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Meta Joins the Race to Reinvent Search with AI

Meta Joins the Race to Reinvent Search with AI

Meta Joins the Race to Reinvent Search with AI Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is stepping into the evolving AI-driven search landscape. As vendors increasingly embrace generative AI to transform search experiences, Meta aims to challenge Google’s dominance in this space. The company is reportedly developing an AI-powered search engine designed to provide conversational, AI-generated summaries of recent events and news. These summaries would be delivered via Meta’s AI chatbot, supported by a multiyear partnership with Reuters for real-time news insights, according to The Information. AI Search: A Growing Opportunity The push comes as generative AI reshapes search technology across the industry. Google, the long-standing leader, has integrated AI features such as AI Overviews into its search platform, offering users summarized search results, product comparisons, and more. This feature, now available in over 100 countries as of October 2024, signals a shift in traditional search strategies. Similarly, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has been exploring its own AI search model, SearchGPT, and forging partnerships with media organizations like the Associated Press and Hearst. However, OpenAI faces legal challenges, such as a lawsuit from The New York Times over alleged copyright infringement. Meta’s entry into AI-powered search aligns with a broader trend among tech giants. “It makes sense for Meta to explore this,” said Mark Beccue, an analyst with TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group. He noted that Meta’s approach seems more targeted at consumer engagement than enterprise solutions, particularly appealing to younger audiences who are shifting away from traditional search behaviors. Shifting User Preferences Generational changes in search habits are creating opportunities for new players in the market. Younger users, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are increasingly turning to platforms like TikTok for lifestyle advice and Amazon for product recommendations, bypassing traditional search engines like Google. “Recent studies show younger generations are no longer using ‘Google’ as a verb,” said Lisa Martin, an analyst with the Futurum Group. “This opens the playing field for competitors like Meta and OpenAI.” Forrester Research corroborates this trend, noting a diversification in search behaviors. “ChatGPT’s popularity has accelerated this shift,” said Nikhil Lai, a Forrester analyst. He added that these changes could challenge Google’s search ad market, with its dominance potentially waning in the years ahead. Meta’s AI Search Potential Meta’s foray into AI search offers an opportunity to enhance user experiences and deepen engagement. Rather than pushing news content into users’ feeds—an approach that has drawn criticism—AI-driven search could empower users to decide what content they see and when they see it. “If implemented thoughtfully, it could transform the user experience and give users more control,” said Martin. This approach could also boost engagement by keeping users within Meta’s ecosystem. The Race for Revenue and Trust While AI-powered search is expected to increase engagement, monetization strategies remain uncertain. Google has yet to monetize its AI Overviews, and OpenAI’s plans for SearchGPT remain unclear. Other vendors, like Perplexity AI, are experimenting with models such as sponsored questions instead of traditional results. Trust remains a critical factor in the evolving search landscape. “Google is still seen as more trustworthy,” Lai noted, with users often returning to Google to verify AI-generated information. Despite the competition, the conversational AI search market lacks a definitive leader. “Google dominated traditional search, but the race for conversational search is far more open-ended,” Lai concluded. Meta’s entry into this competitive space underscores the ongoing evolution of search technology, setting the stage for a reshaped digital landscape driven by AI innovation. 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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Autonomous Agents on the Agentforce Platform

