Telecom Archives - gettectonic.com

17Sep

Salesforce and IBM Partnership

Salesforce and IBM are advancing their longstanding partnership by focusing on transforming sales and service processes with AI, particularly for organizations in regulated industries that seek to leverage enterprise data for automation. The collaboration aims to deliver pre-built AI agents and tools that integrate seamlessly within customers’ IT environments, enabling them to use their proprietary data while maintaining full control over their systems. By merging Salesforce’s Agentforce, a suite of autonomous agents, with IBM’s watsonx capabilities, the partnership will empower businesses to utilize AI agents within their daily applications. IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate will enhance Agentforce with autonomous agents that improve productivity, security, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, IBM customers will have the ability to interact with these agents via Slack, facilitating dynamic conversational experiences. Planned integrations between Salesforce Data Cloud and IBM Data Gate for watsonx will enable access to business data from IBM Z mainframes and Db2 databases, supporting AI workflows across the Agentforce platform. This integration will enhance data analysis and fuel AI-driven processes. Customers will also benefit from a broader range of AI model and deployment options through integration with IBM watsonx.ai. This will include access to IBM’s Granite foundation models, designed for enterprise applications. Enhancing Business Automation with Tailored Autonomous Agents Through the Agentforce Partner Network, businesses can develop and customize AI agents to interact with various enterprise tools and platforms. These agents are designed to perform multi-step tasks, make decisions based on triggers or interactions, and seek user approval for actions beyond their scope. They will help automate routine tasks, increase efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance customer service. IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate will integrate with Salesforce Agentforce to develop new pre-built agents for specific business challenges. These agents will leverage data and AI from both Salesforce and IBM to address various needs: Expanding Data Integration for AI Salesforce and IBM are also advancing data integration strategies through the Zero Copy integration between Salesforce Data Cloud and watsonx.data. This allows data to remain in place while being utilized for AI use cases, without duplication. Joint customers, particularly in financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and telecommunications, will leverage this integration to access and use mainframe datasets from IBM Z and Db2 databases on Salesforce’s platform. IBM will be the first Zero Copy partner to facilitate data flow between IBM Z and Salesforce Cloud, offering secure access to critical enterprise data and enhancing AI agent functionality. With IBM Z handling over 70% of global transaction value, this partnership ensures high standards of security, privacy, and compliance. Improving Efficiency with Slack and IBM watsonx Orchestrate IBM customers will now engage with watsonx Orchestrate agents directly within Slack, supporting AI app experiences with a new interface. This integration allows for seamless interaction with AI agents, automating tasks and enhancing collaboration across systems without leaving Slack. Expanding AI Model and Deployment Options with watsonx.ai A new integration with watsonx.ai will enable customers to deploy customized large language models (LLMs) within Salesforce Model Builder. This includes access to a range of third-party models and IBM’s Granite foundation models, which offer transparency and compliance with regulatory requirements. IBM Granite models are expected to be available within the Salesforce ecosystem by October. Partnering with IBM Consulting for Tailored AI Solutions IBM Consulting will leverage its expertise in Salesforce and AI to help joint customers accelerate the implementation of Agentforce. Through IBM Consulting Advantage, the AI-powered delivery platform, businesses will receive support in selecting, customizing, deploying, and scaling AI agents to meet specific industry needs. Customer Perspective Tectonic is transforming its service stations into preferred journey stops with the help of Salesforce and IBM. The collaboration offers unprecedented flexibility in AI utilization, enabling Tectonic to deliver hyper-personalized services through Agentforce and IBM’s watsonx AI, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 17, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

