CRM tools and strategy
Customer relationship management combines various tools -- like marketing and sales force automation software -- and strategies to help organizations maintain, manage and learn from customer interactions. Find out the latest news and expert advice for your CRM approach.
Top Stories
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News
07 Jun 2023
Salesforce adds GPT to Commerce and Marketing clouds
The CRM giant adds generative AI capabilities and an expanded Google partnership to help marketers bring personalized content to customers and improve CX. Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2023
Zendesk out with generative AI-supported tools for better CX
In partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, the customer service vendor introduces smart CX tools such as sentiment analysis for faster workflows and bots for contextual replies. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2023
Slack GPT quickly summarizes channels and creates canvases
The CRM giant unveiled a generative AI assistant for its Slack collaboration platform to let users quickly summarize channels, draft messages and create whiteboard-like canvases. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2023
Salesforce brings GPT to customer service, sales platforms
The CRM giant brings generative AI capabilities to its sales and service platforms for fast, relevant email, message and article creation, as well as multilanguage transcription. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 May 2023
CRM vs. CMS: How they differ and how to integrate them
CMSes and CRM systems serve different purposes, but together, they can help organizations improve customer data management as well as automate sales and marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2023
Salesforce brings Einstein GPT to Field Service Mobile
The CRM giant harnesses generative AI to let Field Service Mobile users create drafts and discuss customer problems on Slack and help them find self-service tools. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Salesforce integrates Einstein GPT and Data Cloud into Flow
The CRM giant updated Flow, its automation toolkit, with generative AI and Data Cloud capabilities to trigger automatic responses using natural language prompts and real-time data. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2023
Zendesk teams with OpenAI for new AI-backed CX tools
The CX giant's partnership with OpenAI brings new tools to help CX personnel summarize content, create knowledge bases and macros, and quickly compose ticket responses. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2023
Overcoming data privacy challenges in digital marketing
As access to customers' personal data tightens, online marketers must reevaluate their strategies to reach their desired targets in an effective and creative way. Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2023
Salesforce forms new Trailblazer community group for sales
The CRM software giant aims to fill sales personnel gap with new sales-focused learners group named Salesblazer and sales certification for existing courses. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2023
Adobe unveils new collaboration tool for marketing teams
The CX giant revealed new technology for faster workflows between marketing, product and data teams to collaborate on marketing campaigns in its new Product Analytics platform. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Adobe Firefly brings generative AI image marketing tool
The CX giant's Firefly is an image creator trained on millions of visuals from Adobe stock content to understand written commands and make images for better marketing. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Adobe and RainFocus pair for more data insight at events
The CX software giant pairs with the event marketing services vendor to provide customers with tools for deeper personalized experiences at in-person and online events. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Mar 2023
7 customer success best practices
Customer success aims to ensure a positive CX after the sales process is complete. These best practices can help teams stay on track and keep customers satisfied. Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2023
Qualtrics' customer experience tools enter rage-filled times
Qualtrics rolls out new customer experience tools while it ponders a buyout from Silver Lake, a private equity firm. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2023
HubSpot intros AI tools to make content creation easier
The new AI tools are aimed at marketing, sales and customer service teams that create websites and blogs. They also provide customers with a natural language chat-based experience. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2023
Salesforce joins generative AI ranks with Einstein GPT
The CRM giant capitalizes on GPT 3.5 tech, weaving generative AI into code creation, Slack tools and customer interactions. The vendor also launched a $250M AI investment fund. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2023
Microsoft's new Dynamics 365 Copilot uses generative AI
Copilot accelerates routine tasks for marketing and sales teams like creating email responses and collecting customer insight data, intensifying the AI race in CRM software. Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2023
Generative AI-supported tools coming from Pegasystems
CRM platform Pega Infinity will incorporate artificial intelligence language tools for quicker task management, insight visualization and app development. Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2023
CRM titan Salesforce is squeezed in a competitive market
CRM and CX giant Salesforce is plagued by an activist investor, slower business growth and pressure to increase profit margins with layoffs as the CRM market gets more competitive. Continue Reading
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Answer
15 Feb 2023
What does a customer success manager do?
