G’day! So, Salesforce Sydney, a big deal in the tech world down under, had to make a bit of a change this year. Instead of the usual massive get-together, things went virtual. It’s a sign of the times, really, with everyone rethinking how we connect and do business. Let’s take a peek at what’s new and what it means for us.
Key Takeaways
- Salesforce Sydney shifted to an online event due to health concerns, showing how businesses are adapting.
- The future of work is all-digital and flexible, with tools like Slack becoming central to how we operate.
- Customer 360 is evolving into the main system for this new ‘Cloud 3.0’ era, connecting everything.
- AI, like Einstein, is being used more to make customer experiences personal and smart.
- Trust and values are more important than ever for businesses to grow and succeed.
Salesforce Sydney Goes Virtual Amidst Global Health Concerns
Well, it wasn’t quite the big in-person shindig everyone was expecting. Due to the whole global health situation that was really kicking off around early 2020, Salesforce made the call to shift their big Sydney World Tour event online. It was a pretty significant move, especially considering how many tech leaders from all over the Asia-Pacific region usually rock up to this thing. They renamed it ‘World Tour Sydney Reimagined’, which sounds a bit fancy, but really it just meant everyone tuned in from their own homes or offices.
World Tour Sydney Reimagined Shifts Online
This wasn’t just a minor tweak; it was a complete overhaul of how the event would run. Instead of thousands of people crammed into a convention centre, it became a digital stream. Think less networking over lukewarm coffee and more watching presentations on your screen. It was a big change for an event that usually draws a massive crowd, a real indicator of how quickly things were changing.
Prioritising Stakeholder Health and Safety
Honestly, it makes sense. The company put out a statement saying that the health and safety of everyone involved – customers, partners, and their own staff – was the top priority. They were keeping a close eye on how things were developing with the virus and wanted to be proactive. It’s a bit like when you’re planning a big family barbecue and a storm rolls in; you’ve got to make a call to keep everyone dry and safe, even if it means moving it indoors or rescheduling.
The decision to go virtual wasn’t taken lightly. It reflected a broader shift happening across industries, where public health concerns were forcing organisations to rethink traditional event formats and operational models. This pivot was about adapting to a new reality.
Impact on the Asia-Pacific Tech Landscape
This virtual switcheroo wasn’t just a Salesforce thing; loads of other tech events were getting the chop or going digital around the same time. Think Mobile World Congress in Barcelona getting cancelled, or Facebook pulling its Global Marketing Summit. For the Asia-Pacific tech scene, it meant that a key annual gathering, where ideas are shared and deals are often made, was suddenly happening through a screen. It definitely changed the dynamic and probably meant a lot of people had to find new ways to connect and get the information they needed.
The Evolution of Salesforce: Cloud 3.0 and the Future of Work
Right, so we’ve seen the cloud change a fair bit over the years, haven’t we? Back in the day, Cloud 1.0 was all about proving you could actually run business software through a web browser. Then, about ten years later, Cloud 2.0 hit, and suddenly our phones and social media were front and centre, changing how we thought about software. Now, we’re right in the thick of Cloud 3.0, and it’s a whole new ballgame.
From Cloud 1.0 to the All-Digital Era
Remember when just getting software to work online was a big deal? That was Cloud 1.0. Then came the smartphone revolution and social media with Cloud 2.0, making everything more connected and mobile. But this new era, Cloud 3.0, is different. It’s about working and collaborating from wherever you are, using tools like Slack and, of course, Salesforce. It’s not just about being online anymore; it’s about being connected and productive no matter your location. The way we work has fundamentally shifted, and it’s not going back.
Customer 360: The Operating System for Cloud 3.0
Salesforce has been busy turning its Customer 360 platform into what they’re calling the operating system for this new Cloud 3.0 world. Think about it: businesses need a way to sell, service, market, and handle e-commerce from anywhere. Whether your sales team is on a video call or your customer service centre is spread out, you need a system that just works. This platform aims to be that all-in-one solution, making sure you can keep up with the rapid pace of digital change.
Here’s a look at what Customer 360 aims to do:
- Sell from Anywhere: Equip your sales teams to connect and close deals regardless of location.
- Service from Anywhere: Provide customer support whether your team is in the office or remote.
- Market from Anywhere: Reach your customers through various channels, no matter where you or they are.
- E-commerce from Anywhere: Enable seamless online shopping experiences for customers.
The shift to Cloud 3.0 means businesses need to be agile and adaptable. The old ways of working just won’t cut it anymore. It’s about building systems that can handle constant change and keep everyone connected.
