The Official Salesforce Blog

The Official Salesforce Blog

The Official Salesforce Blog

  • The Signs are Unmistakable

    Peter Coffee Dec 4, 2009

    I was privileged this week to participate in the thirteenth Future Trends Forum, convened in Madrid by the Foundation of Innovation of Bankinter. We spent a vigorous day and a half in conversations under the dual theme of "The Crowd in the Cloud": we looked at the technology and business issues of cloud computing, and at the social/educational/political and other potential opportunities and consequences of crowdsourcing mechanisms and social network facilities.AtBankInter

    I had an opportunity to present some views on cloud computing at the higher levels of the stack, the enterprise platform and application layers -- complementing input from other providers in the area commonly labeled Infrastructure as a Service. (PDF of my presentation available for download; video highlights now on line, presentations to be available at a near-future date.) Clearly, there's overlap across the various strata of the cloud: the focus of my own comments, though, at this kind of event is increasingly on the productivity gains for developers and the dramatic elevation of IT returns, rather than the less transforming topic of IT cost containment.

    After all, anyone who wants to spend less on IT is free to do so: the problem is, one's competitors will likely proceed to make investments whose returns amply justify their costs, and make the company with merely cheap IT unable to compete at modern levels of quality and service.

    As to the social impacts, there are interesting dualities. The barrier to forming a company is much lower when the up-front capital required for office space, IT capability, and even manufacturing capacity becomes a variable cost at variable scale -- rather than a large, fixed pre-investment in the capacity that one hopes to be successful enough to need. Trending in the other direction, the massive economies of scale of an Amazon, a Google, or a salesforce.com are only available -- and are dramatically increased -- as the scale of cloud service provision goes up.

    Cynernetics Meanwhile, it seems to me that we're required to consider the implications of Norbert Wiener's warning -- at least, I think he meant it as a warning -- about the impact of greater access to affordable automation of intellectual tasks. He compared this to the introduction of machine power into manual tasks during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, and said: "The modern industrial revolution is similarly bound to devalue the human brain, at least in its simpler and more routine decisions... Taking the second revolution as accomplished, the average human being of mediocre attainments or less has nothing to sell that is worth anyone's money to buy." Writing that in 1948 must surely qualify as one of the greatest-ever feats of predicting a pervasive social impact from what was then only the most nascent of technologies.

    And yet, here we are: the technology is undeniably in place and still improving, as witness this week's introduction by Intel of a 48-core chip (photo below right) consuming only 25 to 125 watts (depending on workload). The capital efficiencies and energy efficiencies of massive cloud data centers will continue to improve at a Moore's Law rate, while those of the fat client struggle for merely incremental gain.48CoresCroppedSized

    The social effects are likewise here, as witness this week's tight feedback loop -- enabled by tools like Google Wave and Twitter -- that led the government of Spain to refine its approach to intellectual property protection on the Web.

    The fundamental forces are evident, the trend is clear. It's up to us to do it right -- because the choice of whether or not to do it has already been made.

  • Vote for Your Favorite Spring '10 Logo

    marilynl Dec 2, 2009
    It's time for you to weigh-in on which logo should represent Spring '10.  Vote now!


    Sp10_a 

    Sp10_b 

    Sp10_c


    Log on to the IdeaExchange and start posting, voting and commenting on Ideas!  Watch our Dreamforce '08 breakout session to learn more about how you can use the IdeaExchange to influence our product roadmap.

    ~IdeaExchange Program Manager

  • Share Your Dreamforce Videos on YouTube

    Jamie Grenney Nov 20, 2009

    At Dreamforce there were lots of Flip Cameras and iPhones capturing all the action. If you've got a video you'd like to share with the community, post it to YouTube and tag it with Dreamforce. We've been watching YouTube and have already started to see some great stuff. We'll add to the playlist and start assembling the best clips from the community.  

  • Post Your Dreamforce Photos to Flickr

    Jamie Grenney Nov 20, 2009

    When you get home from Dreamforce upload your photos to Flickr and share them with the community. If you tag them as "Dreamforce" or "DF09" and we can go through and add the best ones to our favorites album. We're already starting to see some fantastic photos turn up!

    Dreamforce Photos

    Keep an eye on our Facebook Fan Pages as well (Dreamforce & Salesforce). We'll be adding photos there in the coming days. 

  • The Dreamforce Daily - Friday

    Erica Kuhl Nov 20, 2009

    Dfdaily20th
    Join the conversation at Dreamforce

    There are plenty of ways to connect via social media channels. To join the conversation on Twitter, use hashtag #df09.