The customer success manager is an essential CX role that takes a proactive approach to ensuring customer loyalty and retention when the sales process is complete. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Microsoft and Salesforce step up smart store retail tech
The tech giants are quickly evolving their technologies aimed at the brick and mortar commerce market, with new software for smart store analytics, CX and retail associates. Continue Reading
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Infographic
06 Jan 2023
Salesforce acquisitions from 2022 mark a year of integrations
2022 was slow for vendor acquisitions, and Salesforce was no different. The vendor's three acquisitions in 2022 focused on improving integrations and supporting its ecosystem. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Salesforce 2023 layoff plans follow recent executive exodus
Changes continue to shake up Salesforce, with a 10% workforce reduction and office space closures this year following recent departures of top executives. Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2022
Salesforce-Slack integrations continue as cofounder departs
Salesforce unveils new Slack and Sales Cloud integrations following news that Slack's cofounder and other executives at the company have stepped down. Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2022
How Musk's Twitter takeover could affect business accounts
Potential changes to Twitter's advertising and security policies are top issues for business owners who rely on the social media platform for brand visibility and sales. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2022
CRM and BPM vendor Pegasystems adds new AI features
The CRM and business process management vendor, looking to scale up, introduced new features for business users, service representatives and call center customers. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2022
Oracle pushes forward with CX tech amid layoff cycle
Rumors of the demise of Oracle marketing, CRM and customer service turn out to be unfounded, as the company forges ahead with vertical-specific CX offerings. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Oct 2022
Top 4 CRM systems comparison
What differentiates the 'big four' CRM providers? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP in this CRM comparison. Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2022
Microsoft adds conversational AI to Dynamics 365
At Ignite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 users get AI-based automation capabilities with emphasis on conversational intelligence for sales and customer service. Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Sep 2022
Salesforce's Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor the latest co-CEO trial
Some software companies rule their worlds with co-CEOs for years. Other co-CEO arrangements don't last long. We consider the future of Salesforce's current chief executive duo. Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2022
More automation, embedded analytics part of Tableau plans
New capabilities scheduled for release as part of the vendor's final two platform updates in 2022 are designed to speed the ability to reach insights and take actions. Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2022
Salesforce new training goal: 20K new admins, developers
Salesforce partners with nonprofits and customers to mint more admins, developers and consultants needed to sustain the company's five-year growth plan. Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2022
Salesforce adds automation features across Customer 360
Salesforce's upcoming Customer 360 features include automation tied together with CDP data for sales, marketing, service and e-commerce. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2022
HubSpot's growing CRM takes on Salesforce -- but not head-on
No one is saying that HubSpot is building a 'baby Salesforce' for small to medium-sized businesses. But it looks a lot like that is exactly what's happening. Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2022
Salesforce offers new pricing option with 'Easy' subscription
The Salesforce Easy subscription offers CRM, customer service and rudimentary email marketing in a self-service subscription and lower per-seat price. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2022
Oracle releases major Fusion Sales CRM update, facelift
Oracle Fusion Sales users get a new UX and new features, including microsites called 'digital sales rooms,' which parallel Microsoft and Salesforce sales collaboration features. Continue Reading
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Answer
09 Jun 2022
What's the difference between SCM and CRM?
CRM platforms track customer interactions, whereas SCM platforms track materials and product shipments. Tech buyers should know how these platforms differ before making a purchase. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 May 2022
Understanding the 3 types of CRM systems
To get the most out of a CRM system, organizations must decide whether an operational, analytical or collaborative CRM system is right for them. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 May 2022
What are the benefits and challenges of CRM?
