sfdc news highlights latest agentforce updates and product releases

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San Francisco skyline featuring the Salesforce Tower under a cloudy sky, captured from an aerial view.
Credit: pexels.com, San Francisco skyline featuring the Salesforce Tower under a cloudy sky, captured from an aerial view.

Agentforce has introduced a new feature that allows users to customize their dashboards with pre-built templates.

This feature is designed to make it easier for users to get started with Agentforce and tailor the platform to their specific needs.

One of the pre-built templates is specifically designed for sales teams, and it includes a dashboard that displays key performance indicators such as sales pipeline and customer interactions.

Agentforce has also released a new integration with a popular customer relationship management (CRM) system, allowing users to access their CRM data directly within Agentforce.

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Agentforce Updates

Agentforce has been updated with details on Agentforce for IT Service and more, including marketing privacy.

Salesforce has updated its page on Agentforce to include new information.

The new version of Agentforce, Agentforce 2.0, adds a pre-built skills library, Slack integration, a more powerful reasoning engine, and an agent testing center.

Salesforce has reported a 96% self-service resolution rate across nearly 10 million employee inquiries using Agentforce for HR internally.

Credit: youtube.com, What Is Agentforce and How Businesses Use AI Agents | Dreamforce 2024

Agentforce for HR Service is now available via the Agentforce Platform, HR Service Console, and Employee Portal, with Slack integration coming in June.

Salesforce has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, which will operate with Data Cloud, MuleSoft, and Tableau to improve Agentforce.

Agentforce is designed to take actions on its own using guardrails and can be customized without much technical knowledge, making it "AI for the rest of us."

Security and Trust

Salesforce has made significant strides in security and trust with its AI agents. The company takes security seriously, continually investing in research, development, and acquisitions to strengthen data protection.

Malicious actors are constantly evolving their tactics, targeting weaknesses in technology, processes, and people. Salesforce has recognized the importance of governance and guardrails in AI agents to prevent disasters.

The company has launched Agentforce, a new flexible pricing model designed to accelerate the adoption of AI agents across businesses. Agentforce aligns cost with business value delivered, making it easier for businesses to invest in AI.

Additional reading: Security Pacific Corp

Credit: youtube.com, Trusted Enterprise Security: Built on Salesforce

Salesforce has also announced initiatives to bring trust and governance to AI agents, acknowledging that weak governance can lead to AI project failures. The company aims to fix the gaps in data quality and governance to ensure trustworthy AI agents.

The company's acquisitions, focused on data security and voice AI capabilities, demonstrate its commitment to strengthening its security and trust offerings. Agentforce is designed to take actions on its own using guardrails and can be customized without much technical knowledge.

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Marketing and Sales

Salesforce has been making some exciting updates to its Marketing Cloud platform. The company has unveiled a new version called Marketing Cloud Next, which can generate and execute a marketing campaign in just hours.

This is a game-changer for businesses that need to move quickly with their marketing efforts. With Marketing Cloud Next, you can create a campaign, including briefs and segmentation, in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods.

For smaller businesses, Salesforce has also rolled out a new edition of Marketing Cloud called Marketing Cloud Growth. This edition is designed specifically for small businesses that lack the resources and personnel to handle complex marketing tasks.

Agentic Marketing Next

Credit: youtube.com, Agentic AI for Marketing: Real Examples & How to Use It

Salesforce has unveiled Marketing Cloud Next, an updated platform that can generate and execute a marketing campaign, including briefs and segmentation, in just hours.

This is a game-changer for businesses that want to move quickly in the market. The platform is designed to be more efficient and effective, allowing companies to stay ahead of the competition.

Marketing Cloud Next is a key part of Salesforce's push into marketing artificial intelligence (AI). The company is betting big on AI and its potential to transform the way businesses market themselves.

The platform's ability to generate and execute a marketing campaign quickly is a major advantage. It allows businesses to respond to changes in the market more rapidly and make data-driven decisions.

Salesforce is also getting closer to creating a "real" AI agent, according to recent announcements. This could have a significant impact on the way businesses use AI in their marketing efforts.

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Credit: youtube.com, Agentic Marketing: Power AI-Driven Campaigns with Marketing Cloud Next

The company's focus on customization is also noteworthy. With more ways to tailor the platform to a business's specific needs, companies can get more out of their marketing efforts.

At Dreamforce and HubSpot's Inbound, the talk has been all about agents and their ability to deliver on AI's promise. It's clear that Salesforce is serious about making AI a key part of its marketing offerings.

Spring Marketing Account Engagement Release Notes

The Spring '24 Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Release brings exciting features and enhancements, promising a more dynamic and user-friendly experience.

The release will cause functionality challenges from time to time, but Tectonic is always here to help keep your Account Engagement instance running smoothly.