Embracing a Work-From-Anywhere Paradigm
This whole ‘work from anywhere’ thing isn’t just a temporary fix; it’s the new normal. Companies have had to completely rethink how they operate. Salesforce is positioning itself as the backbone for this new way of working. It’s about making sure that whether your employees are at home, in a co-working space, or even back in the office sometimes, they have the tools to be productive and connected. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about a cultural shift towards flexibility and trust.
Innovation and AI Driving Customer Experiences
Einstein: Personalisation at Scale
So, how are companies actually making customer experiences better, not just with fancy tech, but in ways that really count? Well, Salesforce has been putting a lot of effort into something called Einstein. Think of it as their AI brain for customer relationships. It’s not just about sending out generic emails anymore; Einstein helps tailor messages and offers to each person. It’s doing a massive amount of predictions every single day – we’re talking over 80 billion. This means it can figure out what products you might like on a website, or even help a chatbot understand what you’re asking for. It’s all about making things feel more personal, even when you’re dealing with a huge company.
Connecting Data Across Sales, Service, Marketing, and Commerce
One of the biggest headaches for businesses is when their different departments don’t talk to each other. Your sales team might know one thing about a customer, but the service team has no clue, and marketing is sending them offers that don’t make sense. Salesforce’s Customer 360 platform aims to fix this. It pulls all that information – from sales interactions, customer service calls, marketing campaigns, and online purchases – into one spot. This gives everyone a complete picture, a single source of truth, so they can work together better and give customers a more consistent experience. It’s like finally getting all the puzzle pieces to fit.
The Power of the Salesforce Ecosystem
It’s not just Salesforce’s own tools that are making waves. They’ve built this massive community around their platform. We’re talking about millions of developers, people who use Salesforce every day (they call them Trailblazers), and heaps of partner companies. This whole ecosystem works together to build new things and extend what Salesforce can do. It’s like a giant collaborative workshop where everyone’s contributing ideas and building on top of each other’s work. This collective effort is a big reason why they can keep pushing the boundaries on what’s possible with customer technology.
The way businesses connect with people has changed. It’s no longer enough to just have a good product. Companies need to understand their customers deeply, anticipate their needs, and be there for them across every single touchpoint. This requires a connected view of the customer and smart technology that can act on that information in real-time.
Here’s a quick look at how Einstein is making a difference:
- Personalised Recommendations: Suggesting products or content based on past behaviour.
- Predictive Lead Scoring: Helping sales teams focus on the most promising leads.
- Automated Case Routing: Getting customer service issues to the right person faster.
- Optimised Marketing Campaigns: Targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time.
Building Trust in a New World
The Growing Importance of Stakeholder Capitalism
It feels like the whole world’s changed, doesn’t it? We’re not just talking about how we work anymore, but about what businesses are actually for. Turns out, people are looking to companies more than governments for solutions these days. That’s a pretty big deal, and it means businesses have a responsibility to step up and help out. It’s not just about making a buck; it’s about looking after everyone involved – your staff, the local community, and even the planet. This idea, called stakeholder capitalism, is becoming the way forward. Companies that get this, that focus on doing good while doing well, are the ones that’ll stick around and thrive.
Salesforce’s Commitment to Values and Sustainability
Salesforce has always put trust right at the top of its list, and that’s not changing. It’s the bedrock for everything they do, from growing the business to making customers happy and coming up with new ideas. They’re really serious about their environmental goals too. For instance, they’ve managed to cut their emissions by a decent chunk, and they’re doubling down on looking after our oceans and sticking to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It shows they’re not just talking the talk; they’re walking the walk when it comes to being a responsible business.
Trust as the Foundation for Growth and Innovation
Think about it: if you don’t trust a company, are you really going to buy from them, work for them, or partner with them? Probably not. Trust is like the glue that holds everything together. For Salesforce, it’s the absolute number one value. It’s what allows them to innovate, to help customers succeed, and to build a more equal and sustainable future. Without that trust, none of the fancy tech or new strategies would really matter. It’s the starting point for everything, especially as we move into what they’re calling Cloud 3.0 – this new era of working from anywhere and being fully digital.
Hyperforce: A New Foundation for Customer 360
Re-architecting Salesforce for the Public Cloud
Salesforce has been busy behind the scenes, completely rebuilding its core platform. They’re calling it Hyperforce, and it’s a pretty big deal. Think of it like giving your house a brand-new, super-strong foundation. This isn’t just a minor update; it’s a fundamental shift. Salesforce is now running on public cloud infrastructure. This means they can be way more flexible and scale up or down much easier than before. It’s all about making sure the Customer 360 platform can keep up with how businesses operate today – and tomorrow.