Leveraging Agentforce

At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce customers showcased the power of Agentforce by creating over 10,000 autonomous agents, each designed to address specific business challenges. The message was clear: “If you can describe it, Agentforce can do it.” By leveraging Agentforce, customers are able to create a flexible, on-demand digital workforce that operates without limitations, making it easy to build and deploy agents using familiar Salesforce tools and language. Why This Matters: Recent Salesforce research reveals that U.S. consumers often spend up to nine hours interacting with customer service to resolve a single issue. Moreover, 67% of consumers are frustrated when their issues aren’t resolved immediately and may abandon one-third of customer service interactions. This presents a massive opportunity to enhance the customer experience with AI-powered agents. “Piloting Agentforce made a noticeable difference during our busiest period — back-to-school season. We saw a 40% increase in case resolution, surpassing the performance of our old bot. Agentforce helps manage routine tasks, allowing our service teams to focus on more complex cases.” – Kevin Quigley, Director of Process Improvement, Wiley What’s New: Several new solutions are now available to all customers: Going Deeper: Agentforce is fully integrated into the Salesforce Platform, combining powerful data, AI, and the Salesforce Customer 360 ecosystem. This integration unlocks infinite agent capacity and proactive actions across all roles and channels, with full context on every customer interaction. Industry-Specific Examples: Agentforce’s flexibility allows it to serve various industries with tailored solutions: Customer & Analyst Quotes: “Agentforce is enhancing Saks’ ability to provide personalized customer support, automating routine tasks like order tracking, which allows our teams to focus on delivering a high-touch experience.” – Mike Hite, Chief Technology Officer, Saks Global “With Agentforce, OpenTable is automating routine tasks, saving time for our reps to focus on strengthening customer relationships and providing exceptional service to diners and restaurants worldwide.” – George Pokorny, Senior VP of Global Customer Success, OpenTable “By integrating Agentforce with Data Cloud and MuleSoft, we’re unlocking the full potential of our data, driving faster decisions and reimagining how we serve clients.” – Caroline Basyn, Chief Digital & IT Officer, The Adecco Group “Agentforce will revolutionize ezCater’s food management services, blending AI and human interaction to ensure seamless, personalized experiences for every customer.” – Erin DeCesare, CTO, ezCater 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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Transforming Fundraising for Nonprofits

Leverage AI to Enhance Customer Retention

Leverage AI to Enhance Customer Retention and Reduce Churn Customer churn is among the most expensive challenges businesses face—and one of the hardest to tackle. Predictive and generative AI technologies offer an immediate opportunity to boost retention rates. When applied strategically, these tools can revolutionize how customer service and support teams operate, creating measurable improvements in retention and overall customer satisfaction. A recent McKinsey & Company study highlights the impact of AI in customer service. One company reported a 14% increase in issue resolution and a 9% reduction in issue handling time with generative AI. Requests to escalate to a manager dropped by 25%, and employee retention in service roles improved. When every percentage point matters, AI’s ability to engage and retain customers (and employees) can significantly affect your bottom line and business success. The Cost of Poor Customer Service on Retention Retaining existing customers is far more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Happy, long-term customers are also more likely to purchase additional products or services, making upselling and cross-selling efforts easier. However, poor customer service experiences—such as lengthy hold times, repeating information, or unhelpful chatbot interactions—can damage customer relationships and lead to churn. As Salesforce points out, these four signs indicate broken customer service: To address these challenges, a seamless, data-driven approach to customer service is essential. Prevent Churn with CRM + AI Customer data spans multiple touchpoints, from website visits to call center interactions. Without a unified view, even the most skilled service teams struggle to deliver exceptional experiences. A solution like Salesforce Service Cloud, enhanced by AI tools such as Agentforce Service Agents, empowers teams to: By combining predictive analytics with a unified customer experience platform, businesses can deliver personalized, proactive service that fosters loyalty. Retention Agent: The AI Solution for Customer Retention Retention Agent, part of Tectonic’s Agentforce suite, leverages AI to identify at-risk customers and equip sales, service, and support teams with actionable insights. It provides recommendations for re-engagement strategies, personalized offers, and targeted communications to prevent costly churn. Here’s how Retention Agent works: By integrating AI into customer service operations, businesses can stay ahead of churn, improve satisfaction, and build stronger, longer-lasting customer relationships. 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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More Cool AI Tools

Salesforce Expands Partnership with AWS

Salesforce Expands Partnership with AWS: AI and Marketplace Integration Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is making significant strides in its partnership with Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), unveiling an expanded collaboration at AWS. Customers can now purchase Salesforce products directly through the AWS Marketplace, paying with AWS credits. This integration aims to simplify access to Salesforce offerings, enhance data integration capabilities, and leverage generative AI tools. Key Announcements: Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, highlighted the importance of this milestone: “We’re bringing together the No. 1 AI CRM provider and the leading cloud provider to deliver a trusted, open, integrated data and AI platform. With these enhancements to our partnership, we’re enabling all of our customers to be more innovative, productive, and successful in this new AI era.” AWS CEO Adam Selipsky echoed these sentiments, emphasizing how the partnership will enable joint customers to “innovate, collaborate, and build more customer-focused applications.” Strategic Benefits: Revenue-Sharing Structure: Like app stores, Amazon will take a percentage of Salesforce’s revenue generated through AWS Marketplace. Despite this, the potential growth in sales and efficiency gains may outweigh the costs. Market Reaction: Following the announcement, both Salesforce and Amazon shares experienced a boost in premarket trading, signaling investor optimism about the partnership’s potential. This expansion reinforces Salesforce’s strategy of aligning with major cloud providers to meet growing demand for AI-driven, integrated data platforms. As this collaboration evolves, it is poised to drive significant value for businesses navigating the AI and data 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 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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More AI Tools to Use