To make the most of these new features, preparation is key, so stay informed and ready to explore the enhancements for a seamless experience.

Salesforce introduces features and enhancements far more frequently than three times a year for certain products, including off-schedule releases that can really sneak up on users and admins if they don't stay in the know.

The Spring '24 release commences its rollout to customer instances in mid-January 2024, with release notes for features introduced in January or February linked under a topic named “February '24 Release,” while those for features launched in March 2024 are found under the “March '24 Release” topic.

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Centre: London

Credit: youtube.com, Marketing & Sales internship in London

Salesforce officially opened its first dedicated AI Centre in London on the 18th of June. The event was part of Salesforce’s ‘AI Now Tour’ and was attended by over 100 admins and developers.

The AI Centre is a significant development for Salesforce, showcasing the company's commitment to artificial intelligence.

I was fortunate enough to attend the opening, and it was exciting to see the enthusiasm and interest from the attendees.

Predicts Lower Growth Due to CEO Problem Focus

Salesforce is predicting lower growth due to the CEO's focus on the problems with AI. Marc Benioff is prioritizing these issues over the company's success.

Salesforce's CEO, Marc Benioff, is shifting his attention from the company's achievements to the challenges of AI. This change in focus is likely to impact Salesforce's growth trajectory.

The problems with AI are significant, and Benioff is acknowledging them. By focusing on these issues, he's signaling that Salesforce is taking a more cautious approach to growth.

Lower growth predictions may affect Salesforce's stock price and investor confidence. It's essential for investors to understand the reasoning behind this change in outlook.

Benioff's emphasis on AI's problems highlights the importance of addressing these challenges in the tech industry.

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Close to Deal with Informatica

Credit: youtube.com, Deloitte Client Spotlight: Informatica

Salesforce is close to a deal with Informatica, a move that would give the CRM giant powerful data managing tools and a significant customer list. This acquisition would be a significant boost to Salesforce's capabilities.

The deal would also bring more AI technology to Salesforce, which is already a focus area for the company. Salesforce has been on a mini acquisition spree to bolster data security and voice AI capabilities.

Informatica's data managing tools would be a great addition to Salesforce's existing suite of products. This would allow Salesforce to better manage and analyze customer data.

The acquisition would likely have a significant impact on Salesforce's customer base, with Informatica's customer list being a valuable asset.

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Product Releases and Updates

Salesforce is constantly innovating and releasing new features and updates to its platform. This includes the Salesforce Maps Summer 24 Update, which is updating its mapping framework from raster to vector for improved scale and performance.

Credit: youtube.com, Product Releases: Powered by Customers

The vector maps upgrade will retire the raster maps framework in a future major release, so it's essential to test it in sandboxes or with a subset of users in production environments before the upgrade affects all users. Some customers may experience problems with custom code under a MapAnything statement of work, requiring updates to references to new APIs.

Salesforce also introduces features and enhancements far more frequently than three times a year for certain products, with updates occurring as frequently as monthly. This means that users and admins need to stay informed about the latest developments on Salesforce off-schedule releases.

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Agentforce 2.0 Key Features

Agentforce 2.0 has a pre-built skills library, which is a significant upgrade from its previous version.

This means that users can access a wide range of pre-built skills and knowledge that can be used to power their AI agents.

Agentforce 2.0 also integrates with Slack, allowing users to easily communicate with their AI agents and receive support.

Credit: youtube.com, Salesforce Agentforce 2.0 | Deep Into The Agentforce 2.0 Key Features

The integration with Slack is a game-changer for many users, as it makes it easy to get help when they need it.

A more powerful reasoning engine is another key feature of Agentforce 2.0, allowing AI agents to make more informed decisions and provide better support.

This is a major upgrade from the previous version, and it will make a big difference for users who rely on Agentforce for support.

Finally, Agentforce 2.0 includes an agent testing center, which allows users to test and refine their AI agents before deploying them.

This is a great feature for users who want to make sure their AI agents are working correctly before they go live.

Unveils Major Integration

Salesforce has unveiled major integrations that will change the way we work.

Specialized Slack channels will let users stay up to date on structured and unstructured CRM data and keep teams aligned.

The company has also integrated ecommerce storefronts into its Salesforce Starter and Pro Suites, allowing for marketing, sales, and service capabilities.

Credit: youtube.com, ZoomInfo Launches Enrich Premium+ & Multi-LinkedIn Integration | Product Updates

Salesforce has also made significant upgrades to its Data Cloud, which it considers the biggest upgrade in its history.

The new capabilities in Data Cloud include a close connection with the Agentforce AI bots.

This integration will make it easier for businesses to automate tasks and make data-driven decisions.

Salesforce has also enhanced its Health Cloud and Financial Services Industry, bringing about big changes for healthcare and financial services solutions.