10Sep

Salesforce and Tenyx

Salesforce has announced its acquisition of AI voice agent firm Tenyx, with the deal expected to close in the third quarter. While the financial terms have not been disclosed, Tenyx’s co-founders, CEO Itamar Arel and CTO Adam Earle, along with their team, will join Salesforce as part of the acquisition. This move comes after Salesforce, under pressure from activist investors, previously shifted away from acquisitions and increased its share buybacks following the dissolution of its mergers and acquisitions committee. However, the company is now pursuing strategic acquisitions to boost revenue growth. Conversational AI forthe Enterprise Tenyx Voice is an Interactive Virtual Agent (IVA) built from the ground up leveraging today’s modern AI stack. Built by a team with a proven track record in voice AI, and leveraging a unique core AI and voice platform, Tenyx promises to redefine customer interactions for the enterprise. Tenyx Voice is an Interactive Virtual Agent (IVA) built from the ground up leveraging today’s modern AI stack. Built by a team with a proven track record in voice AI, and leveraging a unique core AI and voice platform, Tenyx promises to redefine customer interactions for the enterprise. Industries and Use Cases If 2023 was the year of large language models (LLMs), 2024 is shaping up to be the year of voice agents. When ChatGPT made waves globally, startups, tech firms, and entrepreneurs rushed to discover business use cases for the new technology. The ideal applications targeted tasks that are costly, time-consuming, and hard to scale. Voice agents and automated customer service systems quickly emerged as one of the most promising solutions. However, many companies deploying these systems aren’t fully considering their impact on customers. That’s why Tenyx is launching its inaugural Voice AI Consumer Report. We surveyed hundreds of Americans across different age groups, races, geographies, and genders to better understand their preferences and experiences with AI-powered voice agents. Here are the key findings: What this means: Frustrating Calls Hurt Your Brand Imagine calling customer service for a quick solution, only to be met by an automated voice agent that can’t understand your request or handle complex issues. It’s a common and frustrating experience. Our data shows that nearly 7 in 10 people express frustration or annoyance with today’s automated voice agents—sentiments that can severely damage customer loyalty and business outcomes. “Our report highlights a major disconnect between consumer expectations and the performance of current automated voice agents,” says Itamar Arel, CEO of Tenyx. “While these systems promise efficiency and cost savings, they often fall short when it comes to addressing consumers’ nuanced needs.” Incomplete AI Systems Drive Customer Churn Subpar AI systems are driving customers away. Two-thirds of respondents said they wouldn’t return to a company after a negative experience with its AI voice agent. In fact, 67% still prefer interacting with human agents over automated ones. Why? Current AI voice agents struggle with complex issues and fail to provide the empathy and problem-solving skills that human agents, or more advanced AI systems, offer. Selective Deployment and Industry-Specific Agents Matter Our data shows that consumers are more accepting of voice agents in certain industries than others. Sectors like healthcare, restaurants, and telecoms saw the highest satisfaction with AI voice agents, while airlines, banking, and hotels ranked the lowest. This highlights the importance of selective deployment and tailoring voice agents for specific industries to better meet customer needs. Looking Ahead: The Promise of Perfect Automation Despite the skepticism, there’s hope. Two-thirds of respondents indicated they’d embrace automated voice agents if these systems could match the performance of human agents. This is exactly what we’re working on at Tenyx—building scalable, reliable AI agents that serve businesses and customers globally. “As leaders in voice AI technology, Tenyx is dedicated to closing the gap between consumer expectations and technological capabilities,” Arel says. “Our mission is to equip businesses with AI solutions that not only streamline operations but also boost customer satisfaction.” Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 10, 2024in Salesforce

26Aug

AI Analytics Explained

While both AI analytics and predictive AI leverage data analysis, AI analytics is a broader field encompassing various AI techniques for data processing and analysis, while predictive AI specifically focuses on forecasting future outcomes based on historical data patterns. Here’s a more detailed breakdown: AI Analytics (Broad) Predictive AI (Specific) What is AI Analytics? AI analytics leverages machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the analysis of vast amounts of data, uncovering insights faster and more accurately than traditional methods. By continuously monitoring data streams, AI analytics identifies patterns, anomalies, and trends—tasks that would typically require extensive manual effort from data analysts. Business Analytics in the AI Era AI is transforming industries, and business analytics is no exception. While traditional analytics relies on statistical models developed over centuries, AI-powered analytics introduces unprecedented speed, scalability, and precision, enabling businesses to make real-time, data-driven decisions. This article explores: What is Analytics? Analytics is the process of extracting meaningful insights from raw data to answer business questions, predict trends, and guide decision-making. It involves various techniques, including: The Four Stages of Analytics (Gartner’s Analytic Ascendancy Model) AI, Machine Learning, and AI Analytics Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI refers to machines performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as: Machine Learning (ML) A subset of AI, ML uses algorithms trained on data to make predictions without explicit programming. Key approaches include: AI Analytics AI analytics automates data analysis by: Unlike traditional analytics, which relies on manual hypothesis testing, AI analytics continuously scans data, delivering faster, more objective insights. AI Analytics vs. Traditional Analytics Feature Traditional Analytics AI Analytics Speed Slow (weeks to months) Real-time processing Scale Limited by human capacity Handles billions of data points Granularity Broad trends Micro-level insights (e.g., per-user) Bias Human assumptions influence results Data-driven, unbiased analysis Automation Manual hypothesis testing Self-learning algorithms Advantages of AI Analytics ✅ Faster detection – Identifies issues in hours, not weeks.✅ Higher accuracy – Reduces errors by 30-50% (McKinsey).✅ Unbiased insights – Tests millions of hypotheses objectively. Real-World Applications of AI Analytics 1. Demand Forecasting (Predictive Analytics) 2. Predictive Maintenance 3. Business Monitoring (Diagnostic Analytics) 4. Cloud Cost Optimization Conclusion: AI Analytics is the Future AI analytics supercharges business intelligence by:🚀 Automating tedious analysis – Freeing analysts for strategic work.🔍 Uncovering hidden insights – Detecting patterns humans miss.⏱ Delivering real-time decisions – Keeping businesses agile. As AI continues to evolve, companies that adopt AI-powered analytics will gain a competitive edge—transforming raw data into actionable intelligence at unprecedented speed. Ready to integrate AI analytics into your business? Explore how AI can revolutionize your data strategy today. Contact Tectonic. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

