Salesforce Platform Reviews, Competitors and Pricing

Industry Analyst at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees

May 1, 2014

Salesforce Takes on Mobile App Development Cloud-style

Salesforce today announced ‘Salesforce Platform Mobile Services’, its response to the market opportunity around mobile application development. Salesforce Platform Mobile Services should smooth the development of mobile enterprise app creation and comes with support for analytics, secure access control (single-sign on based on Salesforce Identity) and other libraries of tools. As part of the ‘Mobile Services’ offering, Salesforce is rolling out a new Mobile SDK (availability announced for June) and what the company calls ‘Developer Mobile Packs’, an enriched set of Mobile APIs based on open source (ie popular JavaScript frameworks) that should enable developers to access real-time Salesforce data. -- Value & Differentiation -- PAC believes that the integration and access of real-time Salesforce data is a key benefit and strategic differentiator for the company against other emerging mobile application development environments (eg IBM, SAP, Oracle). The ecosystem and marketplace developed around the AppExchange platform gives Salesforce substantial competitive advantage. The company already has a very lively ecosystem of ISVs and developers building on its platform. So far, over threee million custom apps have been developed on the Salesforce Platform, a significant number irrespective of the level of depth of enterprise functionality put into these apps. This is particularly relevant as Salesforce’s app development environment is Cloud-native, giving it an extra advantage over other enterprise-grade mobile SDKs. -- Placement in Portfolio -- Salesforce Platform is not yet a monolithic platform, consisting of sub-branches like force.com, Heroku, database.com, AppExchange, etc. PAC learned that Salesforce Platform Mobile Services will be an extension of force.com. -- From Apex to Open Java? -- The emphasis on open source signals that Salesforce may gradually move away from Apex, its proprietary Java-based variant, towards a more open Java environment. The development activity seen on Heroku may influence the transition to open Java for force.com in the future. Out of the 3 million custom apps developed on Salesforce’s platforms, 2.7 million were developed on Heroku, and 360,000 on force.com. This may indicate that the odds may be in favor of open Java versus Apex in the long term. -- Mobile Apps vs Traditional Apps -- Of the 3 million custom apps built up to now on the Salesforce platform, it is not easy to quantify the proportion of mobile apps. Salesforce used to look at this market in a holistic manner, partly because many apps have been developed for multiple-device / universal environments. The ‘Mobile Services’ offering should help Salesforce differentiate between mobile apps development and traditional application development, as mobile and non-mobile application experiences will diverge more and more. -- Pricing -- It is still an early stage for ‘Salesforce Platform Mobile Services’ and not all of its parameters have been clearly set. Interesting questions arise as to how/if the company will monetize mobile application development (e.g. would it charge for app development as in Heroku’s PaaS environment) and what revenue opportunities could Salesforce derive from ‘Mobile Services’ (e.g., charging for development and integration, charging for hosting and secure mobile app control/ management, etc). -- Channel & Services -- In order to get traction in the Consulting & Integration arena, Salesforce plans to support adoption of ‘Mobile Services’ with a dedicated training program for the channel. The program already features some of the strongest names in the SI space like Accenture, Capgemini and Deloitte. With such partners on board, Salesforce’s credentials in mobile app development should be reinforced with large enterprise clients. In addition, as these providers have a global presence, the message should get through in all relevant geographies.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

it_user8367

Senior Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Aug 4, 2013

The Force.com Sweet Spot

When Cloud Sherpas helps a customer move to the cloud, we usually see the customer move in phases. Recently, we’ve observed a growing trend among enterprise companies, who — having seen positive results from an initial cloud implementation — give us a call a few months later, eager for advice on which areas of their business landscape to address next.

We hear questions like…

We’ve moved much of our Sales & Marketing functions to the cloud. Which other areas of our business should we now move to the cloud?
I have a long tail of apps to deliver this year. Which ones will best leverage the strengths of the force.com platform?
Our employees are demanding better mobile access and the ability to much more easily collaborate at work. How can we support them?

As a Platinum Salesforce.com partner and the world’s leading Google apps cloud service provider, we work with two of the biggest heavyweights in both business and cloud computing.

The article that follows focuses on Cloud Sherpas’ capabilities related to Salesforce.com, where many of our customers — and businesses, generally — begin their cloud journeys.

Like many members of our industry, I think it’s safe to assume that Sales Cloud and Service Cloud — Salesforce.com’s core CRM and Customer Service offerings, respectively — combined, serve as the gateway for many businesses to an even more extensive presence in the cloud.

