| | September 20166CIOReviewSalesforce's pursuit to become the first cloud software company to reach the $10 billion mark in annual revenue has galvanized the firm to go all guns blazing in reinforcing its commitment towards customers and closing the gap with peers. Demandware, Coolan, MetaMind, Implisit, PredictionIO, Quip... the list of acquisitions protracts. Salesforce may have lost out to Microsoft in the blockbuster LinkedIn acquisition but the behemothic cloud based CRM vendor, has acquired these firms since this February in an endeavor to enhance their earnest `core' CRM mission. A good chunk of the acquisitions has been machine-learning and data analytics firms--a move that will transform Salesforce's software into something that is much smarter and more predictive. With the next big wave of opportunities revolving around systems that are capable of analyzing data and recommending the next course of action, the harbinger of the cloud CRM epoch is set to tread into a new territory of smarter CRM--where newer ideas can fruition. The new game plan also puts the company in line to becoming a provider of sales operations solutions--through the creation of an online presence. This `acquisition spree' as savants would term it, has caused worries amongst Salesforce's investors. Nevertheless, there seems to be a method to the madness; the key driver per se is the growth pressure--making the firm to adopt the `buzz word de jour's. This will help Salesforce to cater to its clients who are seeking new ways to connect with their customers by providing the necessary tools. Towards that front, Salesforce continues to grow its copious cognizance of technologies that can transform various industries, increasing their repertoire. For the rest of the Salesforce ecosystem, at a minimum, business needs, and models will change and Salesforce adoption will continue to stay a delicate affair. In an effort to ease the task of modern CIOs, CIOReview's editorial team has evaluated several vendors in the space and narrowed down to 20 companies that can help customers leverage the power of Salesforce.com and assist in their CRM initiatives. We hope this lineup will help you in formalizing strategies for your organization.Jeevan George Managing Editoreditor@cioreview.comEditorialThe Odyssey towards a Smarter FutureCopyright © 2016 ValleyMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.CIOReviewSEPTEMBER - 15 - 2016Mailing AddressCIOReview44790 S. Grimmer Blvd Suite 202, Fremont, CA 94538T:510.402.1463, F:510-894-8405 September - 15 - 2016, Vol 05 SE 72 Published by ValleyMedia, Inc. To subscribe to CIOReviewVisit www.cioreview.com Salesforce SpecialCIOReviewEditorial StaffSalesT: 510.493.7546Aaron PierceAnwesha BoseJade RayJoe PhilipMerlin WatsonTony FernandesSteve MillerSteve@cioreview.comVisualizersJudith BrownArpita GhoshManaging EditorJeevan George
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