August 26, 2024in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Deep Learning

25Aug

AI as a Service

The latest research study from HTF MI, titled Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) As a Service Market Size, Player Analysis & Segment Growth 2020-2032, offers an in-depth evaluation of market risks, opportunities, and strategic decision-making support. The report delves into trends, growth drivers, technological advancements, and the evolving investment landscape within the Global AI As a Service market. Key players featured in the study include Google, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce, Intel, Baidu, FICO, SAS, and BigML. Market Overview: The study provides an extensive view of the AI As a Service market, with segmentation across industries such as banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, government and defense, manufacturing, and energy. Covering 18+ countries globally, it also highlights both emerging and established players. The report offers tailored analysis based on specific business objectives or geographic requirements. AI As a Service Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2030 This research defines the market size across various segments and countries by analyzing historical data and forecasting future values through 2030. It combines qualitative and quantitative insights, including market share, value, and volume forecasts from 2019 to 2023, with projections extending to 2030. Key elements such as growth drivers, restraining factors, and critical statistics shape the market’s outlook. Market Segmentation: The report categorizes the AI As a Service market into the following: Key Players: The study profiles major industry players such as Google, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce, Intel, Baidu, FICO, SAS, and BigML, analyzing their market strategies and positioning. Geographic Scope: The global report covers multiple regions, including: Key Questions Addressed: Report Chapters Overview: For more information, request a sample report or inquire about the full research study through the provided links. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

August 25, 2024in Salesforce

18Aug

Salesforce on AI

Marketing success hinges on delivering consistent, timely, and engaging content. According to the Salesforce State of Marketing report, 78% of high-performing marketers identify data as their most critical asset for creating cohesive customer journeys. Yet, only 49% report having a unified view of customer data sources. This disconnect highlights a significant challenge many marketing teams face in effectively leveraging their data. For organizations already invested in Salesforce, incorporating AI-driven business intelligence (BI) tools offers numerous benefits. These include reduced time to deliver insights, enhanced automation, increased innovation, improved agility, and cost savings. However, realizing these benefits depends on having high-quality data and robust data strategies. This insight explores AI-driven BI from a Salesforce perspective, highlighting its benefits, applications, and future trends. By understanding the potential of AI in BI, organizations can better harness their data to drive success and innovation. The Role of AI in Business Intelligence Integrating AI into BI systems elevates data analysis by offering deeper insights and predictive capabilities. Here’s how AI enhances BI: These examples demonstrate AI’s ability to improve BI systems by enhancing data accuracy, providing real-time insights, and improving forecasting. Salesforce’s AI Capabilities in BI Salesforce’s AI capabilities in BI are embodied in the versatile tool, Salesforce Einstein. Easily integrated with BI, Einstein automates tasks and delivers personalized insights. Companies using Einstein have reported a 20% increase in sales productivity. Here’s how Einstein can be utilized in various scenarios: These examples illustrate how Salesforce’s AI tools, particularly Einstein, can transform BI by automating routine tasks and delivering personalized insights, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and business growth. Future Trends in AI and BI The future of AI and BI promises even more advanced capabilities and innovations. As AI evolves, so too will the tools for BI. Here are some trends expected to emerge in the near future: These trends show that AI and BI are evolving rapidly. Companies that stay ahead of these developments will be well-positioned to leverage AI for greater innovation and efficiency. Next Steps AI-powered BI, especially with Salesforce, is transforming how businesses operate by providing deeper insights and better decision-making capabilities. To stay competitive and foster innovation, organizations must embrace AI. The quest is no longer just to be data-driven. It is to be data-decisioned. Here are some actionable steps: By taking these steps, businesses can fully leverage AI-driven BI and maintain a competitive edge in the fast-evolving digital playinf field of AI. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

