Salesforce Partners with Apple & other Dreamforce Moves

Pictured above is the redesigned Salesforce Mobile App that will add exclusive new features on iOS, including Siri Shortcuts integrated with Salesforce Einstein Voice. Along with redesigned Salesforce Mobile App which will also take full advantage of native iOS features like Face ID, Siri Shortcuts, 3D Touch and more. Salesforce has also applied Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines to deliver an optimal experience for users.

Product Integrations with AWS

Expanding their global strategic alliance Salesforce announced product integrations with Amazon. The new product integrations will simplify how customers can share and synchronize data across AWS and Salesforce services. They also plan to provide a secure framework for connecting the Salesforce Platform with AWS PrivateLink.

"Because of the deep relationship between AWS and Salesforce - Salesforce runs the vast majority of their public cloud workloads in AWS, and Amazon relies on Salesforce across various businesses to enhance customer relationships - we have a unique ability to integrate our services and provide customers with enhanced solutions," said Matt Garman, Vice President, AWS Computer Services.

Salesforce Advances AI Capabilities

The Einstein platform has seen numerous advances in its capabilities since its inception 2 years ago. Einstein found its voice with the introduction of natural language capabilities, which will allow users to communicate with their CRM asking for relevant data, dictation and allow them to build chatbots that can speak to their customers.

Einstein will enable Salesforce customers to interact with Apple Siri, smart speakers from Google and Amazon and access data from analytic dashboards using voice commands.

Jim Sinai, Salesforce's Vice President of Marketing, mentioned in his keynote that Salesforce had been working on Einstein Voice for the last year to better deliver Einstein's data discovery, deep learning, and machine learning capabilities. "AI is about helping all of us live our maximum potential and work to our maximum potential."

Salesforce Launches Customer 360

The acquisition of Mulesoft was Salesforces largest deal to date. The integration of Mulesoft's technology played an essential role in the launch of Salesforce Customer 360. They claimed that it will help users move beyond an app or department-specific view of each customer. Customer 360 helps users with data management across Salesforce apps and provides access to consistent, reconciled customer data, including:  

• Click-based UI for app and data management

• Reconciled 360 ID and profile across apps

• Pre-built packages for service, marketing, and commerce

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform will allow Salesforce implementations to include API-led connectivity across applications, data, and devices.  

Updates to the Sales Cloud Platform

Salesforce also unveiled enhancements to its own sales cloud platform, claiming that it will deliver a faster, smarter and more integrated sales process from lead to cash. Their High-Velocity Sales offering will not only deliver tailored sales cadences and work queues to each sales rep but will enable them to increase productivity and prioritize prospects. They have also included a new billing process that will include usage-based pricing, evergreen subscriptions and allow for flexible invoicing. 

Additionally, Salesforce mentioned that they will strengthen ties between marketing and sales with tweaks to its Pardot solution, which is powered by Lightning and its Einstein AI platforms. They claimed that this will allow sales and marketing teams to work on a single platform and share campaign insights along with customer history.

Demandbase announced that they expanded their collaboration with Salesforce Pardot with Demandbase’s AI enables account-level data which will allow B2B marketers to access their anonymous website engagement and intent data within Salesforce Pardot and Sales Cloud.

Partners were given praise during Blocks keynote when he said the “demand for the services of ISVs, integrators, and MSPs was unprecedented  as technology enters an era that is unlike anything seen in previous decades.” He went on and commented: "This is a perfect storm, we might never see this again. There is so much opportunity here."

Rock Band Joins Forces with Salesforce

Benioff revealed that one of the most renowned rock bands Metallica, partnered with Salesforce to transform the way they connect with their fans and thereby take social media engagement to a new level. Salesforce Marketing Cloud will enable the band to get a single view of fans across email, mobile and social media. The launch of its new website on Salesforce Commerce Cloud will make it easier for fans to shop, by providing better merchandising tools and functionality.

Salesforces Philanthropic Efforts

Salesforce has been doing a lot of good in the community showing its softer side. They announced $18M in grants to local school districts and organizations to address the Bay Area's top issues such as public education, homelessness, and cleanliness.  A $15.5M grant will be given to San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District, $2M in grants will address homelessness and hunger in the Bay Area, and a $500,000 grant will be given to the San Francisco Parks Alliance.

Ending Notes

With so much happening with Salesforce, Dreamforce was an exciting time for all trailblazers that attended. Salesforce came out and explained that integrating Salesforce cloud with other enterprise technology vendors will essentially allow the customer to fully leverage their business data and understand their customer needs and allow them to maximize their market opportunities.  

Salesforce's continually frequent product launches and cloud services will help expands its clientele but also keep them the steadfastly in competition with players like Microsoft and Oracle in the cloud-based CRM Market. What else is there for Salesforce?