Is Salesforce a SaaS or PaaS?
Salesforce is also a PaaS company, or Platform-as-a-Service, as it provides development and distribution support for users to create their own applications. 1. Software as a Service (SaaS) This is a cloud-based application accessed over the internet, and is hosted by a third-party software vendor who maintains these databases remotely.
What is SaaS in cloud computing and how it works?
The economics of SAAS Business Model is divided into three parts:
- Acquisition
- Retention
- Monetization
Who are Salesforce clients?
This enables our clients to identify, design and deliver digitally enabled and market leading products, services & experiences. Strategic acquisitions (such as Advanced Technology Group, SaaSfocus, EI- Technologies, CodeZero and Lev) have further enhanced our Salesforce expertise in focus areas and newer geographies.
What are some examples of SaaS software?
- Hardware components, like networking, storage, and datacenter servers
- Platforms, like virtualization, the operating system, and middleware
- Software requirements, like runtimes, data, and the app itself
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Who started SaaS model?
Today's global software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry generates about $209 billion in revenue. The core concept of online service applications which inspired early SaaS companies, began in 1961 by a computing pioneer better known as a founding father of artificial intelligence: John McCarthy.
When did SaaS companies start?
March 1999It all started in March 1999 when three co-founders created the first SaaS company. The world witnessed a boom in broadband, the internet, mobile phones, and browsers. In turn, the SaaS industry grew over the past twenty years, until today, where economists value the industry at $123 billion.
Is SaaS and Salesforce same?
Salesforce.com is a cloud computing and social enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider based in San Francisco. It was founded in March 1999, in part by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff.
Is Salesforce a SaaS product?
Salesforce is the leading SaaS provider with its flagship CRM platform, available exclusively online, as well as its SaaS platforms for marketing, service, and the Internet of Things. All of these platforms can be packaged and sold as traditional software.
How did SaaS originate?
The first SaaS startup started as a packaged software company. After selling floppy disks and CD-ROMs of expense software in computer software stores, the company changed models for the first time, and sold software licenses directly to enterprises. The company went public on this model in 1998.
What was the first cloud product?
Technically, concepts of cloud computing can be traced back to the 1960s - but to me, the origin story of the modern cloud computing can be attributed to Salesforce.com, which was founded in 1999 and later launched one of the first successful public Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings.
Is sales cloud a SaaS?
SaaS explained Software as a Service or SaaS is a way of delivering applications over the Internet – as a service. Also known as cloud software, ASP, on-demand software or hosted software. The first applications for consumers were things like webmail, bookmarking and photo sharing.
What is the difference between SaaS and PaaS in Salesforce?
PaaS solutions appeal to developers who want to spend more time coding, testing, and deploying their applications instead of dealing with hardware-oriented tasks such as managing security patches and operating system updates while SaaS providers host an application and make it available to users through the internet, ...
Is Salesforce considered cloud computing?
Salesforce is the leader in cloud computing, offering applications for all aspects of your business, including CRM, sales, ERP, customer service, marketing automation, business analytics, mobile application building, and much more. And it all works on the same, connected platform, drawing from the same customer data.
How did Salesforce become successful?
Selling an easy-to-use product with a viral distribution model to an amenable market helped Salesforce achieve high capital efficiency. This allowed the company to keep investing back into their growth engine. These sales and marketing practices also fueled unusually high revenue growth.
Is Salesforce a IaaS?
These two companies, Amazon Web Services and Salesforce.com, are two of the leading cloud providers in their respective markets of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) for AWS and software as a service (SaaS) for Salesforce.com.
What is SaaS CRM?
SaaS CRM is cloud-based software, which gives permanent access to the CRM functionality and support with no need to invest in installing and maintaining it. SaaS-based CRM brings transparency in relationships with customers and helps businesses automate and personalize marketing, sales and customer service.
When was SaaS invented?
SaaS Has Been An Established Business Model Since the 1960s. In the 1960s, computers were enormously big and expensive. Few small and medium-sized businesses could afford to invest in a computer. That’s why the software as a service industry was born.