Force.com, the world’s leading cloud platform for business apps, offers the infrastructure upon which both Sales Cloud and Service Cloud are built, and if you happen to be using either solution, Force.com may be the next logical destination on your company’s journey further into the cloud.

Force.com hosts more than 200,000 business applications from both Salesforce.com partners and independent software vendors.

For larger organizations ready to ‘make the migration,’ the smartest strategy is often to begin by first buffering inflexible legacy applications with a layer of dynamic cloud solutions that facilitate a more agile and collaborative business process than would be possible using a non-cloud-based solution. These ‘Volatile Applications,’ as they are sometimes referred to, give both users and ISVs the ability to adapt, scale and evolve quickly — a key selling point for building and hosting applications on the force.com platform.

Listed below are the four “sweet spots” we’ve seen for businesses using the force.com platform:

1. Sharing new or existing information with a wider audience

Force.com’s single platform and granular access control can be used to rapidly provide access to multiple user groups. Businesses can customize the level of access granted to any number of user types, allowing customers to self-serve by provisioning access to a comprehensive knowledge base, for example, while dedicating other areas of their solution to sales and service information accessible only to key partners and vendors.

2. Anything that needs to be mobile or collaborative

All apps that are built on Force.com have built-in features that leverage Chatter — salesforce.com’s cross-platform compatible enterprise collaboration tool — and are thus available on most popular mobile devices.

3. Managing user-driven business processes

Process-oriented apps are a popular use case for force.com apps, as they leverage the business service layer of the force platform with workflow, approvals and custom code. Typical apps have covered Recruiting, Bug Tracking, Expense Management and Procurement.

4. Rebuilding simple ‘desktop’ apps

Force.com’s secure, reliable and scalable infrastructure allows for a much more organic approach to product lifecycle management. Unencumbered by native, platform-specific development requirements, businesses can leverage Force.com’s flexible Web-based platform to build — and build onto — any application. For example, say you and a few team members create a simple software application that serves as little more than a project discussion board but quickly grows into a central database for resources that would logically be available to all employees. In this scenario, on Force.com, it wouldn’t take much to take what started as just a spreadsheet and turn it into a robust, enterprise-ready, collaborative application for the whole organisation.

These are just a few highlights of the types of apps we see businesses creating with the force.com platform.

Where have you found a sweet spot for the force.com platform?

Disclosure: The company I work for is partners with several vendors including Salesforce

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

it_user4401Developer at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees

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Oct 19, 2013

As a pro, I would say that Salesforce Platform is built with a broad range of development tools, so it is easier for developers to create applications using those tools. Another pro is that the used programming language is Apex, which is very similar to Java and C# and includes traditional C-style syntax.

As a con, I would add that some developers and vendors may not want to commit to a proprietary development environment that does not have the established reputation and maturity as Java or Microsoft.NET.

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reviewer1692633

AWS North America Alliance Lead at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

Oct 14, 2021

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Provides visibility to opportunities, and the keyword search makes it easy to find things

Pros and Cons

"The keyword search helps me in finding stuff quickly. So, I don't have to click around a lot."

"Their reporting needs to be improved. It should be easier. I don't know how, but it needs to be easier."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for forecasting, customer contacts, and that kind of sales stuff.

I assume it is in the cloud because that's Salesforce's model. They have their own private cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

It has provided visibility to opportunities.

What is most valuable?

The keyword search helps me in finding stuff quickly. So, I don't have to click around a lot.

What needs improvement?

Their reporting needs to be improved. It should be easier. I don't know how, but it needs to be easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for probably a decade.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. There are no performance issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It handles my needs well. We have hundreds of users all across our company. It is being used extensively in our organization. That's how we run our sales here. We have a support desk to take care of its maintenance.

How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted their technical support.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Salesforce Platform a nine out of 10. If reporting was easier, I would probably rate it a 10 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

reviewer1313040

Enterprise Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees

Dec 11, 2020

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Responsive with good UI, but takes a while to set up

Pros and Cons

"The product is pretty responsive."

"If you have resellers or distributors, you just need to figure out a way to set up the system in the backend. Since every company is different, it takes a little bit of time to figure that out."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a support console.

How has it helped my organization?

The product has definitely helped us improve our support services.

What is most valuable?

The way the solution is able to record and update within the feeds, including internal conversations, is really helpful on a case by case basis.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

I've used Salesforce for five years within different companies. It's the first CRM I used and I have kept using it. The UI or UX is probably what I'm most familiar with. I don't think there's anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. It's easy to use.

