that. A capable partner will tailor the platform to your needs, including: Customization ensures your Salesforce environment fits your business like a glove, optimizing operations and delivering maximum ROI. 3. Look for a Holistic Approach to Integration Salesforce excels at integrating with various platforms to streamline workflows. Choose a partner who offers: A well-integrated system simplifies operations, enhances productivity, and positions your business for scalable success. 4. Ensure Support and Training Salesforce implementation is only the beginning; ongoing support and training are critical to success. Your partner should offer: Continuous support ensures your team fully leverages Salesforce, adapting to new features and growing with the platform. 5. Prioritize Pricing Transparency Salesforce offers flexible pricing plans, but implementation costs can vary. Ensure your partner provides: Pricing transparency helps you plan effectively and avoid surprises during your Salesforce journey. Conclusion Selecting the right Salesforce Cloud Solutions Partner is a critical decision that can profoundly impact your business’s efficiency and growth. By focusing on expertise, customization, integration, and support, you can ensure a smooth Salesforce implementation that maximizes your investment. A trusted partner doesn’t just implement Salesforce; they become an integral part of your success, helping you scale confidently and adapt to future challenges. For tailored guidance on selecting the ideal Salesforce partner or learning more about best practices for Salesforce CRM implementation, explore our detailed insights and resources. Make an informed choice and set your organization up for long-term success with Salesforce. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 21, 2024in Data, Public Sector Solutions, Salesforce, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Education Solutions, Salesforce Financial Services Solutions, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Hospitality Travel and Transportation, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Managed Services, Salesforce Sales Cloud0 Comments
AI Sales Agents Explained
20Dec

AI Sales Agents Explained

If you were to ask a sales rep why they chose a job in sales, they’d probably tell you something like, “I love helping to people. I’m ambitious and goal-oriented, and no two days are ever the same.” The reality, however, is that a lot of time in sales isn’t spent selling. Recent data suggests that sales reps dedicate only 28% of their time to actual selling, with the rest swallowed up by administrative tasks and non-revenue-generating work. To ease this burden, sales teams are turning to AI sales agents, enabling them to focus more on building relationships and closing deals. Below, we explore the different types of AI sales agents and how businesses are using them to increase productivity, efficiency, and revenue. What is an AI sales agent? AI sales agents are autonomous applications that analyze and learn from sales and customer data to perform tasks with little or no human intervention. These agents can manage a wide range of activities, from top-of-funnel tasks like nurturing leads via email outreach, answering questions, booking meetings, and generating quotes to more integrated sales support like buyer roleplays and coaching. Unlike simple workflow automation, AI agents are capable of learning, enabling them to improve efficiency and act independently based on data and analysis. They often plug directly into existing CRMs, with pre-built capabilities or customizable configurations for specific business needs. Types of AI sales agents There are two primary types of AI sales agents: The ability to autonomously analyze data, create action plans, and execute them sets modern AI sales agents apart from traditional sales tools and bots. Key features of AI sales agents Benefits of AI sales agents Future trends for AI sales agents In the early days, AI in sales served primarily as a co-pilot — summarizing insights and assisting with tasks like forecasting. It often required significant human input and created siloed data challenges. Today, AI agents autonomously augment human teams, empowering them to focus on high-value tasks like building relationships. In the near future, AI sales agents are expected to handle increasingly complex workflows and multi-step processes across diverse channels. Potential advancements include: These developments promise to unlock new possibilities for efficiency, personalization, and customization in sales teams. AI sales agents pushing teams into a new era According to recent data, sales leaders are focusing on improving sales enablement, targeting new markets, and adopting new tools and technologies to drive growth. Challenges like scaling personalized interactions and hitting quotas are top of mind. AI sales agents directly address these needs, transforming sales organizations by enabling teams to offload repetitive work to autonomous systems while maintaining quality and personalization. Who uses AI sales agents? AI sales agents are used by sales teams to manage tasks such as lead qualification, follow-ups, meeting scheduling, and coaching. By handling repetitive activities, these agents free up reps to focus on relationship-building and closing deals, ultimately driving better outcomes for both teams and customers. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 20, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data0 Comments
AI Agents Set to Break Through in 2025
20Dec

AI Agents Set to Break Through in 2025

2025: The Year AI Agents Transform Work and Life Despite years of hype around artificial intelligence, its true disruptive impact has so far been limited. However, industry experts believe that’s about to change in 2025 as autonomous AI agents prepare to enter and reshape nearly every facet of our lives. Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT took the world by storm in late 2022, billions of dollars have been funneled into the AI sector. Big tech and startups alike are racing to harness the transformative potential of the technology. Yet, while millions now interact with AI chatbots daily, turning them into tools that deliver tangible business value has proven challenging. A recent study by Boston Consulting Group revealed that only 26% of companies experimenting with AI have progressed beyond proof of concept to derive measurable value. This lag reflects the limitations of current AI tools, which serve primarily as copilots—capable of assisting but requiring constant oversight and remaining prone to errors. AI Agents Set to Break Through in 2025 The status quo, however, is poised for a radical shift. Autonomous AI agents—capable of independently analyzing information, making decisions, and taking action—are expected to emerge as the industry’s next big breakthrough. “For the first time, technology isn’t just offering tools for humans to do work,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff wrote in Time. “It’s providing intelligent, scalable digital labor that performs tasks autonomously. Instead of waiting for human input, agents can analyze information, make decisions, and adapt as they go.” At their core, AI agents leverage the same large language models (LLMs) that power tools like ChatGPT. But these agents take it further, acting as reasoning engines that develop step-by-step strategies to execute tasks. Armed with access to external data sources like customer records or financial databases and equipped with software tools, agents can achieve goals independently. While current LLMs still face reasoning limitations, advancements are on the horizon. New models like OpenAI’s “o1” and DeepSeek’s “R1” are specialized for reasoning, sparking hope that 2025 will see agents grow far more capable. Big Tech and Startups Betting Big Major players are already gearing up for this new era. Startups are also eager to carve out their share of the market. According to Pitchbook, funding deals for agent-focused ventures surged by over 80% in 2024, with the median deal value increasing nearly 50%. Challenges to Overcome Despite the enthusiasm, significant hurdles remain. 2025: A Turning Point Despite these challenges, many experts believe 2025 will mark the mainstream adoption of AI agents. A New World of Work No matter the pace, it’s clear that AI agents will dominate the industry’s focus in 2025. If the technology delivers on its promise, the workplace could undergo a profound transformation, enabling entirely new ways of working and automating tasks that once required human intervention. The question isn’t if agents will redefine the way we work—it’s how fast. By the end of 2025, the shift could be undeniable. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 20, 2024in AI Tools, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Generative AI, Google, Salesforce, Technology0 Comments

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