What is the difference between SaaS and SaaS?
The main difference is that your data (as the customer of the SaaS company) is transferred over a network (like the internet) to the SaaS provider. The application does not reside on your computer – it’s hosted on another computer.
What is software as a service?
Software as a service, or SaaS, is a business model where customers pay to use software hosted on a remote computer. Today, SaaS is often used interchangeably with “cloud computing”. Whatever you call it, software as a service has an interesting history over the past 40 years. SaaS emerged with the early computers of the 1960s.
Is SaaS cloud computing?
For the purpose of this article, however, SaaS is considered to be synonymous with cloud computing. It’s used interchangeably with infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS), mobile backend as a service (MBaaS) and managed software as a service (MSaaS). These terms are all part of the general ...
When did the internet become widely available?
Around the time of the Dot Com boom of the late 1990s, the internet was becoming widely available. That meant companies no longer had to rely on LANs and in-house “hubs”; instead, companies began to realize the value of storing data off-site, and then accessing that data over the internet.
Is Salesforce a cloud company?
Today, Salesforce is one of the most valuable cloud computing companies in the world. It has a market capitalization of over $55 billion.
When did office workers start having their own computers?
In the early 1990s, office workers were beginning to have their own computers, which means companies didn’t need to rely on remotely-hosted applications. By the mid 1990s, software developers had learned how to take advantage of this: they bundled “bloatware” into their software.
When did Salesforce buy Slack?
On December 1, 2020, it was announced that Salesforce would acquire Slack for $27.7 billion. In February 2021, Salesforce announced that CFO Mark Hawkins would be retiring from his position after six years of working for the company, retaining however a position as CFO emeritus until October.
How much revenue does Salesforce have in 2019?
For the fiscal year 2019, Salesforce reported revenue of US$13.28 billion, an increase of 26% year-over-year and 26% in constant currency. The CRM giant reported subscription and support revenues of US$12.41 billion, an increase of 27% year-over-year.
Why did Salesforce reject donations?
The not-for-profit organization Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) rejected a US$250,000 philanthropic donation from Salesforce because the company has contracts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The executive director of Raices, Jonathan Ryan, tweeted that "When it comes to supporting oppressive, inhumane, and illegal policies, we want to be clear: the only right action is to stop" in reference to the rejected donation. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff responded in an official statement that the company's employees "don't work with CBP regarding separation of families. CBP is a customer & follows our TOS. We don't have an agreement with ICE. I'm Proud of the Men & Women who protect & serve our country every day & I'm Proud of our Ohana ."
What are the tabs in Salesforce?
Salesforce users can configure their CRM application. In the system, there are tabs such as "Contacts," "Reports," and "Accounts." Each tab contains associated information. Configuration can be done on each tab by adding user-defined custom fields.
Is Salesforce a tax avoidance company?
Tax avoidance. In December 2019, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that Salesforce was one of 91 companies who "paid an effective federal tax rate of 0% or less" in 2018, as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
Does Salesforce use Solaris?
The company uses the Momentum platform from Message Systems to allow its customers to send large amounts of email.
When was Oracle founded?
The company was founded on February 3, 1999 by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, together with Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez as a software as a service (SaaS) company, and was launched publicly between September and November 1999.
How long has SaaS been around?
SaaS has come a long way since its first simple applications 20 years ago . Today, its increasing flexibility and openness lends itself to businesses building best-of-breed tech stacks instead of dropping into a software suite of already connected solutions.
What companies use SaaS?
The popularity of SaaS is evident in all the software industry giants moving toward using it, including Microsoft, SAP, Oracle and IBM. As SaaS industry adoption continues to grow, here are some of the things we may see happen in the software industry.
What is SaaS platform?
SaaS platforms make software available to users over the internet, usually for a monthly subscription fee . With SaaS, you don’t need to install and run software applications on your computer. Everything is available over the internet via your web browser when you log into your account online.
What is SaaS vendor?