August 18, 2024in Salesforce Einstein

16Jul

Einstein Service Agent

Introducing Agentforce Service Agent: Salesforce’s Autonomous AI to Transform Chatbot Experiences Accelerate case resolutions with an intelligent, conversational interface that uses natural language and is grounded in trusted customer and business data. Deploy in minutes with ready-made templates, Salesforce components, and a large language model (LLM) to autonomously engage customers across any channel, 24/7. Establish clear privacy and security guardrails to ensure trusted responses, and escalate complex cases to human agents as needed. Editor’s Note: Einstein Service Agent is now known as Agentforce Service Agent. Salesforce has launched Agentforce Service Agent, the company’s first fully autonomous AI agent, set to redefine customer service. Unlike traditional chatbots that rely on preprogrammed responses and lack contextual understanding, Agentforce Service Agent is dynamic, capable of independently addressing a wide range of service issues, which enhances customer service efficiency. Built on the Einstein 1 Platform, Agentforce Service Agent interacts with large language models (LLMs) to analyze the context of customer messages and autonomously determine the appropriate actions. Using generative AI, it creates conversational responses based on trusted company data, such as Salesforce CRM, and aligns them with the brand’s voice and tone. This reduces the burden of routine queries, allowing human agents to focus on more complex, high-value tasks. Customers, in turn, receive faster, more accurate responses without waiting for human intervention. Available 24/7, Agentforce Service Agent communicates naturally across self-service portals and messaging channels, performing tasks proactively while adhering to the company’s defined guardrails. When an issue requires human escalation, the transition is seamless, ensuring a smooth handoff. Ease of Setup and Pilot Launch Currently in pilot, Agentforce Service Agent will be generally available later this year. It can be deployed in minutes using pre-built templates, low-code workflows, and user-friendly interfaces. “Salesforce is shaping the future where human and digital agents collaborate to elevate the customer experience,” said Kishan Chetan, General Manager of Service Cloud. “Agentforce Service Agent, our first fully autonomous AI agent, will revolutionize service teams by not only completing tasks autonomously but also augmenting human productivity. We are reimagining customer service for the AI era.” Why It Matters While most companies use chatbots today, 81% of customers would still prefer to speak to a live agent due to unsatisfactory chatbot experiences. However, 61% of customers express a preference for using self-service options for simpler issues, indicating a need for more intelligent, autonomous agents like Agentforce Service Agent that are powered by generative AI. The Future of AI-Driven Customer Service Agentforce Service Agent has the ability to hold fluid, intelligent conversations with customers by analyzing the full context of inquiries. For instance, a customer reaching out to an online retailer for a return can have their issue fully processed by Agentforce, which autonomously handles tasks such as accessing purchase history, checking inventory, and sending follow-up satisfaction surveys. With trusted business data from Salesforce’s Data Cloud, Agentforce generates accurate and personalized responses. For example, a telecommunications customer looking for a new phone will receive tailored recommendations based on data such as purchase history and service interactions. Advanced Guardrails and Quick Setup Agentforce Service Agent leverages the Einstein Trust Layer to ensure data privacy and security, including the masking of personally identifiable information (PII). It can be quickly activated with out-of-the-box templates and pre-existing Salesforce components, allowing companies to equip it with customized skills faster using natural language instructions. Multimodal Innovation Across Channels Agentforce Service Agent supports cross-channel communication, including messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS, as well as self-service portals. It even understands and responds to images, video, and audio. For example, if a customer sends a photo of an issue, Agentforce can analyze it to provide troubleshooting steps or even recommend replacement products. Seamless Handoffs to Human Agents If a customer’s inquiry requires human attention, Agentforce seamlessly transfers the conversation to a human agent who will have full context, avoiding the need for the customer to repeat information. For example, a life insurance company might program Agentforce to escalate conversations if a customer mentions sensitive topics like loss or death. Similarly, if a customer requests a return outside of the company’s policy window, Agentforce can recommend that a human agent make an exception. Customer Perspective “Agentforce Service Agent’s speed and accuracy in handling inquiries is promising. It responds like a human, adhering to our diverse, country-specific guidelines. I see it becoming a key part of our service team, freeing human agents to handle higher-value issues.” — George Pokorny, SVP of Global Customer Success, OpenTable. Content updated October 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

July 16, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Einstein 1 Platform, Generative AI, Salesforce

22Dec

Marketing Cloud Growth and Advanced Editions

While Growth Edition is tailored to small businesses looking to get started with robust marketing automation, Advanced Edition caters to companies that need more sophisticated tools to scale personalization efforts, improve customer engagement, and streamline workflows. It offers additional features, including real-time journey testing, predictive AI for customer scoring, and advanced SMS capabilities, allowing businesses to enhance every touchpoint with their customers.