CRM platforms can boost CX with business insights if sales agents use them properly. Sales leaders should know the benefits and challenges of these platforms before purchasing. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Salesforce-Slack sales, marketing, service integrations in beta
Slack integration apps for Salesforce Service Cloud, Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud move into beta; MuleSoft takes on API management and governance. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Apr 2022
What is Adobe Experience Cloud? CRM platform overview
Adobe Experience Cloud -- the vendor's CRM platform -- includes tools to help medium and large enterprises manage all facets of their customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2022
Salesforce AppExchange revamps user search, discovery
Salesforce updates AppExchange partner marketplace to add more effective search and surfacing of more appropriate results for users, as the app count tops 7,000. Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2022
Salesforce Safety Cloud debuts for event vaccination proof
Salesforce launches new cloud to aggregate COVID-19 testing and vaccine information for users hosting customer and employee events, with more to follow later in 2022. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Nov 2021
6 ways to build customer loyalty for your business
Creating and implementing an effective customer loyalty strategy involves communicating and understanding customers' needs. Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2021
Salesforce expands consumer packaged goods cloud
Salesforce to add features next year that help consumer goods manufacturers plan, track and analyze effectiveness of promotional spending with retailers. Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2021
HubSpot CRM adds B2B online payments processing
HubSpot CRM adds no-code Stripe online payments as well as data governance and enhancements to Operations Hub such as analytics and a Snowflake integration. Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2021
More Salesforce-Slack integrations to come
Salesforce unveiled a total of 16 Slack integrations to its platform, some available now, and some to come next year, following the blockbuster acquisition. Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2021
Oracle Fusion Marketing enables campaign orchestration
Oracle has announced plans to release Fusion Marketing in 2022. The middleware app will more deeply integrate customer data to marketing initiatives and CRM. Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2021
Salesforce automation tools for 2022: RPA, document ingestion
Salesforce Einstein Automate tools to come next year include RPA, document intake and drag-and-drop process automation. Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2021
Salesforce Marketing Cloud to get analytics boost
Salesforce to add analytics capabilities and AI tools that spider Salesforce CDP data; Commerce Cloud adds shipping and logistics integration through a FedEx partnership. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Sep 2021
How to choose the right CRM software for your organization
Choosing the right CRM software can be daunting for organizations. Follow these five steps and best practices to ensure the search, adoption and deployment processes go smoothly. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2021
Salesforce Service Cloud to add Servicetrace RPA, Slack
Salesforce plans to release features that increase Service Cloud's flexibility for contact centers to manage agents working remotely either part time or full time. Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2021
New features coming for Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce adds CRM features to support remote-work models for sales teams born in the pandemic and continuing -- possibly permanently -- through 2022 and beyond. Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2021
Meet the CIO who keeps the Salesforce platform running
Salesforce EVP and CIO Jo-ann de Pass Olsovsky embraces the pivot to remote work, low-code appdev and the role of alpha tester of upcoming Salesforce products. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2021
Salesforce to pull plug on Audience Studio DMP
Salesforce Audience Studio DMP is no longer being sold, Salesforce confirms. It could signal the beginning of the end of programmatic digital ad sales. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2021
Salesforce Industries' Media Cloud adds ad management
Salesforce Media Cloud adds a multimedia ad sales platform for media companies to manage their customers' ad spend. Also: AppExchange partner marketplace adds chat, user reviews. Continue Reading
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Tip
25 Jun 2021
Getting started with a revenue operations strategy
A revenue operations strategy requires coordination and communication among sales, marketing and customer service teams to fuel RevOps. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2021
Salesforce previews low-code, pro-code developer tools
Salesforce to release new low-code and pro-code tools for developers, as well as DevOps Center, which catalogs app dev efforts and offers a planning platform. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2021
Salesforce adds more HR, employee tools to Work.com
Salesforce to release more employee experience tools on Work.com to support the onboarding and well-being of workers who remain remote after the pandemic passes. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
SAP Spartacus, headless and Commerce Cloud take center stage
