Salesforce Rolls Out Commerce Cloud After Demandware Purchase

By Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Salesforce.com Inc. introduced a product that helps consumer companies track customers and improve online shopping, as the software maker seeks a broader lineup of services to fend off rivals.

The offering, called Commerce Cloud, is available Tuesday, adding to Salesforce’s products in areas such as customer relationship management, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement. The service is built on the acquisition of Demandware earlier this year. It taps existing options of Demandware’s software to manage e-commerce with extra features including artificial-intelligence tools and a new way to buy through Apple Inc.’s mobile payments system.

“It really enables us to deliver that end-to-end story,” said Stephanie Buscemi, executive vice president of product and solutions marketing. “Now, we’re able to have this unified commerce experience.”

Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff is investing in new products through a more aggressive acquisition strategy as he looks for ways to accelerate revenue growth against competition from Oracle Corp. and Microsoft Corp. The company acquired Demandware for $2.8 billion in July, its biggest deal ever. Salesforce also is considering a bid for Twitter Inc., the social media platform that includes data on executives and other potential contacts for salespeople, people familiar with the matter have said.

The new commerce service lets businesses manage shopping experiences on desktops, mobile devices and in physical stores. Those actions, and the data that come with them, are combined with other Salesforce services — including marketing — to help improve information on potential customers, according to Jeff Barnett, chief executive officer of commerce cloud.

“The understanding we have around the consumer is enriched through this commerce experience,” he said. “We’re dealing with the actual transaction and buying history — and developing a relationship with that consumer over time.”