December 22, 2023in Data, Enterprise, Marketing Automation, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Marketing Automation, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Technology

What is the IDC?

“IDC” can refer to several things, including “I don’t care” in casual online communication, “International Data Corporation” (a market research firm), “Invasive Ductal Carcinoma” (a type of breast cancer), and “Inter Data Communications” (a TCP/IP protocol), or “Integrated Data Collection” (a reporting mechanism). Here’s a more detailed breakdown: Content updated November 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

December 21, 2022in Data, Google, Technology

07Nov

New Salesforce Whatsapp Integrations

Salesforce has unveiled its roadmap for upcoming WhatsApp integrations tailored for marketing and service teams. WhatsApp, a widely-used mobile messaging app with over 2.2 billion monthly active users and a daily message count exceeding 100 billion, has demonstrated remarkable international reach, fostering instant and effective communication across borders without reliance on local telecom providers. New Salesforce Whatsapp Integrations While WhatsApp integration was not previously available as a standard feature in Salesforce, the recent partnership announcement at Dreamforce ’22 prompted swift action. The integration will harness the WhatsApp Business Platform API, a cloud-based service provided by Meta (WhatsApp’s owner) for businesses at no cost in 2022. This API enhances end-to-end experiences, streamlining scalable business processes. For Salesforce + WhatsApp in Service: WhatsApp for Service can be utilized through Digital Engagement, an add-on for Service Cloud. Also Salesforce’s Contact Center for Communications within Communications Cloud. WhatsApp for Service Cloud is expected to be generally available (GA) starting March 16, 2023. For Salesforce + WhatsApp in Marketing: The WhatsApp for Marketing Cloud Rich Media support is anticipated to be generally available (GA) in the second half of 2023. As consumer demand for WhatsApp continues to surge, specialized integrations, like those tailored for Salesforce. By address the growing need for organizations to connect WhatsApp with their business-critical systems. The collaboration underscores Salesforce’s commitment to meeting evolving communication demands and leveraging the popularity of WhatsApp for enhanced customer interactions. Struggling to integrate WhatsApp in your Salesforce ecosystem? Tectonic can help. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

November 7, 2022in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Managed Services, Salesforce Sales Cloud

What is Salesforce Field Service?

Salesforce Field Service (formerly known as Salesforce Field Service Lightning or FSL) is a comprehensive solution designed to help businesses manage and optimize their field service operations. It enables organizations to schedule, dispatch, and track field service technicians, ensuring efficient service delivery and improved customer satisfaction. Salesforce Field Service is part of the broader Salesforce Service Cloud ecosystem and integrates seamlessly with other Salesforce products to provide a unified platform for managing customer service and field operations. Key Features of Salesforce Field Service Benefits of Salesforce Field Service Use Cases for Salesforce Field Service How Salesforce Field Service Works Integration with Salesforce Ecosystem Salesforce Field Service integrates seamlessly with other Salesforce products, such as: Conclusion Salesforce Field Service is a powerful tool for businesses that rely on field operations to deliver services to customers. By optimizing scheduling, enhancing technician productivity, and improving customer communication, it helps organizations streamline their field service operations and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Whether you’re managing a small team or a large workforce, Salesforce Field Service provides the tools and insights needed to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Content updated November 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

April 16, 2022in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein, Salesforce Service Cloud

