In 1999, Salesforce was founded in a one-bedroom apartment on Telegraph Hill in San Fransisco. Marc Benioff, Frank Dominguez and Dave Moellenhoff founded the company. It was designed to provide sales automation software via a software-as-a-service model. This means that businesses could access their software via a website. This would allow businesses to eliminate the headaches and costs associated with maintaining and owning their IT infrastructure. The Dreamforce conference was launched in 2003 by Salesforce. It’s a annual gathering where Salesforce users, creators, and others discuss product updates, improvements, and share information. Salesforce created the AppExchange in 2005. This marketplace allowed Salesforce solutions to be shared with the wider Salesforce community.
Salesforce launched its own programming language, APEX, in 2006. It also introduced VisualForce, which allows users create any type of user interface they desire. Salesforce rebranded Apex and VisualForce as Force.com. This was the first step to make Salesforce’s software a platform-as-a-service model. The platform now allows users to create custom applications. Salesforce acquired ExactTarget as a media-marketing tool in 2012, and expanded its platform support for marketing applications. This was a significant milestone because it represented the first step towards making Salesforce a comprehensive CRM solution. Salesforce expanded its mobile platform in 2013 to include mobile devices. Salesforce1 platform was created specifically for mobile devices. In 2013, it allowed users to access their Salesforce1 platforms from any device, including a smartphone. Salesforce applications can now be accessed from any device and anywhere. Lightning Experience was launched by Salesforce in 2015. This dynamic user interface made it easier to build custom applications. Lightning Experience encouraged a more modular development approach that allowed existing functional systems components to be re-used and integrated into new applications. This helped save time and reduce developer costs. Lightning Experience helped to create smarter applications with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). In 2016, Salesforce Einstein was launched, an AI-powered set of functionalities that can be integrated into applications for improved performance. Now business users can access detailed analytics and demand predictions to help them be more competitive. Salesforce has identified AI as the future for CRM and plans to make its platform even more powerful and efficient in the near future.