The solution is really good if you need to have direct communication with end-users like retailers and that sort of thing.

The product is pretty responsive.

What needs improvement?

At this particular organization, we only just implemented support about six months ago. There are still aspects of the solution we are exploring and we are in the process of looking at some integrations. We're just testing its capabilities, and therefore I can't say there are any features that are missing per se.

If you have resellers or distributors, you just need to figure out a way to set up the system in the backend. Since every company is different, it takes a little bit of time to figure that out.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked with the solution for five years across a few different companies.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We haven't had any issues with bugs or glitches. We haven't experienced any freezing or crashing. So far, the solution has been very stable and reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We're working with a pretty basic model right now. We haven't tried to scale anything just yet, as it is still relatively new to the company. I'm not sure if we plan to increase usage in the future or not. If we do decide to scale it, we'll have to discuss how to do that with our Salesforce representative.

That said, currently, I don't see any limitations that would make me think there would be an issue with scaling if we wanted to.

I'm not sure how many of our team is actually on the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't had the opportunity to reach out to technical support just yet. There hasn't been a need. Therefore, I can't speak to how knowledgable or responsive they are.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We didn't previously use a different solution. This is the first implementation.

How was the initial setup?

We haven't found the initial setup to be too complex. It was rather straightforward for our team.

What other advice do I have?

We're just customers. We don't have a business relationship with Salesforce. We primarily use the solution for internal use. We don't deploy it to clients. I'm not sure of which version we are using. It's likely the latest one.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten overall. It really is a fit for all business types.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

it_user344043

Managing Director at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Jun 28, 2017

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Improved forecasting, account management, 360 view of customer.

Pros and Cons

"Scalability to configure and integrate."

"Easier process to move to Lightning Components."

What is most valuable?

Scalability to configure and integrate. This is due to Salesforce being easily configurable and, with the ability to build APIs, almost anything can be integrated, thus allowing more capability, more data and more value to the system.

How has it helped my organization?

Improved forecasting, account management, and a 360 view of customer.

What needs improvement?

Easier process to move to Lightning Components. There is a huge overtake of planning, testing and resources required to analyse what features would work. Currently, not all configurations and development can simply move across from Classic to Lightning. In an ideal world, this would be a lot less exhaustive.

For how long have I used the solution?

Eight years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues.

How is customer service and technical support?

Six out of 10.

How was the initial setup?

Straightforward for the most part. Can be complex with API integrations and coding.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Costly, but it is the top product in SaaS/PaaS. Pricing is more for large to enterprise level companies. If integration or development is not required, I'd recommend a cheaper CRM product.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes, we considered building in-house, Sage CRM, Oracle CRM.

What other advice do I have?

Define your business processes. Consider customer experience first and then the User experience before thinking about data and financial related benefits.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

reviewer1568403

Architect

May 5, 2021

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A stable and scalable solution with good performance, usability, and support

Pros and Cons

"Its stability, performance, and usability are most valuable."

"Its documentation and price should be better."

What is most valuable?

Its stability, performance, and usability are most valuable.

What needs improvement?

Its documentation and price should be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. We have 10,000 users of this solution in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is very good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Microsoft Dynamics, which was server-based. We were looking for a cloud-based solution, and we went for Salesforce.

How was the initial setup?

Its installation is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

It is deployed by our admin. We have 20 people for deployment and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is very expensive. Its licensing is on a monthly basis.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate Salesforce Platform an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Sharath Ganta

Lead at Aligned Automation

Sep 12, 2021

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Very flexible, reasonably priced and scalable

Pros and Cons

"A very flexible solution."

"UI needs to be more intuitive and user friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We're using Salesforce to get some data for one of our clients - Excel filters. I'm a solution lead and we are customers of Salesforce.

What is most valuable?

Compared to other CRM applications, Salesforce is very good and you can set it up in the cloud. It's very flexible.

What needs improvement?

The UI needs to be improved. As developers, we can manage it, but for end users it's not very attractive in the workshop. It needs to be more user friendly and more intuitive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, I think it's one of the best applications to come out recently.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very easy to scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

I think the response time could be improved. We generally wait 24-48 hours for a response, which is quite a long time.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was relatively straightforward. Implementation was done in-house with assistance from Salesforce. Maintenance is really just the batching and updates. We have around 500 users in the company.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is okay and the cost varies depending on your requirements and number of users.

What other advice do I have?

I definitely recommend this product and rate it eight out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.