More AI Tools to Use

Additionally, Arc’s collaboration with Perplexity elevates browsing by transforming search experiences. Perplexity functions as a personal AI research assistant, fetching and summarizing information along with sources, visuals, and follow-up questions. Premium users even have access to advanced large language models like GPT-4 and Claude. Together, Arc and Perplexity revolutionize how users navigate the web. 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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AI Customer Service Agents Explained

AI Customer Service Agents Explained

AI customer service agents are advanced technologies designed to understand and respond to customer inquiries within defined guidelines. These agents can handle both simple and complex issues, such as answering frequently asked questions or managing product returns, all while offering a personalized, conversational experience. Research shows that 82% of service representatives report that customers ask for more than they used to. As a customer service leader, you’re likely facing increasing pressure to meet these growing expectations while simultaneously reducing costs, speeding up service, and providing personalized, round-the-clock support. This is where AI customer service agents can make a significant impact. Here’s a closer look at how AI agents can enhance your organization’s service operations, improve customer experience, and boost overall productivity and efficiency. What Are AI Customer Service Agents? AI customer service agents are virtual assistants designed to interact with customers and support service operations. Utilizing machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), these agents are capable of handling a broad range of tasks, from answering basic inquiries to resolving complex issues — even managing multiple tasks at once. Importantly, AI agents continuously improve through self-learning. Why Are AI-Powered Customer Service Agents Important? AI-powered customer service technology is becoming essential for several reasons: Benefits of AI Customer Service Agents AI customer service agents help service teams manage growing service demands by taking on routine tasks and providing essential support. Key benefits include: Why Choose Agentforce Service Agent? If you’re considering adding AI customer service agents to your strategy, Agentforce Service Agent offers a comprehensive solution: By embracing AI customer service agents like Agentforce Service Agent, businesses can reduce costs, meet growing customer demands, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving global 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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Is Agentforce Different?

Is Agentforce Different?

The Salesforce hype machine is in full swing, with product announcements like Chatter, Einstein GPT, and Data Cloud, all positioned as revolutionary tools that promise to transform how we work. Is Agentforce Different? However, it’s often difficult to separate fact from fiction in the world of Salesforce. The cloud giant thrives on staying ahead of technological advancements, which means reinventing itself every year with new releases and updates. You could even say three times per year with the major releases. Why Enterprises Need Multiple Salesforce Orgs Over the past decade, Salesforce product launches have been hit or miss—primarily miss. Offerings like IoT Cloud, Work.com, and NFT Cloud have faded into obscurity. This contrasts sharply with Salesforce’s earlier successes, such as Service Cloud, the AppExchange, Force.com, Salesforce Lightning, and Chatter, which defined its first decade in business. One notable exception is Data Cloud. This product has seen significant success and now serves as the cornerstone of Salesforce’s future AI and data strategy. With Salesforce’s growth slowing quarter over quarter, the company must find new avenues to generate substantial revenue. Artificial Intelligence seems to be their best shot at reclaiming a leadership position in the next technological wave. Is Agentforce Different? While Salesforce has been an AI leader for over a decade, the hype surrounding last year’s Dreamforce announcements didn’t deliver the growth the company was hoping for. The Einstein Copilot Studio—comprising Copilot, Prompt Builder, and Model Builder—hasn’t fully lived up to expectations. This can be attributed to a lack of AI readiness among enterprises, the relatively basic capabilities of large language models (LLMs), and the absence of fully developed use cases. In Salesforce’s keynote, it was revealed that over 82 billion flows are launched weekly, compared to just 122,000 prompts executed. While Flow has been around for years, this stat highlights that the use of AI-powered prompts is still far from mainstream—less than one prompt per Salesforce customer per week, on average. When ChatGPT launched at the end of 2022, many predicted the dawn of a new AI era, expecting a swift and dramatic transformation of the workplace. Two years later, it’s clear that AI’s impact has yet to fully materialize, especially when it comes to influencing global productivity and GDP. However, Salesforce’s latest release feels different. While AI Agents may seem new to many, this concept has been discussed in AI circles for decades. Marc Benioff’s recent statements during Dreamforce reflect a shift in strategy, including a direct critique of Microsoft’s Copilot product, signaling the intensifying AI competition. This year’s marketing strategy around Agentforce feels like it could be the transformative shift we’ve been waiting for. While tools like Salesforce Copilot will continue to evolve, agents capable of handling service cases, answering customer questions, and booking sales meetings instantly promise immediate ROI for organizations. Is the Future of Salesforce in the Hands of Agents? Despite the excitement, many questions remain. Are Salesforce customers ready for agents? Can organizations implement this technology effectively? Is Agentforce a real breakthrough or just another overhyped concept? Agentforce may not be vaporware. Reports suggest that its development was influenced by Salesforce’s acquisition of Airkit.AI, a platform that claims to resolve 90% of customer queries. Salesforce has even set up dedicated launchpads at Dreamforce to help customers start building their own agents. Yet concerns remain, especially regarding Salesforce’s complexity, technical debt, and platform sprawl. These issues, highlighted in this year’s Salesforce developer report, cannot be overlooked. Still, it’s hard to ignore Salesforce’s strategic genius. The platform has matured to the point where it offers nearly every functionality an organization could need, though at times the components feel a bit disconnected. For instance: Salesforce is even hinting at usage-based pricing, with a potential $2 charge per conversation—an innovation that could reshape their pricing model. Will Agents Be Salesforce’s Key to Future Growth? With so many unknowns, only time will tell if agents will be the breakthrough Salesforce needs to regain the momentum of its first two decades. Regardless, agents appear to be central to the future of AI. Leading organizations like Copado are also launching their own agents, signaling that this trend will define the next phase of AI innovation. In today’s macroeconomic environment, where companies are overstretched and workforce demands are high, AI’s ability to streamline operations and improve customer service has never been more critical. Whoever cracks customer service AI first could lead the charge in the inevitable AI spending boom. We’re all waiting to see if Salesforce has truly cracked the AI code. But one thing is certain: the race to dominate AI in customer service has begun. And Salsesforce may be at the forefront. 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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Vonage Premier for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice

Vonage Premier for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice

HOLMDEL, N.J., Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation and a part of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), is one of the first contact center providers to join Salesforce’s Bring Your Own Channel for Contact Center as a Service (BYOC for CCaaS) pilot program. With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage Premier for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice customers will have the ability to integrate Vonage omnichannel and AI-powered capabilities into their existing contact center solutions, including voice, SMS, chat, social messaging apps like WhatsApp, and more – delivering faster resolution times and creating a more native, personalized and meaningful experience for customers by connecting with them on their channel of choice. “We are very excited to have Vonage, a leading Salesforce Service Cloud Voice partner, take this very important step to expand its deep Salesforce integration through BYOC for CCaaS, delivering the omnichannel capabilities – and the APIs to enable them – that create the kind of customer experiences that drive meaningful engagement,” said Tony Flores, Senior Director of Product Management for Salesforce. With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice customers will now be able to connect with customers across various communications channels, as well as access data insights and AI-based agent productivity tools, to create a better overall customer journey and a more productive and efficient agent experience. The solution’s single routing and agent capacity model also increases contact center capacity, leading to more customer interactions being resolved better and faster. Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) is also provided through Vonage’s seamless integrations with leading WEM solutions Verint, Calabrio Teleopti, Playvox and injixo, ensuring optimum planning, scheduling, tracking, and management of the contact center workforce. “Today’s contact center agents play a vital role in support of the businesses they represent and in meeting the increasing demands of tech-savvy customers who want to connect from anywhere, on their preferred communications channels,” said Reggie Scales, Acting Head of Applications for Vonage. “These agents are also frequently working from anywhere and need the tools to access critical information to troubleshoot common customer issues and provide real-time customer support. Having all of these capabilities in a single user interface – omnichannel modes of communication coupled with a 360 view of customer information and key knowledge bases – this is the contact center of the future.” A key differentiator for Vonage as a pilot partner in this program is its ability to source a single AI-based Virtual Agent solution for self-service automations across voice and digital channels using Vonage AI studio – while also leveraging Salesforce for all Live Agent Assist and Analytics needs. Vonage can also integrate its own Vonage Communications APIs to power pre-built programmable capabilities for voice, SMS, social and chat, directly into the contact center – all on one combined Salesforce and Vonage platform. This singular view also enhances efficiency by keeping agents and supervisors in a single Salesforce desktop to eliminate application switching and the need to toggle between screens. “Modern contact centers are experiencing increasing pressure and demand to deliver better, more personalized, omnichannel interactions, as well as quicker and more accurate responses to customer issues,” said Jim Lundy, CEO, Founder & Lead Analyst, Aragon Research. “With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage aims to address the increasing demand for a unified and customizable customer experience across all communication channels, leveraging existing Salesforce platforms and AI-powered insights and automation.” Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice is currently available on the Salesforce AppExchange with Salesforce BYOC for CCaaS integrated capabilities now available for customers to pilot. To find out more about Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice, visit www.vonage.com. Salesforce, AppExchange, Service Cloud Voice, Einstein and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, inc. About Vonage Vonage, a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage’s Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage’s fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely – providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements. Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and Asia and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), and a business area within the Ericsson Group called Business Area Global Communications Platform. To follow Vonage on X (formerly known as Twitter), please visit twitter.com/vonage. To follow on LinkedIn, visit linkedin.com/company/Vonage/. To become a fan on Facebook, go to facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit youtube.com/vonage. SOURCE Vonage 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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Salesforce AI Agents Explained