    THURSDAY HIGHLIGHTS
    General session - Force.com platform
    "When are you going to ask for innovation," salesforce.com Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff challenged the audience, before introducing Force.com and the new Chatter social platform as “fresh, exciting ways to break out of the status quo” presented by traditional platforms. Executives from companies including BMC, Vetrazzo, Japan's Lawson, Avon, CA, Appirio, and Accenture joined Marc on stage to demo new applications built on Force.com.

    Special general session - General Colin Powell inspires
    An impassioned Marc Benioff took the stage to showcase the great work the Salesforce.com Foundation does for the community, including donating $2 million to a new University of California San Francisco children’s hospital. He warmly introduced his friend, General Colin L. Powell (Ret.), who received a standing ovation.

    General Powell regaled the crowd with funny stories of life after his Secretary of State post, such as becoming a proud owner of a Corvette. He imparted the audience with notions of ideal leadership, including contributing to society, always taking care of one’s “troops,” being a disciplinarian when necessary, and most importantly, being trustworthy. General Powell held the 8,000+ audience rapt, and reminded us all to be self-motivated and inspired.

    4th annual Appy Awards
    Congratulations to all our Appy Award winners! We’re in awe of the amazing ways they’re using salesforce.com technologies.
    Sales Cloud Appy: Jamie Cornell, Chief Marketing Officer, Prudential Retirement (deployment by Deloitte)
    Power of Us Appy: Susan Troen, Director of Data Services, Year Up
    MVP Admin Appy: Emily Kranz, VP of Customer Facing Operations, Listingbook, LLC
    Chief Innovator Appy: Yoichi Yokomizo, EVP and CIO, Lawson, Inc.
    Custom Cloud Appy: Joe Drouin, CIO, Kelly Services, Inc.
    Enterprise Deployment Appy: Junichiro Hisada, Director of IT, Sompo Japan Insurance, Inc.
    Best Partner App Appy: DocuSign (as voted by thousands of Dreamforce attendees and tallied by a Force.com custom app designed by CloudConnect)

    Tons of sessions
    Thursday was packed with sessions, starting bright and early at 7:30 a.m. In our ever-popular hands-on sessions, attendees got to practice what they were learning right in salesforce.com.

    Missed a session? You can download the slides for this or any of the Dreamforce sessions in the Attendee Portal. After Dreamforce ends, most sessions will be available on YouTube, and in early December, we'll add them to the Dreamforce Web site. So even if you missed something, you won't miss a thing!

    Cloud Crawl
    At press time the Dreamforce crowd was making their way to the Temple Nightclub to get their drink on. Partygoers collected stamps from Cloud Crawl sponsors to earn an invitation to experience San Francisco’s South of Market nightclub scene.

    Are you ready for your close up? See photos from Dreamforce on our Facebook page, and feel free to post your own!

    ON TAP TODAY
    As you attend the final sessions of Dreamforce 2009 today, take a moment to pull out your calendar and...

    Save the date for Dreamforce 2010
    It's never too early to get excited about the next Dreamforce! Enter December 6-9, 2010 into your calendar.
    We'll see you next year!

    TODAY'S FEATURED SESSIONS
    See the future: Find out what’s in store for salesforce.com in upcoming releases.

    Platform Road Map: Administrator Tools of the Future
    10:15–11:15 a.m.
    Esplanade 310
    Adam Torman, salesforce.com; Patricia Orr, salesforce.com; Mary Scotton, salesforce.com

    The Service Cloud Road Map: What’s Next?
    11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
    North 121/122
    Larry Robinson, salesforce.com

    Product Road Map: Sneak Peek into the Future
    11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
    North 133
    William Moxley, salesforce.com

    Analytics Road Map
    11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
    Esplanade 306
    Thomas Tobin, salesforce.com; Leo Tenenblat, salesforce.com

    DON'T MISS
    Cloud Expo
    Have you made you way to the Cloud Expo yet? If not, head over there this morning before Dreamforce winds down so you won't miss the latest cloud-computing innovations from over 250 sponsors. Prepare to be wowed with over 1,000 solutions, ideas, and advice.

    And don't forget to stop by the AppExchange Test Drive Zone, where you can learn what's new with the world's first marketplace for cloud-computing applications. While you're there, find out how you can get behind the wheel of a Tesla, the world's first high-performance, 100% electric vehicle.
    Location: Moscone North, Hall D

    AND FINALLY...
    Have fun! Get out there and explore the sessions, meet people, get your questions answered, and enjoy your time at Dreamforce.

