Salesforce.com (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff unveiled a re-envisioning of the company's flagship technology this morning at its Dreamforce 2013 conference in San Francisco. The Salesforce 1 platform, which replaces the Salesforce online CRM platform, is being pitched as the first CRM platform for developers, but one built with the idea of the internet of customers in mind

CJ Arlotta, Associate Editor

November 19, 2013

3 Min Read
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says its more about the Internet of customers not things
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says its more about the Internet of customers, not things.

Salesforce.com (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff unveiled a re-envisioning of the company's flagship technology this morning at its Dreamforce 2013 conference in San Francisco. The Salesforce 1 platform, which replaces the Salesforce online CRM platform, is being pitched as the first CRM platform for developers, but one built with the idea of the internet of customers in mind. It adds new social, mobile and cloud customer capabilities and is designed to transform sales, service and marketing apps, the company said.

Salesforce's CEO also used his keynote to talk about the company's momenum, philonthropic activities, and more. Here's a look at what Benioff and other Salesforce.com execs had to say during this morning's keynote address.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff (on philanthropy and Salesforce 1)

  • The philanthropy model is the most important aspect of Salesforce: "The best drug I’ve ever took was philanthropy."

  • Salesforce recognizes that customers are the source of success, excitement. The conference is dedicated to them.

  • Dreamforce statistics: More 135,000 have registered to attend Dreamforce 2013. More than 350 exhibitors are participating at the Cloud Expo. More than 25 customers have brought 50 attendees each. More than 6,000 non-profits and NGOs attending.

  • Revenue: "We’re gong to be doing more than $5 billion in revenue next year."

  • Salesforce Foundation: 530,000 plus hours service; $53 million in grants; 20,000 non-profits and 1 percent time equity product.

  • "We are going through a technology renaissance."

  • UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will be opening in February 2015.

  • Benioff said that there’s a customer behind each and every interaction on the Internet. It’s an Internet of customers. "We need to reassess how we address our customers. We need to pivot to our customers."

  • Message of the show: "Vendors should be customer companies."

  • Benioff noted that Salesforce is a business to consumer company.

  • His vision is the Internet of customers, where companies create a one-to-one experience. "We’re going to have a one-to-one relationship between our fans and teams."

  • Props to Amazon: "I think every product should have a mayday button."

  • His view on company relationships with customers: "Most companies don’t know their customers."

  • Salesforce partnered with HP to develop a Superpod that combines Salesforce software with dedicated HP hardware, designed for single customer use.

  • Benioff said the Internet of customers should inspire, excite, motivate and transform.

Salesforce co-founder Parker Harris (on the future of technology and Salesforce 1)

  • On the future of technology: "Everything in the future is connected."

  • Salesforce 1 brand options will be available in the spring: "In the future, everyone is branded."

  • Harris said Salesforce 1 was designed for developers, ISVs,  end users, administrators and customers.

Salesforce Applications and Platform President Alex Dayon presented a demo of the new Salesforce 1 Service Cloud, which enables customer service from anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Salesforce Sales Cloud Executive Vice President Linda Crawford walked through a live demo of the new Salesforce Sales Cloud for sales teams.

ExactTarget co-founder and CEO Scott Dorsey (on marketing in technology and Salesforce 1 ExactTarget Marketing Cloud)

  • "Marketers are leading the Internet of customers."

  • Salesforce 1 "turns your mobile phone into a sales machine."

  • Internet of customers has changed marketing: "Customers expect seamless, 1-to-1 experiences."

  • What the smartphone means to customers: "The smartphone has become the dashboard to our life."

  • "The ExactTarget Marketing Cloud is the customer platform for one-to-one marketing."

Keep following Talkin' Cloud for more announcements coming out of Dreamforce 2013.

About the Author(s)

CJ Arlotta

Associate Editor, Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media

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