Salesforce AI Agents Explained

Salesforce’s AI Agents: Revolutionizing Enterprise Sales and Service for the Future In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), Salesforce continues to lead the charge, transforming enterprise operations with cutting-edge AI agents. With the introduction of Agentforce, Salesforce is not just enhancing sales and service departments but reshaping business processes across sectors. This comprehensive exploration highlights how Salesforce’s AI agents are changing the game, offering enterprise-level executives insights into their revolutionary potential. Salesforce AI Agents Explained. AI Agents: Beyond Autonomous Vehicles A fitting analogy to grasp the progression of AI agents is the evolution of autonomous vehicles. Just as self-driving cars advance from basic driver assistance to full autonomy, AI agents evolve from simple automation to more complex decision-making. Salesforce’s Chief Product Officer, David Schmaier, draws this comparison: “In the autonomous driving world, we have levels of autonomy, from level zero to level five. AI agents for enterprises follow a similar path.” At the core of this evolution is what Salesforce defines as the “agentic” phase of AI. Unlike generative AI that follows instructions to create content, agentic AI autonomously determines and takes actions based on broader goals. Schmaier notes, “We’re at the point where AI not only creates content but takes strategic actions. It’s like having an infinite pool of interns handling mundane tasks so human employees can focus on higher-value activities.” Agentforce: Salesforce’s Next-Generation AI Platform Agentforce is the latest addition to Salesforce’s AI arsenal, unveiled during their Q2 ’25 earnings call and now positioned as a significant milestone in AI development. With Agentforce, organizations can build and manage autonomous agents for tasks across various business functions—not just customer service. This versatility is highlighted by Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s CEO, who described the energy around Agentforce during a recent briefing as “palpable.” Agentforce builds on Salesforce’s data management, security, and customization expertise, uniting these capabilities into an AI framework. Schmaier explains, “It’s about creating trusted, enterprise-ready agents, not just deploying a large language model. We’ve developed over 100 out-of-the-box use cases, from sales account summaries to service reply recommendations, all customizable and easy to deploy.” Agentforce “In Every App” A key announcement is the integration of Agentforce in every app across Salesforce’s product suite, including Sales, Service, Marketing, and Commerce Agents. The Atlas reasoning engine, Agent Builder, and a partner network were also introduced to further enhance its capabilities. The Atlas Reasoning Engine acts as the “brain” behind Agentforce, autonomously generating plans and refining them based on actions it needs to perform, such as running business processes or engaging customers through preferred channels. What Makes an AI Agent? Salesforce AI Agents Explained Building an AI agent with Agentforce requires five key elements: These components leverage existing Salesforce infrastructure, making it easier for businesses to deploy agents through Agent Builder, which is part of the new Agentforce Studio. Agents vs. Chatbots Unlike traditional chatbots, which provide pre-programmed responses, Salesforce’s AI agents use large language models (LLMs) and generative AI to interpret and autonomously execute customer requests based on CRM data. This distinction allows AI agents to perform tasks that go beyond simple queries, driving efficiency in customer service, sales, and other business areas. Practical Applications: Sales, Service, and Marketing Salesforce’s AI agents offer tangible business benefits. For instance, Sales Agent, available as both a Sales Development Representative (SDR) and Sales Coach, automates lead nurturing and inquiry management. It utilizes CRM data to deliver personalized pitches, handle objections, and even suggest meeting times—freeing sales teams to focus on more strategic tasks. In customer service, AI agents manage routine inquiries, allowing human representatives to address more complex customer needs. In marketing, AI agents generate data-driven insights to personalize campaigns, improving customer engagement and conversion rates. The Security and Trust Foundation Security and trust remain core to Salesforce’s approach to AI. The Einstein Trust Layer ensures that data protection, privacy, and ethical guidelines are maintained throughout AI interactions. Schmaier emphasizes, “Our platform defines what data agents can access and how they use it, adhering to strict data integrity standards.” The Trust Layer also prevents AI from training on customer data without consent, ensuring transparency and security. A Partnership Between Humans and AI-Salesforce AI Agents Explained Salesforce’s vision emphasizes the synergy between human employees and AI agents. As Schmaier points out, “AI agents handle routine tasks and deliver insights, allowing employees to focus on more creative and strategic work.” This human-AI partnership boosts productivity and innovation, ultimately improving business outcomes. The Future of AI in Business As AI technology advances, Salesforce is already working on next-generation capabilities for Agentforce, including predictive analytics and more sophisticated autonomous agents. Schmaier forecasts, “These agents will handle a wider range of tasks and provide deeper insights and recommendations.” With Agentforce launching in October 2024, businesses can expect significant returns on investment, thanks to its cost-efficient model starting at $2 per conversation. In summary, Salesforce’s Agentforce is a game-changing innovation, blending AI and human intelligence to transform sales, service, and marketing. As more details unfold, it’s clear that Agentforce will redefine the future of business operations—driving efficiency, personalization, and strategic success. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce Einstein SDR and Sales Coach Agents

