Technology Magazine March 2025 | Page 153

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
alesforce , the enterprise software company founded in 1999 , has evolved from disrupting basic sales management to leading the integration of AI in business software .
The company emerged when enterprise software required substantial infrastructure investment . Large organisations spent millions on complex systems requiring dedicated servers , constant maintenance , and technical support teams . This created barriers for smaller companies seeking to manage customer relationships effectively . Marc Benioff , a former Oracle executive , along with co-founders Parker Harris , Frank Dominguez and Dave Moellenhoff , identified an opportunity to deliver software through web browsers . Their initial product enabled businesses to track sales leads and customer interactions without installing software locally – a model now known as cloud computing .
From sales tracking to complete CRM platform The company ’ s early success came from simplifying sales force automation – tools that help teams track leads and customer contacts . This resonated with small businesses but also attracted large enterprises seeking more efficient solutions .
In 2004 , Salesforce launched AppExchange , a marketplace enabling external developers to create applications that integrate with its platform .
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