Meeting Customers Where They Are
One of the biggest wins with Hyperforce is its ability to adapt to where your customers are. Whether they’re accessing your services from a laptop in Sydney, a tablet in Perth, or a phone in Brisbane, Salesforce can now handle it more smoothly. This global reach is key. It means data can be stored closer to your users, which can speed things up and help with all sorts of local regulations. It’s about making the experience consistent and reliable, no matter the device or location.
Enabling a Single Source of Truth
At its heart, Hyperforce is about making Customer 360 even better at being that central hub for all your business information. With everything running on this new, robust foundation, it’s easier to connect all the dots across sales, service, marketing, and commerce. This helps create that ‘single source of truth’ everyone talks about. When all your data is in one place, and it’s accurate, making smart decisions becomes a whole lot simpler. It cuts down on confusion and makes sure everyone in the company is looking at the same, up-to-date picture.
The shift to Hyperforce isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s about building a more agile and responsive business. It allows companies to adapt quickly to changing customer needs and market conditions, all while keeping data secure and accessible.
The Role of Slack in the Digital Workplace
So, with everyone working from pretty much anywhere these days, how do we actually get things done together? That’s where Slack comes in. Think of it as the digital hub for your team, the place where all the important conversations and collaborations happen. It’s not just about sending messages; it’s about bringing people, information, and tools into one spot.
Slack as the Digital HQ
Remember when the office was the main place for work? Well, that’s changed. Slack is stepping up to be the central point for businesses now, especially with so many people working remotely or in hybrid setups. It’s where you can:
- Keep up with team updates in real-time.
- Share files and documents easily.
- Connect with different departments and projects.
- Integrate your other work apps so everything’s in one place.
It’s basically the nerve centre for your organisation in this new work-from-anywhere world.
Accelerating Productivity and Growth
When teams can communicate and collaborate without a hitch, things just move faster. Slack helps cut down on endless email chains and makes it simpler to find the information you need, when you need it. This means less time spent searching and more time actually doing the work. For businesses, this speed translates directly into getting projects done quicker and spotting opportunities for growth sooner.
Integrating Slack with Customer 360
Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. Salesforce is bringing Slack right into the Customer 360 platform. What does that mean? It means your sales, service, and marketing teams can work together more effectively, all within Slack. Imagine a sales rep getting a notification in Slack about a customer service issue, or a marketing team member seeing feedback from sales directly in their channel. It connects all those different parts of your business, making sure everyone’s on the same page and can respond to customers faster and more personally.
This integration aims to create a more unified experience, breaking down silos between departments and allowing for quicker, more informed decision-making. It’s about making sure that the flow of information supports, rather than hinders, business operations in a distributed environment.
Wrapping Up
So, that’s a bit of a look at what’s been happening with Salesforce in Sydney. Even though the big conference went virtual this year because of, well, you know, it’s clear they’re still pushing ahead with some pretty big ideas. Things like Customer 360 and that whole ‘work from anywhere’ vibe seem to be the main focus. It’s all about making things simpler and more connected for businesses, no matter where people are working from. They’re also talking a lot about trust, which makes sense these days. It’ll be interesting to see how all these changes play out for businesses down under.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Salesforce Sydney go from an in-person event to an online one?
Salesforce decided to make the Sydney event all online because of worries about the coronavirus. They wanted to make sure everyone, including customers, partners, and their own staff, stayed safe and healthy. It’s like changing plans to keep everyone out of harm’s way.
What is Cloud 3.0?
Think of Cloud 3.0 as the next big step for how we use computers and the internet for work. The first step, Cloud 1.0, was about using websites instead of old software. Cloud 2.0 brought in phones and social media. Now, Cloud 3.0 is all about working from anywhere, using tools like Slack and video calls, making everything more connected and flexible.
How does Salesforce use AI like Einstein?
Einstein is like a super-smart helper for Salesforce. It uses artificial intelligence to make things personal for customers. For example, it can suggest products you might like on a shopping website or help answer your questions through a chatbot. It’s doing billions of these smart guesses every day to make your experience better.
What does ‘stakeholder capitalism’ mean for Salesforce?
Stakeholder capitalism means that Salesforce cares about more than just making money. They believe businesses have a responsibility to look after their employees, the communities they are part of, and the planet. It’s about doing good for everyone involved, not just the people who own the company.
What is Hyperforce?
Hyperforce is a new way Salesforce has built its system to work on public clouds, like those used by Amazon or Microsoft. This means Salesforce can work better wherever its customers are located. It’s like rebuilding the foundation of a house so it can stand strong anywhere.
How does Slack help people work together?
Slack is like a digital office where people can chat, share files, and work on projects together, no matter where they are. It helps teams talk faster and get more done. Salesforce sees Slack as a key part of its system, helping everyone connect and work more easily, especially when people are working from home or different locations.