In the wake of the pandemic, SAP users focus on e-commerce, and SAP puts new emphasis on headless configurations as well as its Upscale Commerce package. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2021
Salesforce Industries rolls out banking AI compliance tools
Salesforce now claims cloud customizations for 12 different vertical industries. Can this help them win new users from competitors who have released their own industry clouds? Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2021
Salesforce plugs CDP, WhatsApp into marketing, e-commerce
Salesforce connects its CDP to its platform's customer loyalty tech; Marketing Cloud integrates WhatsApp, SnapChat ads and Datorama advanced analytics reports. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
Salesforce low-code features in beta; GA slated for winter
Salesforce gives users a taste of Dynamic Interactions low-code features to come with a beta release of features planned for its next major platform update. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2021
Oracle CX adds subscription management, 3-D ad measurement
Oracle adds deeper subscription support for B2C and B2B users to its CX platform, as users look to tie renewals, billing and self-service to commerce revenue. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2021
Salesforce Digital 360 for Industries adds developer tools
Salesforce Digital 360 for Industries releases developer tools, templates and guides for users to build e-commerce storefronts, webpages and portals on its vertical-specific clouds. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2021
Salesforce updates vaccine distribution tool ahead of surge
President Biden moves COVID-19 vaccine availability deadline for American adults to April 19; Salesforce Vaccine Cloud adds asynchronous bookings on more channels to meet surge. Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2021
Microsoft pushes deeper into Dynamics 365 industry clouds
Microsoft's vertical industry strategy keeps pace with similar approaches from Oracle and Salesforce, which strive to woo users on the benefits of their platforms and data models. Continue Reading
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News
24 Mar 2021
Salesforce updates Sales Cloud for remote work
Salesforce created CRM tools for its own sales team's pandemic shift to remote work -- and is rolling out the ones it found most effective to all the platform's users. Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2021
ServiceMax releases Engage field service management app
ServiceMax Engage app gives users' customers a snapshot of their service contract benefits, and gives users vital updates for asset managements of property in the field. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2021
Salesforce tackles B2B rebate management automation
Salesforce's tool for manufacturer rebates may have applications in other verticals, as it automates typically spreadsheet-driven processes. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2021
Microsoft Dynamics 365 adds customer journey orchestration
Dynamics 365 users in marketing and sales get CX features forged from the pandemic economy that enable one-to-one digital experiences. Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2021
Salesforce Field Service spring release adds map features
Salesforce dubs pandemic and post-pandemic times 'the appointment economy' for field service operations and builds mobile app features to accommodate it. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Feb 2021
The top real estate CRM software
Today's competitive real estate market highlights the importance of CRM systems that provide listings management and property tracking, as well as typical CRM system features. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2021
ServiceNow, Salesforce deliver vaccine management tech
Salesforce releases Vaccine Cloud, tools that enable tracking and distribution of COVID-19 immunizations. ServiceNow also enters the technology space. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2021
Salesforce Ventures tops $3 billion invested
Salesforce Ventures continues to invest heavily in partners to help build out its platform as the pandemic evolves customer needs. Q&A with managing partner Matt Garratt. Continue Reading
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Infographic
30 Dec 2020
The history and evolution of CRM
Customer relationship management had simple beginnings, which evolved into a sophisticated system that helps businesses improve the overall customer experience. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Dec 2020
How the Salesforce-Zoom integration benefits sales
Video conferencing is now the primary form of communication for sales and marketing teams that rely heavily on meetings. The Salesforce Zoom integration increases efficiency. Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2020
Salesforce's acquisitions lead CX tech buying spree in 2020
Most CX vendors acquired new companies to enhance their platforms, none bigger than Salesforce buying Slack. Facebook's Kustomer buy might be the most intriguing. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Dec 2020
10 Dreamforce to You 2020 sessions for sales managers
DreamTX -- part of the Dreamforce to You 2020 lineup -- will offer a variety of relevant sessions for attending sales managers. Here's a peek at 10 of those sessions. Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Salesforce workflow automation tools, Hyperforce debut
Salesforce delivers new Einstein workflow automation tools and unveils what it calls the most significant tech advancement in the company's 21-year history. Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2020
Salesforce adds customer service management features