SaaS vendors also offer out-of-the-box solutions that are simple to set up (if you need a basic package), with more complex solutions for larger organizations. You could have the basic software up and running within a matter of hours – and you’ll have access to customer service and support along the way.
What is the difference between ASP and SaaS?
But, whereas SaaS is self-service, with the ASP model the vendor had to manually create each login and environment. 5. SaaS officially is here.
What is SaaS subscription?
For pricing, most SaaS providers operate a tiered subscription model with fixed, inclusive monthly account fees. Most subscriptions include maintenance, compliance, and security services, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Why use SaaS?
Because all of your hosting and maintenance is included, using a SaaS solution can not only give you a lower total cost of ownership, but it can also make it easier to calculate your operating costs with fewer surprises. Most SaaS platforms include all the bandwidth your store might need. 4. Secure data.
Where is Salesforce based?
The company, based in the high-rise Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, reported revenues of $13.28 billion in 2019, making it one of the strongest financial producers in the global software sector. That’s a pretty big deal for a company that’s only been around a few decades. So how did Salesforce ( CRM) - Get Report get to the top ...
What is Salesforce model?
Salesforce Model – A “Single Idea”. Salesforce was founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, a sales executive at Oracle, one of the largest software companies in the world. The company was founded on a single, bold premise – that software should be made available to the masses, on a 24/7 basis, over a global cloud computing infrastructure.
How much is Salesforce worth in 2020?
In 2020, Salesforce stands as one of the most prominent computer software companies the world, with a market cap of $156 billion and a one-year target consensus analyst estimate of $203 per share.
How much is cloud computing?
Cloud-based software is a huge industry right now with the global public cloud services sector pegged to grow by 17% in 2020, to a total of $266.4 billion, according to Gartner Inc . That’s up from $227.8 billion in 2019, Gartner reports. The largest component of the cloud computing industry is the software as a service (SaaS) sector, ...
What is the largest cloud computing industry?
The largest component of the cloud computing industry is the software as a service (SaaS) sector , is forecast to rise to $116 billion in 2020, mostly due to the scalability of subscription-based software. Cloud computing and SaaS have always been the sweet spot for Salesforce, one of the largest and most successful software companies in the world.
Where was the first Dreamforce convention held?
Getting off the ground was a slow process, but the company turned the corner after its first-ever Dreamforce annual convention, held at the Westin Hotel in San Francisco in 2003, which attracted thousands of attendees.
Does Salesforce pay taxes?
Twelve years later, the company found trouble on the tax and cultural fronts. In 2019, Salesforce was cited as one of many Fortune 500 companies that paid an effective U.S. tax rate of 0% or less, even though it did so legally.
Where was Salesforce launched?
Salesforce launched at the Regency theater and had a surprise for all guests attending. They turned the lower level of the theater into a space that resembled Enterprise Software aka “Hell”, there were screaming salespeople actors in cages and games such as wacka-mole where the moles were other software companies.
What is Salesforce's biggest acquisition?
Salesforce were on a roll, setting records with some of their biggest acquisitions ever. In 2019 they followed suit and shocked everyone with their $15.7 Billion acquisition of Tableau, one of the world’s leading data visualisation and business intelligence companies.
How much did Salesforce buy Ohana?
In 2018, Salesforce made their biggest acquisition at the time, bringing Mulesoft into the Ohana for $6.5 Billion. This was over double their previous record when they acquired Demandware in 2016 for $2.8 Billion.
What is Salesforce a fish in a pond?
Salesforce stood for something very different, and compared to the behemoth of other industry giants, Salesforce were a tiny fish in a huge pond, they had to stand out. Salesforce launched at the Regency theater and had a surprise for all guests attending.
What is trailhead in Salesforce?
Trailhead is a fun (and free) way to learn Salesforce – an online platform provided by Salesforce that opens up access to learn about the technology and build a career in the industry. Anyone can create an account and learn, which has made Salesforce specific skills accessible for anyone.
Where was the first Dreamforce event held?