    And don’t forget to tell us what you think about the sessions you've attended. Take a session survey by logging into the Attendee Portal or finding a survey kiosk in Moscone South. Complete a survey, and you'll be entered to win one of several iPod Nanos in our daily drawings.

    Thursday's iPod Nano winners:
    David Ledrowski, Progress Software
    Joy Tewksbury-Pabst, Hayes Management Consulting
    Mike Burroughs, Benelicious-ISV Edition
    Rob Burkett, Benefitfocus.com, Inc.
    Toshiyuki Zamma, Gartner Co, Ltd.
    Jessica Rush, Jobing.com
    Deborah Parker, Liberty Mutual
    James Scott, Tiburon
    Jamie Hooper, Independent Community Bankers of America-ICBA
    Heather Deloughrey, M Squared
    Ethan Granger, Land Advisors Organization LLC
    Tilmin Hudson, CPP Inc.
    Robert Duncan, Make-A-Wish Foundation of British Columbia and Yukon
    Sujata Nakhre, Network Solutions LLC

    Thanks for making Dreamforce such a huge success… Hope to see you next year!

  • The Dreamforce Daily - Thursday

    Erica Kuhl Nov 19, 2009

    Dfdaily19th
    Join the conversation at Dreamforce

    There are plenty of ways to connect via social media channels. To join the conversation on Twitter, use hashtag #df09.

    WEDNESDAY HIGHLIGHTS
    Opening keynote - Join the conversation
    Marc Benioff’s rousing keynote actually began not with a speech, but with an amazing video of people surfing through the clouds into the future… and the future looks bright. Marc revealed upcoming additions to the popular Service Cloud 2 and Sales Cloud 2 applications and unveiled our latest innovation: Chatter, which had the crowd buzzing over the potential for this new way to collaborate at work.

    The audience was also treated to a sneak peek of the new user interface for salesforce.com (coming in 2010) and a special welcome from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who talked with Marc about the many ways the Salesforce.com Foundation makes an impact in the community.

    Sessions, sessions, and more sessions

    It's the number-one reason people come to Dreamforce: the information-packed sessions, filled with best practices, how-tos, expert panels, vertical case studies, and more. Like Wednesday's Platform State of the Union session, where Force.com platform experts laid out the vision and direction of salesforce.com's cloud platform, and encouraged everyone to raise their expectations of what a platform can be.

    Missed it? You can download the slides for this or any of the Dreamforce sessions in the Attendee Portal. After Dreamforce ends, most sessions will be available on YouTube, and in early December, we'll add them to the Dreamforce Web site. So even if you missed something, you won't miss a thing!

    Gain quick access to Dreamforce conference information using your mobile device:
    iPhone
    BlackBerry

    Developer Hackathon

    Hundreds of developers flooded the Force.com Zone to race against the clock in our biggest-ever Hackathon. Beginners and experts alike put their best code forward in Mission: Impossible-themed challenges, competing for iPods, a Dell Alienware M15x, and a MacBook Air. Go to blog.sforce.com to see who took top honors, and thanks again to everyone who took part!

    Global Gala – The Black Crowes keep the energy flowing
    Wednesday night was capped off with good food and great entertainment as everyone rocked out to the Black Crowes, "the most rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll band in the world," according to one critic. Veteran rockers the brothers Robinson and company played to a packed house that was ready to cut loose after the first full day of Dreamforce. C’mon, you were dancing, admit it…

    Are you ready for your close up? See photos from Dreamforce on our Facebook page, and feel free to post your own!

    ON TAP TODAY
    Here are some of the highlights from today's agenda:

    General session: Marc Benioff and special guests (9:00–11:00 a.m.)
    The sky's the limit when building apps in the cloud. Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff talks about new platform and infrastructure innovations that will change the way you think about platform as a service.
    Location: Moscone South, Halls B & C

    Birds-of-a-Feather lunch (12:30–1:30 p.m.)
    Satisfy your hunger at the Birds-of-a-Feather roundtable lunch. Today you’ll network and nosh with people in your industry who are facing many of the same challenges and triumphs you face.
    Location: Moscone North, Hall D

    Special general session: Colin Powell (4:15–5:45 p.m.)
    --> Plus the 4th annual Appy Awards
    Former U.S. Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell (Ret.) shares valuable lessons on leadership in the era of real-time collaboration. And, we'll celebrate our heroes as we present the 4th annual Appy Awards.
    Location: Moscone South, Halls B & C

    Cloud Crawl (9:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m.)
    You don't need no stinking sleep! Join the nightcrawlers at the Temple Nightclub. Earn access to this exclusive Force.com party by collecting stamps from the sponsors listed on the Cloud Crawl card in your badge holder.