Salesforce adds AI-powered features to enable contact center workforce management and agent staffing models for call volume, as well as email and messaging channels. Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2020
Salesforce to acquire Slack for $27.7 billion
Salesforce acquired the Slack messaging platform for $27.7 billion. Experts weigh on in what Slack would bring to the Salesforce platform. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Nov 2020
Transactional vs. relationship marketing: Key differences
Some companies thrive on building strong relationships with customers, while others want to make a sale without long-term commitment. Either way, the business needs a strategy. Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2020
Salesforce Customer 360 Truth services go live
Salesforce releases a new bundle of services which includes ID management, privacy, security and compliance tools for Salesforce users' customers and employees. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Salesforce Revenue Cloud bolsters B2B e-commerce workflows
Salesforce, moving deeper into revenue ops, releases Revenue Cloud. It enables B2B digital sales with new pricing, billing and contracting models, as well as revenue forecasting. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2020
Oracle CX suite adds tools for sales teams, digital commerce
Oracle tackles sales rep and e-commerce experience in the latest update to its CX application stack, retuned for the pandemic's remote-work and digital sales uptick. Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2020
SAP CX application stack grows with addition of Emarsys
SAP scoops up a marketing automation platform with CDP capabilities, as well as personalization and the ability to reach customers across digital channels. Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2020
SAP customer data platform strategy comes into focus
SAP acquires Emarsys, which has a CDP included in its customer experience data handling toolbox. SAP execs shed light on how it will fit in with the company's own CDP. Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2020
Oracle CX targets communications industry with new apps
Oracle moves into vertical-specific digital experience customizations, starting with Oracle Digital Experience for Communications, with more to come. Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2020
SAP CDP the latest customer data platform on a crowded block
SAP released a customer data platform, following its CX platform competitors Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe and Oracle. The SAP CDP extends outside of the common marketing use case. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Salesforce Vlocity acquisition gives rise to new industry clouds
Four new vertical-specific clouds debut from Salesforce -- for media, telcos, government and utilities -- as fruits of its Vlocity acquisition earlier this year. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
HubSpot CRM gets enterprise makeover
HubSpot might not yet frighten Salesforce with its competing platform, which now includes enterprise CRM, but the company definitely pushes upmarket with its latest offering. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2020
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service to add voice channel
Leading a host of CX releases, Microsoft plans to add native voice telephony and voice-channel hooks for chatbots and transcription into its contact center platform. Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2020
Oracle CX upgrades focus on field service, contact center
Oracle adds self-service features, field tech tools and call center capabilities to its CX stack in response to customers' business needs in pandemic. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Salesforce e-commerce capabilities to expand with Mobify
Salesforce beefs up its headless e-commerce platform capabilities for enterprise retail customers with the acquisition of Mobify, a Canadian headless commerce hosting vendor. Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Salesforce Field Service features added to Winter '21 Release
Salesforce Field Service users can better pinpoint arrival times for their customers as well as other new capabilities coming in the Winter '21 Release. Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2020
Salesforce confirms around 1,000 layoffs after monster quarter
Salesforce says COVID-19 did not precipitate the layoff of about 1,000 employees, but the pandemic did show the company where customer needs are headed. Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Salesforce pulls plug on Einstein Voice Assistant
Salesforce's voice assistant made a big splash at Dreamforce last year, but the AI tool -- personified with the Einstein brand -- didn't survive the pandemic. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Oracle CX head Rob Tarkoff: Acquisition integrations complete
The executive vice president of CX and Oracle Data Cloud discusses how acquired technologies have been fully integrated into Oracle's customer experience SaaS application stack. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
Microsoft releases voice of the customer platform
Microsoft takes on Qualtrics with Dynamics 365 Customer Voice, a customer experience feedback tool native to its platform for retailers and B2B users. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
Salesforce beefs up e-commerce order management features
Salesforce adds B2C-friendly order-management features to support internationalization of e-commerce, as well as pre-built integrations to channels such as Google and Instagram. Continue Reading