This new event was called Dreamforce, and instead of lasting for a few hours, it was held over a few days. The first Dreamforce was held in downtown San Francisco at a hotel called Westin St. Francis and had just over 1000 registered attendees coming to the event with 52 presentations.
Does Salesforce have Einstein Analytics?
This was interesting for a few reasons, but primarily because Salesforce already had an enterprise-grade solution for business intelligence, called Einstein Analytics. As data is quickly becoming one of a company’s most valuable assets, it’s imperative to be able to dissect this data to make informed decisions.
How much revenue does SaaS generate?
Today’s global software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry generates about $209 billion in revenue. The core concept of online service applications which inspired early SaaS companies, began in 1961 by a computing pioneer better known as a founding father of artificial intelligence: John McCarthy.
When was Quickbooks invented?
Intuit founded one of the oldest still-used software packages today—Quickbooks— in 1983 , for DOS. Its success can be attributed to the company’s ability to adapt to major technological shifts in the computer age.
What is Sales Force?
The hardware is handled by the vendor. Sales force, on the other hand, can also be called PaaS. This is because it offers you with its Lightning Platform for creating your own applications. It is also known as Force.com that allows you to develop applications and add-ons.
What is SaaS cloud?
What is SaaS? SaaS is right at the top of the cloud computing architectural model. Here, you get the products and services from a third party over the internet. You can avail the services for a monthly fee. The third-party provider or company will offer you with the services through an easy to use interface.
What is the difference between SaaS and IaaS?
SaaS (Software as a service) is the set of software tools that you can access over the internet via a third party. PaaS (Platform as a service) offers the users a platform for developing and executing cloud applications. IaaS (Infrastructure as a service) provides the infrastructure such as storage, virtualization, and networking.
What are the benefits of SaaS?
The benefits of using SaaS are: 1 Most SaaS subscriptions follow a pay as you go model. You will only have to pay for the services that you avail. You can change the subscription model to get more features or reduce the number of features. 2 You can access the SaaS applications from anywhere as they are hosted on the cloud. The data is completely secured. 3 As the applications are hosted centrally, all the updates are offered by the cloud provider. 4 SaaS products are very cost-efficient, especially if you own a startup or small business.
What is CRM software?
CRM is one of the best software used all over the world for handling all aspects of customer relationship management. The Salesforce CRM allows companies to store and analyze all the customer data in a single place. Being user-friendly, the CRM can be used by all the employees for understanding their customers better.
Is SaaS cloud secure?
You can access the SaaS applications from anywhere as they are hosted on the cloud. The data is completely secured. As the applications are hosted centrally, all the updates are offered by the cloud provider. SaaS products are very cost-efficient, especially if you own a startup or small business.
Can you use PaaS as a developer?
Mostly used by developers , PaaS can be considered as renting the features required to run and test applications. You can access the entire platform over the internet. Thus, if you are a developer, you will be able to create an entire cloud application within your browser.
Where did CRM originate?
The first recorded example of trade dates back 20,000 years, during this time obsidian knives were traded in what is now Papua New Guinea, between islands that had valuable obsidian deposits and those that did not. Obsidian was prized globally in those early times for its suitability for knives and other cutting implements and was traded in early Europe and Asia as well as the Americas.
Who invented CRM?
The beginnings of CRM as we know it started in the 1980s. Robert and Kate Kestnbaum were pioneers of database marketing. Which was a form of direct marketing that analysed the customer database statistically to identify which customers would be most likely to react to a marketing campaign. The concept took off and Kestnbaum, together with Robert Shaw, brought us new concepts and methodologies, ranging from customer lifetime value to channel management. There is a lot of debate about who invented CRM, but, if you take Bob Kestnbaum's contributions to modern marketing and strategy, he probably has earned the crown.
What was the SFA in 1990?