Salesforce Einstein SDR and Sales Coach Agents

Salesforce Introduces Autonomous AI Sales Agents: Einstein SDR Agent and Einstein Sales Coach Agent Salesforce, the leading CRM for sales, has announced two new fully autonomous AI sales agents: Einstein Sales Development Rep (SDR) Agent and Einstein Sales Coach Agent. These groundbreaking agents, set to be generally available in October, are designed to help sales teams accelerate growth by handling key sales functions autonomously. Built on the Einstein 1 Agentforce Platform, these agents are poised to transform how sales teams operate, allowing them to focus on more complex deals while automating routine tasks. Einstein SDR Agent: Automating Pipeline 24/7 The Einstein SDR Agent autonomously engages with inbound leads, nurturing pipelines around the clock. Unlike traditional chatbots, which can only respond to pre-programmed queries, the Einstein SDR Agent uses advanced AI to make decisions, prioritize actions, and handle various lead interactions. Whether it’s answering product questions, managing objections, or booking meetings, the SDR Agent ensures that every response is trusted, accurate, and personalized, grounded in your company’s CRM and external data. Key features of the Einstein SDR Agent include: Einstein Sales Coach Agent: Enhancing Seller Performance Through AI-Driven Role-Play Einstein Sales Coach Agent takes sales enablement to the next level by autonomously engaging in role-plays with sellers. Whether simulating a buyer during discovery, pitch, or negotiation calls, the Sales Coach Agent uses generative AI to convert text into speech, providing a realistic training environment. This agent helps sellers refine their skills by offering personalized feedback based on real deal contexts. Key features of the Einstein Sales Coach Agent include: Accenture’s Collaboration with Salesforce Accenture, a global leader in business consulting, will leverage these new AI agents to enhance deal team effectiveness, scale support for more deals, and allow their sales teams to concentrate on the most complex transactions. According to Sara Porter, Global Sales Excellence Lead at Accenture, these AI-driven tools will empower their sales practitioners with advanced technology and processes to drive more intelligent customer conversations and accelerate revenue. Salesforce’s Vision for AI in Sales Salesforce sees these autonomous AI agents as a key part of the future of sales. By integrating AI that can generate high-quality pipeline and provide personalized coaching, sales teams can focus on higher-value deals and better prepare for them. Ketan Karkhanis, EVP and GM of Sales Cloud, emphasizes that every AI conversation must translate into ROI, and these new agents are designed to do just that by augmenting human sales teams to accelerate growth. Availability Both Einstein SDR Agent and Einstein Sales Coach Agent will be generally available in October, with additional functionalities expected to be rolled out throughout the year. Learn More: Note: Any unreleased services or features mentioned here are not currently available and may be subject to changes. Customers should base their purchasing decisions from Salesforce on currently available features. 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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Autonomous AI Service Agents