06Oct

Basics of Salesforce

What are the basics of Salesforce? What do users need to know? Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for managing customer relationships and integration with other systems. This SaaS tool helps to create custom solutions for marketing, sales, services and ecommerce as per business requirements. Salesforce, Inc. is a famous American cloud-based software company that provides CRM services. This is a popular CRM tool for support, sales, and marketing teams worldwide. Salesforce services allow businesses to use cloud technology to better connect with partners, customers, and prospects. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, which is a process or methodology used to learn more about customers’ needs and behaviors. This data is useful in order to help them through new solutions which eventually develop stronger relationships with them. This technology aids users to manage relationships with their customers and track data related to all of their interactions. It helps teams collaborate, both internally and externally, gather insights from social media, track important metrics, and communicate via email, phone, social, and other channels. The more useful way to think about Salesforce CRM is as a process that will help bring together lots of pieces of information about customers, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness, and market trends. Advantages Of CRM What Is Salesforce Architecture? Salesforce delivers a highly customized experience to customers, employees, and partners. Salesforce’s Architecture is divided into three layers: Types Of Salesforce Apps Here are some of the prebuilt salesforce apps: 1. Sales Cloud “Sales Cloud is a specific Salesforce application designed to help organizations sell smarter and faster by centralizing customer information, logging interactions, and allowing for collaboration across teams. It puts all of your customer and prospect information in one place, giving sales teams the ability to be more productive.” Imagine there is a Sales team in a software company getting new leads (i.e. potential customers) very frequently from the Marketing team. They need to communicate with every lead, as per their details of them, When leads get converted, store their deals-related information. Generate invoices of customers orders. Throughout the whole process, the sales cloud helped them to keep track of the sales-related data, which helped them to improve and work efficiently. 2. Service Cloud “Service Cloud enables users to automate service processes, streamline workflows and find key articles, topics, and experts to support customer service agents. The purpose is to foster one-to-one marketing relationships with every customer across multiple channels and devices.” Imagine there is a telecommunication company, with a customer support team, which is helping customers solve their problems. Now using Service Cloud, they were able to keep track of each problem and solution as well. Whenever the same problems come, automatically the solution will be assigned to the problem. Through this, the efficiency of the team increased, response time decreased and customers were able to receive a comparatively quicker solution. 3. Marketing Cloud “Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a digital marketing platform that automates marketing across email, social media, mobile apps, SMS, websites, and more.” Imagine there is a retail company, that wants to do email marketing to their customers. They used the marketing cloud, which enables them to send personalized email to millions of customers, based on each and every customer’s previous purchase history. They are able to keep track of open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. 4. Commerce Cloud “Commerce Cloud is a key part of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform and offers e-commerce solutions for B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) customers.” Imagine there is a fashion retailer company that uses the Salesforce commerce cloud to manage its online store. They are able to suggest similar accessories that their customers are interested in or based on the customer’s last interaction with the web store. Through the commerce cloud, they were able to provide a seamless customer experience, which increases sales and builds customer loyalty. 5. Experience Cloud “Salesforce Experience Cloud enables enterprises to create and manage communities more effectively. It allows you to create portals, support centers, forums, websites, and smartphone apps, and administer your content.” Think of various portals or forums where users come and interact with each other, and discuss solving each other problems. 6. Health Cloud “Salesforce Health Cloud is a platform for managing doctor-patient interaction and recordkeeping. It brings together a wide range of data from several sources in one location, providing you with a complete picture of everything about each patient, both clinical and non-clinical.” It allows automated scheduling of appointments and also helps in conducting virtual health care for patients so, that they can take care of from the comfort of their homes. 7. Financial Services Cloud “It provides a user-friendly platform to handle all customer data, build more trusted relationships, and create more seamless digital experiences at any touchpoint. It is designed to meet the demands of companies in the financial sector: banks, insurance agents, mortgage and loan companies, and others.” Imagine a bank that provides loans and credit card services, which involves customer verification like financial condition, and all of that can be done using the financial service cloud. 8. Education Cloud “It allows educational institutions to create solutions for recruitment, admission, and registration while also improving the student experience in the course of the teaching process and extracurricular activities.” It helps educational institutions to provide the right recommendations like tuition, extra class, and books, to students according to their performance. When Do Salesforce Releases Come Salesforce is a #1 CRM-based solution provider because of its continuous improvements. It delivers hundreds of innovative features by providing three seasonal releases during a year: The first set of upgrades happens on sandbox instances 4-6 weeks before a release goes into production. After that, all customers run the same version of Salesforce, complete with all the latest features. Benefits Of Salesforce CRM If you are ready to explore the power of Salesforce for your business, contact Tectonic today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has