The acronym "SFA" (Sales Force Automation) described these products, that were an amalgamation of database marketing and contact management. One of the early products from a pioneer, Tom Siebel, who was working at Oracle at the time, left to form Siebel and sell his solution, which became the market leader in its day. The ERP companies also saw an opportunity and the market became very competitive. However, not all companies were offering megalithic and expensive solutions. Companies such as Goldmine (1990) and Maximiser (1987) provided off-the-shelf software that was affordable for small businesses, but had enough features that made them attractive to large multinationals. Both companies are still around today.
Where was obsidian traded?
Obsidian was prized globally in those early times for its suitability for knives and other cutting implements and was traded in early Europe and Asia as well as the Americas.
When did automation start?
Automation was eagerly adopted by anyone with record keep concerns and lots of money to spend, starting in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Is CRM in the 21st century?
CRM in the 21st Century. As of now, the market for new CRM products does not seem to have reached it’s saturation point. New companies continue to come to market with cloud products, while existing vendors have changed their licensing models to offer cloud alternatives to traditional site licenses.
1999
- In February, the Salesforce journey begins with a clear vision to be “A World-Class Internet Company for Sales Force Automation.”
- On March 8, Salesforce incorporates and Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Frank Dominguez, and Dave Moellenhoff begin working on the first version of Salesforce’s CRM. Their base is a rent…
- In February, the Salesforce journey begins with a clear vision to be “A World-Class Internet Company for Sales Force Automation.”
- On March 8, Salesforce incorporates and Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Frank Dominguez, and Dave Moellenhoff begin working on the first version of Salesforce’s CRM. Their base is a rented one-bedroom...
- As the four develop their prototype, they also build a distinctive startup culture. They only work on what they believe is important and necessary, to do it “fast, simple, and right the first time....
- The company also writes its first V2MOM(Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures) strategic plan, aiming to provide employees with a clear vision and align the organization around common go...
2000
- Like many other tech companies, Salesforce endured challenges brought on by the dot-com bubble bursting, and 20% of the company’s workforce was laid off.
- On February 7, salesforce.com officially launches at an event themed around “The End of Software” at San Francisco’s Regency Theater with 1,500 attendees and a concert with The B-52s.
- Like many other tech companies, Salesforce endured challenges brought on by the dot-com bubble bursting, and 20% of the company’s workforce was laid off.
- On February 7, salesforce.com officially launches at an event themed around “The End of Software” at San Francisco’s Regency Theater with 1,500 attendees and a concert with The B-52s.
- In March, Salesforce gets a boost from its first piece of major press coverage, in The Wall Street Journal, when it hires actors to stage a mock protest outside a Siebel Systems conference. The “pr...
- Salesforce.org launches the1-1-1 model, leveraging its technology, people, and resources to improve communities around the world.
2001
- In April, Salesforce announces its expansion into the worldwide marketplace with headquarters in Dublin and Tokyo.
- Salesforce surpasses 3,000 customers, making it the fastest-growing CRM company.
- In November, Benioff is named Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.
- Salesforce delivers $22.4 million in revenue for the fiscal year, ending January 31, 2002.
2002
- By end of the year, the company has 5,740 customers, 70,000 users in 107 countries accessing the service in multiple currencies and eight languages.
- Salesforce delivers $51 million in revenue for the fiscal year, ending January 31, 2003.
- Marc Benioff makes a prediction about the future of Salesforce, CRM, and business: “There were the leaders, but Oracle displaced them. The same thing is going to happen again. It’s th…
- By end of the year, the company has 5,740 customers, 70,000 users in 107 countries accessing the service in multiple currencies and eight languages.
- Salesforce delivers $51 million in revenue for the fiscal year, ending January 31, 2003.
- Marc Benioff makes a prediction about the future of Salesforce, CRM, and business: “There were the leaders, but Oracle displaced them. The same thing is going to happen again. It’s the beginning of...
2003
- The first Dreamforceevent is held at the Westin St. Francis hotel in downtown San Francisco. Just over 1,000 registered attendees take part in the event, which has 52 presentations.
- sForce 2.0 — the industry’s first on-demand application service — is launched at the event.
- The company’s employees number more than 400.