Autonomous AI Service Agents

Salesforce Set to Launch Autonomous AI Service Agents. Considering Tectonic only first wrote about Agentic AI in late June, its like Christmas in July! Salesforce is gearing up to introduce a new generation of customer service chatbots that leverage advanced AI tools to autonomously navigate through various actions and workflows. These bots, termed “autonomous AI agents,” are currently in pilot testing and are expected to be released later this year. Autonomous AI Service Agents Named Einstein Service Agent, these autonomous AI bots aim to utilize generative AI to understand customer intent, trigger workflows, and initiate actions within a user’s Salesforce environment, according to Ryan Nichols, Service Cloud’s chief product officer. By integrating natural language processing, predictive analytics, and generative AI, Einstein Service Agents will identify scenarios and resolve customer inquiries more efficiently. Traditional bots require programming with rules-based logic to handle specific customer service tasks, such as processing returns, issuing refunds, changing passwords, and renewing subscriptions. In contrast, the new autonomous bots, enhanced by generative AI, can better comprehend customer issues (e.g., interpreting “send back” as “return”) and summarize the steps to resolve them. Einstein Service Agent will operate across platforms like WhatsApp, Apple Messages for Business, Facebook Messenger, and SMS text, and will also process text, images, video, and audio that customers provide. Despite the promise of these new bots, their effectiveness is crucial, emphasized Liz Miller, an analyst at Constellation Research. If these bots fail to perform as expected, they risk wasting even more customer time than current technologies and damaging customer relationships. Miller also noted that successful implementation of autonomous AI agents requires human oversight for instances when the bots encounter confusion or errors. Customers, whether in B2C or B2B contexts, are often frustrated with the limitations of rules-based bots and prefer direct human interaction. It is annoying enough to be on the telephone repeating “live person” over and over again. It would be trafic to have to do it online, too. “It’s essential that these bots can handle complex questions,” Miller stated. “Advancements like this are critical, as they can prevent the bot from malfunctioning when faced with unprogrammed scenarios. However, with significant technological advancements like GenAI, it’s important to remember that human language and thought processes are intricate and challenging to map.” Nichols highlighted that the forthcoming Einstein Service Agent will be simpler to set up, as it reduces the need to manually program thousands of potential customer requests into a conversational decision tree. This new technology, which can understand multiple word permutations behind a service request, could potentially lower the need for extensive developer and data scientist involvement for Salesforce users. The pricing details for the autonomous Einstein Service Agent will be announced at its release. 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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Cloud PBX

Cloud PBX

The Clock is Ticking on the Big UK Traditional Telephony Switch-Off As the UK approaches the traditional telephony switch-off, millions of small businesses are prioritizing the digitization of their voice communications. The move to cloud-powered replacements – Cloud PBX – is not just about meeting the January 2027 deadline; it’s an opportunity to modernize and leverage the benefits of cloud-based communications. The switch-off represents a chance for businesses to embrace a mobile-first, omnichannel approach to communication, unifying voice, video, emails, messaging, webchat, and more. This integration empowers employees to work smarter and enhances the customer experience. For small businesses and their IT service provider partners, modernization depends on deploying feature-rich, affordable technology that simplifies complexity and delivers tangible efficiency gains. Choosing the right product and vendor is crucial. “Cloud-powered, unified communication is no longer just for larger enterprises; small businesses must also embrace transformational change to keep pace with modern work trends. What may seem like a major undertaking can be easier than they think,” says Arya Zhou, Head of Global Sales at Yeastar. Yeastar’s recently launched P520 IPPBX digitizes voice calling and seamlessly integrates it with video, messaging, and customer experience into one platform. Discover the Yeastar P520 The Yeastar P520, part of the P-Series Appliance Edition, supports up to 20 users and 10 concurrent calls. It combines a compact, lightweight hardware body with powerful software capabilities. It supports Yeastar’s Linkus UC Client for various platforms, integrates with Microsoft Teams, and provides comprehensive call analytics and graphical call reports to improve communication efficiency and productivity. The P520 offers advanced call center features, including: Additionally, it includes team chat with presence and file sharing, integrated lightweight video conferencing, PBX-native external contacts management, extension groups, and ready-made integrations with popular CRMs and helpdesks. All these features come with single-point configuration and enterprise-grade security. “The Yeastar P520 is ideal for smaller teams looking to enhance their communication infrastructure,” says Zhou. “It delivers advanced communication capabilities and improved productivity tailored for SMBs and startups, without high costs.” 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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Einstein Service Agent