    TODAY'S FEATURED SESSIONS
    Join the breakfast club: Get Thursday off to an early start with coffee and sessions.

    Running IT in the Cloud
    7:30–8:30 a.m.
    Esplanade 307
    Kirsten Wolberg, salesforce.com; Russ Nelson, salesforce.com; Jeff Smits, salesforce.com

    How Salesforce.com Uses Salesforce CRM for Marketing Excellence
    7:30–8:30 a.m.
    North 134
    Lisa (Plotczyk) Lee, salesforce.com

    Eureka: Data Nirvana
    7:30–8:30 a.m.
    Esplanade 304
    Tracy Johnston, Freeman; Erik Karlberg, salesforce.com; Suzanne Serwe, Brady Corporation

    Salesforce CRM Admin Excellence: Setting Up Salesforce CRM for Sales Success
    7:30–8:30 a.m.
    North 132
    Jenny Truong, salesforce.com; Randy Edgar, salesforce.com; Heather Ramsdell, salesforce.com; Michael Fullmore, salesforce.com; Sriram Iyer, salesforce.com

    Managing Change: How to Win Friends and Influence People
    7:30–8:30 a.m.
    Esplanade 306
    Laura Hendrix, Freeman; Joe Harris, Beazer Homes; Jennifer Olaru, salesforce.com

    DON'T MISS
    Force.com Zone
    The Force.com Zone is the conference-within-a conference for technical attendees and partners. Build an app with self-paced tutorials or get help from a Force.com expert. Attend technical sessions to expand your knowledge. Get your problems solved or do a code review with 1:1 consultations. Lounge and learn with a hot cup of coffee. There's truly something for everyone in the Force.com Zone:

    • Immersion Lab
    • Code Consultations
    • Partner Sessions
    • Partner Conversations
    • Stratus Cafe
    • Twitter Vue

    Location: The Esplanade in Moscone South

    AND FINALLY...
    Have fun! Get out there and explore the sessions, meet people, get your questions answered, and enjoy your time at Dreamforce.

    And don’t forget to tell us what you think about the sessions you've attended. Take a session survey by logging into the Attendee Portal or finding a survey kiosk in Moscone South. Complete a survey, and you'll be entered to win one of several iPod Nanos in our daily drawings.

    Wednesday's iPod Nano winners:
    Adam Bataran, Crossbeam
    Link Cornelius, James Hardie Building Products
    Kent Manning, LI-COR, Inc.
    Jeffrey McAleer, Wells Fargo Advisors
    Kathy Miller, Univar
    Thad Puckett, The Karis Group Inc.
    David Schild, Phoenix Technologies
    Tahir Sheikh, Ingenuity Systems
    Brandy Wallace, DeRoyal Industries Inc.
    Steve Weinberg, Inolex Chemical Co.
    Brian Wenzl, Demand Solutions Group
    Saranda West, DAXKO
    Patricia Wheatley, Tendril
    Michelle Wiest, Transilwrap Co., Inc.

  • What has 19,000 registered attendees, 300+ sessions and the mayor of San Francisco?

    Katy Dormer Nov 18, 2009

    With 19,000 attendees registered from more than 60 countries, it’s clear that Dreamforce 2009 is the global cloud computing event of the year!

    The excitement kicked off yesterday with attendees swarming the Cloud Expo eager to see the latest offerings from the incredible partners exhibiting. Despite the lack of wiggle room, an aloha vibe permeated the floor (fostered by the spirit of the attendees and the hula dancers who greeted guests with leis). The energy only grew for the keynote today, with many attendees standing along the sides of the keynote space eager to hear the latest news from salesforce.com.

    Marc Benioff began his address by thanking customers, members of the press, and analysts for their belief in the cloud computing model and company. It was inspiring to hear about the nearly 70,000 customers on the service. Salesforce.com’s focus on all companies—and democratizing the industry so all companies can succeed—resonated as strong as ever. “Salesforce is a great equalizer if a little company like mine can benefit,” an excited Denise Jackson, vice president of client services at Medical Research Consultants in Houston told me over lunch.