- It establishes a global presence, opening offices in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan…
- The first Dreamforceevent is held at the Westin St. Francis hotel in downtown San Francisco. Just over 1,000 registered attendees take part in the event, which has 52 presentations.
- sForce 2.0 — the industry’s first on-demand application service — is launched at the event.
- The company’s employees number more than 400.
- It establishes a global presence, opening offices in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Spain, and the U.K.
2004
- On June 23, Salesforce successfully completes its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $110 million at $11 per share.
- Salesforce earns $176 million in revenue over the fiscal year ending January 31, 2005.
- The company has 767 employees.
- The customer base has grown to 13,900.
2005
- In September, Salesforce introduces its AppExchangeservice, offering third-party developers a place to work on their own applications and open them up to Salesforce customers.
- By the end of the year, the company’s customer base stands at 20,500 worldwide, with nearly 400,000 unique users.
- The company surpasses 1,300 employees by end of fiscal year.
- In September, Salesforce introduces its AppExchangeservice, offering third-party developers a place to work on their own applications and open them up to Salesforce customers.
- By the end of the year, the company’s customer base stands at 20,500 worldwide, with nearly 400,000 unique users.
- The company surpasses 1,300 employees by end of fiscal year.
- It has earned $309.98 million in revenue for fiscal year ending January 31, 2006.
2006
- Salesforce’s mobile journey starts with the acquisition of wireless technology startup Sendia, and the original Salesforce mobile app, AppExchange Mobile.
- The AppExchange ecosystem grows into a vibrant marketplace with 575 apps from 250 independent software vendors.
- In a defining moment, Benioff shares his view that business is the greatest platform for chan…
- Salesforce’s mobile journey starts with the acquisition of wireless technology startup Sendia, and the original Salesforce mobile app, AppExchange Mobile.
- The AppExchange ecosystem grows into a vibrant marketplace with 575 apps from 250 independent software vendors.
- In a defining moment, Benioff shares his view that business is the greatest platform for change, publishing The Business of Changing the Worldwith essays by 20 other thought leaders.
- The Power of Us partner program launches, engaging Salesforce’s partners with the 1-1-1 philanthropy model.
2007
- IdeaExchange (nowTrailblazer Community) launches, inviting customers to contribute new feature ideas for future releases.
- At Dreamforce, plans for the Force.com technology platform are announced, which will allow developers to build applications on the Salesforce platform and create any user interface on demand.
- IdeaExchange (nowTrailblazer Community) launches, inviting customers to contribute new feature ideas for future releases.
- At Dreamforce, plans for the Force.com technology platform are announced, which will allow developers to build applications on the Salesforce platform and create any user interface on demand.
- Salesforce reports revenue of $748.7 million for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2008.
- Users exceed 1.1 million, from 41,000 customers across the globe.
Overview
Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development.
History
The company was founded in 1999 by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, together with Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez as a software as a service (SaaS) company. Initial funding for the company came from Larry Ellison and Halsey Minor.
In 2003, Salesforce held its first annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. In June 2004, the company had its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbo…
Services
Salesforce's products include several customer relationship management (CRM) technologies, including: Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Commerce Cloud and Platform. Additional technologies include Slack, MuleSoft, Tableau Analytics, and Trailhead.
Salesforce's main technologies are tools for customer management. Other products enable customers to create apps, integrate data from other systems, visualize data, and offer training c…
Operations
Salesforce is headquartered in San Francisco in the Salesforce Tower. Salesforce has international offices in Hong Kong, Israel, and Sydney.
Standard & Poor's added Salesforce to the S&P 500 Index in September 2008.
According to Marc Benioff, Salesforce corporate culture is based on the concept of Ohana.
Acquisitions
Salesforce has acquired many companies throughout its history.
In 2006, Salesforce acquired Sendia, a mobile web service firm, for $15 million and Kieden, an online advertising company. In 2007, Koral, a content management service, was acquired. In 2008, Salesforce acquired Instranet for $31.5 million. In 2010, Salesforce acquired multiple companies, including Jigs…
Criticisms
In November 2007 a phishing attack compromised contact information on a number of Salesforce customers. Some customers then received phishing emails that appeared to be invoices from Salesforce. Salesforce has stated that "a phisher tricked someone into disclosing a password, but this intrusion did not stem from a security flaw in [the salesforce.com] application or database."