October 6, 2021in Salesforce

Digital BSS for Telecom Profits

Digital Business Support Systems (BSS) play a critical role in managing essential functions such as billing, rating and charging, customer experience, CRM, fulfillment, and revenue management within communications service providers (CSPs). However, the scope of a comprehensive digital BSS stack extends beyond these core functionalities to enable, monetize, and manage new digital services and partnerships. This transformation is particularly crucial for CSPs transitioning into digital service providers (DSPs), especially in anticipation of the 5G era. Let’s delve into how a robust digital BSS transformation solution can drive profitability. Anticipating Customer Churn Telecom companies can leverage advanced analytics across BSS, OSS, CRM, and other systems to extract actionable insights from customer usage, transactions, complaints, billing, and social media data. Predictive modeling identifies potential churners, enabling targeted offers, promotions, and services aimed at retaining and nurturing loyal customers. Personalizing Customer Experiences Today’s digital consumers expect personalized interactions. Implementing a digital BSS stack empowers telecom companies to capture and utilize interaction data for tailored customer engagements. Whether resolving network issues, rewarding loyalty, or suggesting relevant offers, AI and deep learning algorithms ensure real-time responses that enhance customer satisfaction and increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). Innovating Service Offerings Cloud-based services are increasingly popular among consumers and businesses. A robust BSS solution allows operators to seamlessly integrate these services with traditional offerings, fostering innovation and boosting ARPU. Driving Agility and Efficiency A cloud-based BSS solution enhances business agility to support emerging technologies such as IoT and M2M systems. It streamlines partnership management and product launches in complex market landscapes, enabling providers to swiftly seize new opportunities. Retaining Profitable Customers Customer acquisition costs highlight the importance of retaining profitable customers. Integrated BSS and OSS applications provide telecom companies with comprehensive insights into customer behavior, facilitating convergent billing, tiered pricing models, and targeted incentives that enhance customer loyalty and lifetime value. Boosting Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) Telecom companies strive to increase ARPU by introducing compelling new services. Integration of customer-facing BSS systems with service delivery mechanisms accelerates provisioning and enables the launch of innovative offerings that drive revenue growth. In conclusion, a modernized and robust BSS infrastructure is indispensable for telecom companies looking to differentiate their services, elevate customer experiences, and capitalize on evolving market dynamics. By harnessing advanced analytics, embracing cloud-based solutions, and integrating diverse systems, telcos can unlock growth opportunities and enhance profitability in a competitive marketplace. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

January 5, 2021in Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Manufacturing Automotive Energy, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud

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 3 million in venture funding, the .3 billion Salesforce plans to pay the remaining shareholders is a substantial return for a company projected to generate -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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

February 20, 2020in Salesforce

03Jul

The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions

History of First Four Industrial Revolutions Throughout history, humanity has always relied on technology. Although the technology of each era looked different from today’s, it was groundbreaking for its time. People consistently used available technology to simplify their lives while striving to enhance and advance it. This ongoing pursuit of innovation laid the groundwork for the industrial revolutions. Today, we are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, marked by the rise of tech and web design companies. The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions. Here’s an overview of the three previous industrial revolutions that have led us to this point: The First Industrial Revolution (1765) The first industrial revolution followed the proto-industrialization period, starting in the late 18th century and extending into the early 19th century. This era was characterized by mechanization, which transformed industries and shifted the economic backbone from agriculture to industry. The massive extraction of coal and the invention of the steam engine introduced a new type of energy, accelerating manufacturing and economic growth through the expansion of railroads. This led to the enlarging of cities where factories and industry took place. The Second Industrial Revolution (1870) Nearly a century after the first, the second industrial revolution began in the late 19th century, marked by significant technological advancements. New sources of energy—electricity, gas, and oil—emerged, leading to the development of the internal combustion engine. This period also saw the rise of steel demand, chemical synthesis, and new communication methods like the telegraph and telephone. The invention of the automobile and airplane at the turn of the 20th century solidified the second industrial revolution’s profound impact on modern society. This led to the growing mobility of humanity. The Third Industrial Revolution (1969) In the latter half of the 20th century, the third industrial revolution introduced nuclear energy as a new power source. This revolution brought forth the rise of electronics, telecommunications, and computers, paving the way for space exploration, advanced research, and biotechnology. In the industrial sector, the advent of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and robots led to an era of high-level automation, revolutionizing manufacturing processes. This, in turn, led to a time of greater lesiure and freedom. Industry 4.0 Many consider Industry 4.0 to be the fourth industrial revolution, unfolding right before our eyes. Beginning at the dawn of the third millennium with the widespread use of the Internet, Industry 4.0 represents a shift from physical to virtual innovations. It encompasses developments in virtual reality, augmented reality, and other digital technologies that reshape our interaction with the physical world. The four industrial revolutions have fundamentally shaped global economies. Numerous programs and projects are being implemented worldwide to help people harness the benefits of the fourth revolution in their daily lives. From digital flipbooks to augmented reality gaming, the future is bright. For instance, the EU-funded RESTART project aims to transform vocational education and training (VET) systems to meet the digital skill demands of modern industries, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to thrive in this new technological landscape. What’s next? Look out as we are already into the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