    Several guests joined Marc on stage this morning, including San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom (who ditched his tie when he saw Marc without one). In addition to sharing interesting facts about San Francisco, the birthplace of the United Nations, and a city of “dreamers, doers, entrepreneurs, and on the leading and cutting edge of technology,” Mayor Newsom recognized salesforce.com for its dedication to the eco center being built at Bayview Hunter’s Point and Project Homeless Connect, which has used Salesforce CRM to track the impact of its work. (Since monitoring its data trough Salesforce CRM, Homeless Connect has tracked that it has taken 10,133 people off the street.) “What you folks did is a big deal,” said Mayor Newsom. Jay Banfield, the executive director of Year Up in the Bay Area also visited and shared how the nonprofit received seed funding, hundreds of volunteer hours, and Salesforce CRM to support its mission of helping urban young adults earn careers in technology. The results of the program are incredible: after working with the organization, 85% of participants find work within four months.

    Of course everyone was waiting to hear the latest about salesforce.com technology and after sharing details about the next generation of services: Sales Cloud 2, Service Cloud 2, and Custom Cloud 2, Marc introduced a new cloud, a new category for salefsorce.com, and a multi-billion market opportunity. Describing it as the  “biggest and most important breakthrough in salesforce.com’s 10 and a half year history,” Marc revealed Salesforce Chatter, a secure enterprise collaboration application and social development platform, which will change the way businesses work. 

    In addition to being introduced to Salesforce Chatter and an entirely new way to work, customers, partners and developers were also pleased to meet Chatty, a new best friend for Sassy, and a welcome new addition to the salesforce.com family.

    Chatty
    Stay tuned for more exciting news from salesforce.com at Dreamforce tomorrow!

  • What is everyone talking about? Salesforce Chatter!

    Katy Dormer Nov 18, 2009

    Just a few minutes ago, Marc Benioff took the stage for Dreamforce's opening keynote and unveiled our biggest breakthrough ever,  Salesforce Chatter. Salesforce Chatter represents a new secure enterprise collaboration application and social development platform and salesforce.com's first enterprise-wide app.  Salesforce Chatter brings the best of the consumer Web’s social networking models to the enterprise, allowing all employees across any business to collaborate in real time with a secure, private social network. 

     

    Social computing has changed the game on the consumer Web by allowing people to gain insight -- in real time -- into what’s going on in their world.  But despite the obvious efficiency benefits, this kind of collaboration hasn’t made it to the enterprise level.  Traditionally, content, applications and people have been disconnected and part of separate conversations.  Determining what employees were working on, or determining the status of any given opportunity meant scrolling through endless e-mail chains (we can practically hear the frustrated sighs) or scheduling back-to-back conference calls for updates.  The result?  Time, energy and resources wasted.

     

    Salesforce Chatter changes that.  Content, applications and people can now -- securely and privately -- join the real-time conversation.  Employees will be able to efficiently collaborate and share up-to-the-minute information via profiles, status updates, feeds, groups and more.  And content and applications will be able to join the conversation by talking to users through their feed when ever there is a change in data or status. And, just as the Salesforce Chatter application will enable businesses to create an effective conversation, the Chatter social platform will empower developers to easily build social enterprise applications -- and all 135,000 native Force.com apps will instantly become social.  This means that whatever application your business needs can be developed and shared with ease.

     

    Salesforce.com is in a unique position to deliver this kind of social, enterprise-class application -- we’ve got proven security, a trusted sharing model and house critical business information in our cloud applications.  What we’re really happy about, though, is being able to leverage this unique position to make companies smarter, more informed and better able to make those critical business decisions that best serve their customers, partners and employees.

     

    More information can be found at http://www.salesforce.com/chatter and be sure to check out Chatter for yourself in the demo video:



  • The Dreamforce Daily - Wednesday

    Erica Kuhl Nov 18, 2009

    Dfdaily18th
    Join the conversation at Dreamforce

    There are plenty of ways to connect via social media channels. To join the conversation on Twitter, use hashtag #df09. 

    TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTS
    Dreamforce volunteers
    More than 260 Dreamforce attendees kicked off their conference experience by volunteering in San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood, where the EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park is soon to be the first environmental facility that is 100 percent “off the grid.” Volunteers spent Tuesday installing pathways; building sign holders, benches, and planters; and creating a mosaic tile wall, among other activities.

    The executive director of the nonprofit that is building the center said the 11-year project is nearly complete. “The work done today is bringing us a thousand hours closer to the opening of EcoCenter,” said Malik Looper of Literacy for Environmental Justice. “This might have taken months to accomplish,” added Karen Nemsick, executive director of Rebuilding Together, which helped organize the event. “We are bringing them over the top.”