In 2017 at DEF CON, two security engineers were let go after giving a presentation on an internal …
Salesforce Ventures
In 2009, Salesforce began investing in startups. These investments became Salesforce Ventures, headed by John Somorjai In September 2014, SFV set up Salesforce1 Fund, aimed at start-ups creating applications primarily for mobile phones. In December 2018, Salesforce Ventures announced the launch of the Japan Trailblazer Fund, focused on Japanese startups.
In August 2018, Salesforce Ventures reported investments totaling over $1 billion in 275 compa…
See also
• Salesforce Tower
• Salesforce Tower Indianapolis
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud
• SalesforceIQ
1999
- Salesforce was founded by Marc Benioff, a sales exec at Oracle in 1999. When Marc left Oracle, he recruited three consultants from a start up he had invested in: Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. The group has a shared vision, and a wealth of technical capabilities. In March of that year, the gangbegan working on the first versi...
2000
- In 2000, Salesforce launched a strong, bold marketing campaign for their CRM. It started alongside the Siebel protests. On February 22nd, 2000at the Siebel User Conference in San Francisco, protesters called for the “end of software”, with news teams rushing to report this unrest. The thing was: Marc was behind it all. The protesters, news teams, and rallying cries wer…
2003
- 2003 was the year of the first Dreamforce, Salesforce's annual conference. The event was attended by just over 1,000 people, and was held at the Westin Hotel in, you guessed it, San Francisco. Nowadays, Dreamforce has become a major San Fran event, closing down the entirety of Howard Street for multiple days. Partners have even published Dreamforce survival guides. T…
2004
- The company had its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2004. Under the stock symbol CRM, they raised a whopping $110M. Early investors included Larry Ellison, Magdalena Yesil, Halsey Minor, Stewart Henderson, Mark Iscaro, and Igor Sill, a founding member of Geneva Venture Partners. In this year, eight thousand developers and 150 independent softw…
2005
- In 2005, Salesforce's AppExchange was launched, which gives third-party developers the ability to work on their apps, and offer them to Salesforce customers. At the end of the year, the customer base was 20,500 worldwide, with 400,000 unique users.
2006
- In 2006, Salesforce went mobile. This started with the acquisition of wireless technology start-up Sendia, and AppExchange Mobile. The success of AppExchange continues, with the ecosystem growing into a marketplace with 575 apps, from 250 software vendors. On top of all this, Parker Harris developed a technology called Visualforce. This tech allowed users to create any user int…
2009
- This was the year when Salesforce reached the $1B revenue mark. And by the end of the year, the company had reached over 55,000 customers. With 2009's Dreamforce came the announcement of Chatter, which functionality continues to be used or upgraded with each seasonal release.
2011
- In two years, we're doubling that figure: in July of 2011, Salesforce reached 100,000 customers. Forbes would also name Salesforce “the world’s most innovative company," in 2011. Salesforce repurposed the crowd-sourced data company Jigsaw as Data.com, too. This was a move that showed Salesforce's aim, and ability, to extend their reach in the SaaS industry, adding new and r…
2012
- In 2012, Salesforce repurposed Assistly as Desk.com, adding a social customer service tool to their belt. Salesforce had actually made an earlier investment in the start-up, and finally bought it in 2011 for $80 million. This move meant Salesforce had a social help desk, which could draw on data from the company's CRM, and provide a more integrated experience for customers. In 2012…
2013
- In 2013, Salesforce completed its biggest acquisition yet. The buying of Exact Target allowed the company to offer its customers the ability to extend the power of their Marketing Cloud. Plus, the Salesforce1 platform was launched, meaning that customers could manage their businesses from their mobiles. Between 2011-2013, Salesforce made acquisition after acquisition. They: ac…