July 3, 2019in Salesforce, Technology

05Mar

Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology

As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate your way through the terminology, and provide you the knowledge and power to make the decisions you need to make when considering a new cloud implementation. Here’s the list of terms we will cover in this article: Phew—that’s a lot. Let’s dig in to the definitions and examples to help drive home the meanings of the list of terms above. SaaS (Software as a Service) This is probably the most common implementation of cloud services end users experience. This is software that users access through their web browser. Some software may be installed locally to help augment functionality or provide a richer user experience, but the software installed locally has minimal impact on the user’s computer. Figure 1 provides a high-level overview of this concept. Figure 1 High-level overview of Software as a Service You are probably a user Facebook, Google docs, Office 365, Salesforce, or LinkedIn either at home or at work, so you’ve experienced SaaS first hand and probably for a long time. What SaaS tools are you using outside of those mentioned here? Reach out and let me know—I’m very curious. PaaS (Platform as a Service) PaaS allows a developer to deploy code to an environment that supports their software but they do not have full access to the operating system. In this case the developer has no server responsibility or server access. When I first started writing about cloud technology three years ago, this was kind of primitive service. The provider would just give you access to a folder somewhere on the server with just a bit of documentation and then you were on your own. Now there are tools, such as CloudFoundry, that allow a developer to deploy right from their Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or from a command line production release tool. Then CloudFoundry can take the transmitted release and install it correctly into the cloud environment. With a little trial and error, anyone with a bit of technical skills can deploy to a tool like CloudFoundry where the older style of PaaS took a lot of skill and experience to deploy correctly. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) Originally IaaS dealt with a provider giving a user access to a virtual machine located on a system in the provider’s data center. A virtual machine is an operating system that resides in a piece of software on the host computer. Virtual Box, Parallels and VMWare are examples of software that provide virtualization of operating systems called Virtual Machines (VM) Virtualization of servers was all the rage for a while, but when you try to scale within the cloud with multiple virtual servers there are a lot of drawbacks. First, it’s a lot of work to make VMs aware of each other and they don’t always share filesystems and resources easily. Plus, as your needs grow, VMs with a lot of memory and disk space are very expensive, and very often an application on a VM is only using a portion of the OS. For example, if you are deploying a tool that does data aggregation and runs as a service you won’t be taking advantage of the web server that might be running on server too. The issues mentioned in the previous paragraph are common headaches for those moving their on-premise implementations to the cloud, and those headaches gave rise to Docker. Docker is a lighter weight form of virtualization that allows for easier sharing of files, versioning, and configuration. Servers that could only host a few VMs can host thousands of Docker images, so providers get better bang for the buck for their server purchases. Further explanation of Docker is an article all by itself, but for now it’s import to realize that Docker needs to be part of any discussion of moving your applications to the cloud. DaaS (Desktop as a Service) Desktop computers are expensive for large corporations to implement and maintain. The cost of the OS, hardware, security software, productivity software, and more start to add up to where it makes a major impact on any corporation’s budget. Then just as they finish deploying new systems to everyone in the company, it’s time to start upgrading again because Microsoft just released a new OS. Another fact with most desktop computers is that they are heavily underutilized, and DaaS allows an IT department to dynamically allocate RAM and disk space based on user need. In addition backups and restores are a breeze in this environment, and if you are using a third party provider all you need to do is make a phone call when a restore of a file or desktop is needed. Plus upgrades to new operating systems are seamless because the DaaS provider takes care of them for you. The main advantage I see with DaaS is security. With one project I was involved with, we restored the state of each Desktop to a base configuration each night. While this did not affect user files, it did remove any malware that might have been accidently installed by a user clicking on the wrong email. Documents from Microsoft Office or Adobe products were scanned with a separate antivirus program residing on the storage system they were a part of, and the network appliance that we used did not allow for the execution of software. That made it very secure for the client I was working with. So what does a user have on their desktops? Luckily in recent years there has been an explosion of low cost computing devices, such as a Raspberry PI, that support Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) so your users could access a windows desktop from the linux-based PI which you can get for a measely . DaaS is awesome for your average information worker, but for a power user like a software developer this setup in my experience doesn’t work well. Your average developer needs

March 5, 2016in Data, Google, Salesforce, Technology

Telecom

Salesforce and Tenyx

AI as a Service

Salesforce on AI

What is the IDC?

The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions

Recent Posts

Understanding the Bag-of-Words Model in Natural Language Processing

10 AI Healthcare Trends Shaping the Future

State Space Search

Generative AI Adoption Accelerates in Healthcare, Survey Reveals

5 Ways Marketing Intelligence Transforms Campaign Performance and ROI

Contact Us

Be in touch today — and start your business on a path to success.

Category

Archives