    First-timer orientation
    More than 750 people attended Tuesday's first-timer orientation. They got great strategies for making the most of Dreamforce--not just from Conference Chair Tom Wong and other Dreamforce insiders, but from Dreamforce old-timers, who shared their stories and advice. One new tool not to be missed: the Attendee Portal, where people can find all the session decks, take advantage of "friendfinder," and much, much more.

    Welcome reception
    It's official! Dreamforce started in true Aloha style with the ever-popular first-night reception in the Cloud Expo, where guests were greeted by ukulele music and hula dancers. It was a large crowd including everyone from seasoned alumni to first-timers, customers to partners, and locals to international travelers (representing 60 countries)… all mingling with fellow cloud enthusiasts and checking out the latest cloud-computing solutions from 250 sponsors.

    Are you ready for your close up? See photos from Dreamforce on our Facebook page, and feel free to post your own!

    ON TAP TODAY
    Here are some of the highlights from today's agenda:

    Opening keynote with Marc Benioff and special guests (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
    A highlight of the conference. Don't miss salesforce.com Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff talk about the future of cloud-computing applications. Be there to hear the salesforce.com news that everyone will be buzzing about later today!
    Location: Hall C of Moscone South

    Developer Hackathon (5:45 - 8:00 p.m.)
    Advanced and intermediate developers will want to hone their skills, share tips, and compete for prizes at the Force.com Developer Hackathon, back by popular demand.
    Location: Force.com Zone in the Esplanade, Moscone South

    Networking reception + Global Gala (reception: 5:45 - 8:00 p.m.; gala: 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.)
    Join us in the Cloud Expo for the single biggest networking event of the year, capped off by a private concert featuring the Black Crowes.
    Location: Moscone North, Hall D (reception); Moscone South, Halls B & C (gala)

    DON'T MISS
    Service Cloud 2 Live @ Dreamforce
    Have a question about Dreamforce? Wanna see the Service Cloud in action? Do both at the Service Cloud 2 Live @ Dreamforce.

    Check out our live Service Cloud-powered contact center, right in the middle of Dreamforce. Watch as our agents take phone calls, Tweet, email, and help you and fellow Dreamforce attendees get the most of our their Dreamforce experience. Walk up to our help desk or concierge service, and experience service in the cloud yourself.
    Location: Salesforce.com Campground in the Cloud Expo, Hall D on the exhibit level of Moscone North

    AND FINALLY…
    Have fun! Get out there and explore the sessions, meet people, get your questions answered, and enjoy your time at Dreamforce.
    And don’t forget to tell us what you think about the sessions you've attended. Take a session survey by logging into the Attendee Portal or finding a survey kiosk in Moscone South. Complete a survey, and you'll be entered to win one of several iPod Nanos in our daily drawings. 

  • The Dreamforce Daily - Tuesday

    Erica Kuhl Nov 17, 2009

    DfDAILY17th

    Join the conversation at Dreamforce
    There are plenty of ways to connect via social media channels. To join the conversation on Twitter, use hashtag #df09.  

    MONDAY HIGHLIGHTS
    Pre-conference training and certification
    Dreamforce is already well underway for many CRM admins, developers, and consultants. Hundreds of them took our popular (and in some cases, sold-out) pre-Dreamforce intensive training classes on Monday, and more classes are scheduled today. Hundreds more are preparing for certification exams today--good luck, everyone. After the exams are graded, the names of the newly certified will be listed near the dining area. Watch for them!

    Are you ready for your close up? See photos from Dreamforce on our Facebook page, and feel free to post your own!

    ON TAP TODAY
    Here are some of the highlights from today's agenda:

    First-timer orientation (5:00 - 6:00 p.m.)
    Dreamforce newcomers are invited to join Conference Chair Tom Wong and a team of Dreamforce insiders and alumni for a personal welcome. Learn how to get the most out of Dreamforce.
    Location: Room 134, Moscone North

    Welcome reception (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.)
    Greet old pals and make new friends while checking out the latest gee-whiz technology from more than 250 companies.
    Location: Cloud Expo, Hall D on the exhibit level of Moscone North

    Run in the Cloud: 5k fun run (6:45 - 7:30 a.m., Wednesday)
    Have shoes, will travel. Pavement pounders are invited to join co-sponsors Accenture and Salesforce.com Alliances for a 5k fun run at 6:45 Wednesday morning. Pre-register in the lobby of the Marriot Marquis at 55 4th Street.

    DON'T MISS
    The Custom Cloud in the Salesforce.com Campground
    Whether you're a seasoned Force.com developer or brand-new to our cloud platform, be sure to stop by the Custom Cloud section of the Salesforce.com Campground.