The enhancements include features such as slot broadcasting, intelligent medication management, and a self-service patient portal.

These upgrades will enable healthcare providers to deliver connected health in the home and process referrals faster.

In addition, Salesforce has also made enhancements to its Mulesoft, Slack, and Customer Success platforms.

These enhancements include new I/O variables based on JSON that make integration easier and bots that can be pooled to scale up or down as needed.

The company has also introduced a new Policy Development Kit that allows developers to build custom policies for Anypoint Flex Gateway using Rust.

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Summer 24 Update

Credit: youtube.com, Outpost24 Product Release Updates - Summer 2020

Salesforce is updating its mapping framework from raster to vector in Summer '24, which will improve scale and performance.

This update also includes improved integrations with Esri data and a refined user experience.

You can enable the new Vector maps experience by enabling the “Preview Enhanced User Experience” setting in Maps Permission Groups.

Salesforce Maps will retire its raster maps framework in a future major release.

Some Salesforce Maps customers who implemented custom code under a MapAnything statement of work may experience problems with those customizations.

Updating custom code may require you to migrate code to a screen flow or Lightning Web Component within Salesforce Maps as a custom action.

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Spring Updates to Analytics, Einstein, Net Zero

Salesforce has made significant updates to Analytics, Einstein, and Net Zero, making it easier for businesses to make data-driven decisions.

The Spring '24 release brings exciting features and enhancements to Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, promising a more dynamic and user-friendly experience.

Credit: youtube.com, Spring '24 Release Highlights | Salesforce

Einstein features and platform changes are now rolled out as frequently as monthly, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.

The new features include a close connection with the Agentforce AI bots, which will help businesses make the most of their data.

Salesforce has also enhanced its Health Cloud and Financial Services Industry solutions, making it easier for healthcare providers to manage patient data and for financial institutions to personalize customer experiences.

The updated Health Cloud features include slot broadcasting, intelligent medication management, and a self-service patient portal, making it easier for patients to manage their care.

In addition, the Financial Services Industry solutions now include unified customer data, personalized financial engagement, and automation templates, making it easier for businesses to streamline their operations and improve customer experiences.

Salesforce is committed to helping businesses achieve Net Zero, with updates to its platform and tools to support sustainability efforts.

The Spring '24 release is expected to bring significant improvements to Analytics, Einstein, and Net Zero, making it easier for businesses to make data-driven decisions and achieve their sustainability goals.

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Company News and Announcements

Credit: youtube.com, Salesforce CEO confirms 4,000 layoffs ‘because I need less heads' with AI

The upcoming Spring '24 release of Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement promises a more dynamic and user-friendly experience, with exciting features and enhancements.

Tectonic's Salesforce Marketing Consultant Shannan Hearne is highlighting the importance of preparation to make the most of these new features. Stay informed and ready to explore the enhancements for a seamless experience.

Salesforce's release updates may cause functionality challenges, but Tectonic is here to help keep your Account Engagement instance running smoothly.

Laying Off Amid Hiring Push

Salesforce is laying off 1,000 employees as part of a company-wide restructuring effort.

The laid-off employees will reportedly be able to apply for other positions within the company.

This move is happening at the same time as Salesforce is adding 2,000 sales positions due to high demand for AI products.

The added sales positions are likely to be filled by individuals with skills and experience in AI and related technologies.

It's a challenging time for those who are being laid off, but it's also a testament to the company's adaptability and willingness to evolve with the market.

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Notice of Non-Renewal

Credit: youtube.com, Non-renewal notices from insurance companies

Salesforce is retiring the Salesforce CMS Sundown, which means you won't be able to renew your subscription after March 1, 2025.

You have an active subscription to Salesforce CMS within Marketing or Experience Cloud, so you're likely impacted by this change.

Beginning March 2, 2025, you won't be able to renew your Salesforce CMS subscriptions, but you can continue using your current subscription through your existing term.

No action is required from you, but if you have questions, contact your Account Executive about your Salesforce CMS subscription.

For your interest: Fehb Premium Increase 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Salesforce have a future?

Yes, Salesforce has a promising future with plans for significant growth and innovation. Its focus on AI and machine learning will drive greater personalization and data-driven insights.

Why are companies leaving Salesforce?

Companies are leaving Salesforce due to rising costs, limited flexibility, and underutilized features. Many are seeking more adaptable and cost-effective solutions to meet their evolving business needs.

Carole Veum

Junior Writer

Carole Veum is a seasoned writer with a keen eye for detail and a passion for financial journalism. Her work has appeared in several notable publications, covering a range of topics including banking and mergers and acquisitions. Veum's articles on the Banks of Kenya provide a comprehensive understanding of the local financial landscape, while her pieces on 2013 Mergers and Acquisitions offer insightful analysis of significant corporate transactions.

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