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 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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Sinch Omnichannel Connector

Sinch Omnichannel Connector

Sinch (Sinch AB (publ) – XSTO: SINCH), a pioneer in global communication through its Customer Communications Cloud, has launched the Sinch Omnichannel Connector on Salesforce AppExchange. This innovative solution enhances conversational marketing and customer experiences for Salesforce Marketing Cloud customers by offering advanced one-way and two-way messaging capabilities. The solution is now available on Salesforce AppExchange. The Sinch Omnichannel Connector seamlessly integrates with the Salesforce ecosystem, enabling businesses to elevate their marketing strategies by reaching and engaging customers across their preferred channels. This new offering expands the features of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, providing a comprehensive suite of omnichannel messaging capabilities. Businesses can now connect with customers through one-way and two-way messaging across 13 diverse channels, including RCS, Kakao Talk, Viber, and Instagram. This complements Salesforce’s native channels of SMS, MMS, Email, WhatsApp, and LINE, offering a complete communication solution. “With the Sinch Omnichannel Connector, businesses can enhance their customer communications, personalize engagements, and maximize the return on their marketing investments,” said Jonathan Campbell, Senior Director, Messaging Products at Sinch. “Salesforce Marketing Cloud users can now leverage a broader spectrum of messaging channels through Sinch, beyond those directly supported by Salesforce, to optimize their marketing strategies and elevate customer engagement.” To get started, Salesforce Marketing Cloud users need an existing account and can onboard the Conversation API through the Sinch Dashboard. From there, they can easily activate the channels of their choice, tailoring their messaging strategy to suit their unique business needs. Sinch has partnered with Salesforce since 2014, when Salesforce expanded its SMS offering into international markets. Sinch is a strategic supplier for Salesforce’s global SMS delivery, providing enterprise-grade messaging solutions that support Salesforce and its global customer base. Sinch, a pioneer in global communication through its Customer Communications Cloud, has once again been named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS). Sinch sees this recognition as validation of their robust Super Network and the extensive range of communication channels they offer, including messaging, email, and voice. These capabilities enable businesses to enhance customer experience (CX) and engagement. Sinch attributes this recognition to their innovative AI capabilities, integration with over 500 platforms, and global market reach, allowing them to serve customers of all sizes worldwide. The evaluation was based on criteria that assessed the company’s Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. “We believe being recognized as a Magic Quadrant™ Leader for the second consecutive year confirms our commitment to our customers and our ability to help them deliver superior customer experiences,” said Laurinda Pang, CEO of Sinch. “Effective digital, one-to-one communications are vital across marketing, operations, and customer care. Sinch simplifies customer communications throughout the entire journey. Our leading API platform and comprehensive applications enable businesses to exceed customer expectations and deliver personalized communications at scale, using both established and emerging channels.” Magic Quadrant reports are based on rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, offering a wide-angle view of the relative positions of providers in high-growth markets with distinct provider differentiation. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players. This research helps businesses maximize market analysis in alignment with their unique business and technology needs. View a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant™ report to learn more about Sinch’s strengths and cautions, as well as the offerings of other providers: https://go.sinch.com/sinch-gartner-mq-24-pr Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Communication Platforms as a Service, Lisa Unden-Farboud, Pankil Sheth, Ajit Patankar, Brian Doherty, 24 June 2024. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Service Cloud Unlimited Plus Edition Call-out Features

Service Cloud Unlimited Plus Edition Call-out Features Einstein Bots In a few clicks, launch a multi-channel, multilingual bot that integrates with your Salesforce data. Bots automate common tasks and help your teams do more. WhatsApp Conversation Automation with Bots Use an enhanced bot with enhanced Messaging for WhatsApp channels, generally available in Messaging as of March 2023. Seamlessly route WhatsApp conversations to and from an enhanced bot with Omni-Channel Flow. Where: This change applies to Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. Setup for Einstein Bots is available only in Lightning Experience. How: Create an enhanced WhatsApp channel. Then add the Route Work flow action to an Omni-Channel flow to route conversations to and from an enhanced bot. Feedback Management Understand customer feedback as it evolves over time by engaging customers and users with relevant, personalized surveys. Incorporate survey data into your feedback management process and gain actionable insights at every stage of the customer lifecycle. 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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