    Build an app on the spot. Work with a salesforce.com app expert to learn how to architect, then build an application. Your app expert will give you a great formula for how to get started, including suggested next steps. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and see demos, all tailored to your company's needs. Take advantage while you can!

    Get 100 free users. Build and run your first custom app for FREE! Head to the Campground for your gift card for 100 free users.
    Location: Salesforce.com Campground in the Cloud Expo, Hall D on the exhibit level of Moscone North

    Cloud Trivia Live!
    Test your salesforce.com knowledge in our trivia game show, and you could win prizes such as iPods, bicycles, music, or a MacBook Air. Ready to play? Watch for questions on the Dreamforce Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/dreamforce) on Wednesday and Thursday, or join us live in the Customer Hero Theatre to play the game or sit back and watch the action.
    Location: Salesforce.com Campground in the Cloud Expo, Hall D on the exhibit level of Moscone North

    AND FINALLY…
    Have fun! Get out there and explore the sessions, meet people, get your questions answered, and enjoy your time at Dreamforce.


  • 8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #1

    Gordon Evans Nov 16, 2009

    Dreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today.


    8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE

    Reason #1: Keynotes

    Kick off your Dreamforce experience with inspiring speeches from salesforce.com Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff, General Colin L. Powell (Ret.), and more. You won't want to miss a word.

    Dreamforce Opening Keynote with Marc Benioff & Special Guests
    Wednesday, November 18
    9:00–11:00 a.m.
    South Hall C
    Make sure you're in the room for the opening keynote when Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff reveals the latest news from salesforce.com. Don't miss the announcement everyone will be buzzing about!

    General Session: The Force.com Cloud Platform
    Thursday, November 19
    9:00–11:00 a.m.
    South Hall C
    The Force.com cloud platform is the fastest way to build apps in the cloud. It’s five times faster and half the cost of traditional platforms. Join Marc Benioff for new platform and infrastructure innovations that will change the way you think about the possibilities of platform as a service.

    General Session: Leadership in the New Era of Collaboration
    Thursday, November 19
    4:15–5:45 p.m.
    South Hall C
    General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) takes the stage for an encore appearance at Dreamforce. Join him as he discusses the challenges to leadership we all face in the new era of real-time collaboration. Discover how to apply his principles of leadership to make a difference in your world.

    Get ready...

    Log in to the Attendee Portal, where you can explore conference activities and create your personal schedule.

    See you at Dreamforce!

    Missed a day? See the other reasons not to miss Dreamforce:
    #8 - Pre-conference training and hands-on sessions (Thursday, Nov. 5) 
    #7 - Salesforce.com Campground (Friday, Nov. 6) 
    #6 - Force.com Zone (Monday, Nov. 9) 
    #5 - Cloud Expo (Tuesday, Nov. 10)
    #4 - Breakout sessions (Wednesday, Nov. 11)
    #3 - Networking opportunities (Thursday, Nov. 12) 
    #2 - Healthy planet, healthy people (Friday, Nov. 13)
    #1 - Keynotes (today's post)

    Dreamforce begins tomorrow! Check this blog each morning of the conference for our daily Dreamforce blog
    post.

  • 8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #2

    Gordon Evans Nov 13, 2009

    Dreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today.


    8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE

    Reason #2: Healthy Planet, Healthy People


    Healthy planet

    Less paper, more biodegradable or sustainable materials, recycling stations, and encouraging public transportation... these are only a few of the ways that the Dreamforce team is working to minimize the environmental impact of Dreamforce.

    We’d love for you to help! Take advantage of recycling and composting stations throughout the conference center, and quench your thirst at a water station—no need for plastic bottles. If you ride your bike, we’ve got valet bike parking. Plus, bikers and public transportation commuters can enter to win a hot new bike. Find out how we can work together towards sustainability.

    Healthy people
    We want you to feel good and stay healthy at Dreamforce and beyond. To help prevent H1N1 flu (swine flu), remember to wash your hands often, use tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, and don't touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. For more details on H1N1 flu prevention, visit the CDC's Web site.

    Run in the cloud
    Join us (early) Wednesday, November 18 at 6:45 a.m. for a 5k Fun Run, co-sponsored by Salesforce.com Alliances and Accenture. Register in the lobby of the Marriot Marquis, right across from the Moscone Center at 55 4th Street and get your blood pumping!

    Get Ready...

    Log in to the Attendee Portal, where you can explore conference activities and create your personal schedule. 

    See you at Dreamforce!

    Missed a day? See the other reasons not to miss Dreamforce:
    #8 - Pre-conference training and hands-on sessions (Thursday, Nov. 5) 
    #7 - Salesforce.com Campground (Friday, Nov. 6)
    #6 - Force.com Zone (Monday, Nov. 9) 
    #5 - Cloud Expo (Tuesday, Nov. 10)
    #4 - Breakout sessions (Wednesday, Nov. 11) 
    #3 - Networking opportunities (Thursday, Nov. 11) 
    #2 - Healthy planet, healthy people (today's post)
    #1 - Keynotes (Monday, Nov. 15)

    Dreamforce begins Tuesday, Nov. 16. Check this blog each morning of the conference for our daily Dreamforce blog post.

  • IdeaExchange Site Down for Maintenance until Mon 11/16

    marilynl Nov 12, 2009

    IdeaExchange Users,

    The IdeaExchange site will be down for maintenance starting tonight and will be back up on Monday, November 16.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

    If you have any questions, please contact us at ideaexchange@salesforce.com

    ~IdeaExchange Program Manager

  • 8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #3

    Gordon Evans Nov 12, 2009

    Dreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today.


    8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE
    Reason #3: Networking
    Opportunities
    So the morning sessions are drawing to a close and your stomach’s growling. What to do? Honestly, we can’t think of a better place to satisfy your hunger than the Birds-of-a-Feather roundtable lunches.

    Here you can network with folks who share many of the same challenges and triumphs you face—even the same job. Wednesday’s lunch is organized by role. So you can rub elbows with your fellow admins, developers, or execs in sales, marketing, service, and IT. At Thursday’s lunch you can swap stories and business cards with people working in your industry.

    In addition to lunch, there are networking opportunities galore throughout the conference—beginning with the Welcome Reception Tuesday night and continuing through Thursday’s infamous Cloud Crawl.

    Be sure not to miss Wednesday’s Global Gala; this is the party that's guaranteed to have everyone buzzing in the morning. This year's private concert features the Black Crowes, so get ready to shake your moneymaker.


    Get ready...

    Log in to the Attendee Portal, where you can explore conference activities and create your personal schedule.


    Missed a day? See the other reasons not to miss Dreamforce:
    #8 - Pre-conference training and hands-on sessions (Thursday, Nov. 5)
    #7 - Salesforce.com Campground (Friday, Nov. 6) 
    #6 - Force.com Zone (Monday, Nov. 9)
    #5 - Cloud Expo (Tuesday, Nov. 10)
    #4 - Breakout sessions (Wednesday, Nov. 11) 

    #3 - Networking opportunities (today's post)
    #2 - Healthy planet, healthy people (Friday, Nov. 13)
    #1 -
    Keynotes (Monday, Nov. 15)

    Dreamforce begins Tuesday, Nov. 16. Check this blog each morning of the conference for our daily Dreamforce blog post.

  • 8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #4

    Gordon Evans Nov 11, 2009

    Dreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today.

    8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE

    Reason #4: Breakout Sessions

    With 300+ expert-led sessions at Dreamforce, your biggest dilemma may be choosing which ones to go to. Dreamforce sessions, which are frequently led by successful salesforce.com customers, offer a mix of best practices, how-tos, expert panels, vertical case studies, product roadmaps, and much more.

    The agenda builder in the Attendee Portal is the best way to narrow in on the perfect sessions for you. Search the database by track, experience level, date, and/or keyword. Don't forget to browse our highlighted sessions, and add the sessions you want to attend to your personal calendar, which you can email or print to have with you at Dreamforce.

    Can’t get enough of the breakout sessions? Come to Dreamforce early for more in-depth training opportunities. Get class details, pricing, and registration information for our hands-on training sessions and certification exams.

    Give Forward @ Dreamforce

    Dreamforce is the perfect catalyst for bringing salesforce.com experts and nonprofit organizations together through pro bono volunteerism. To learn more or sign up to help, visit the Give Forward Web site.


    Missed a day? See the other reasons not to miss Dreamforce:
    #8 - Pre-conference training and hands-on sessions (Thursday, Nov. 5)
    #7 - Salesforce.com Campground (Friday, Nov. 6)
    #6 - Force.com Zone (Monday, Nov. 9)
    #5 - Cloud Expo (Tuesday, Nov. 10)

    #4 - Breakout sessions (today's post)
    #3 - Networking opportunities (Thursday, Nov. 12)
    #2 - Healthy planet, healthy people (Friday, Nov. 13)
    #1 -
    Keynotes (Monday, Nov. 15)

    Dreamforce begins Tuesday, Nov. 16. Check this blog each morning of the conference for our daily Dreamforce blog post.