The Salesforce1 AppExchange Accelerate program from salesforce.com is aimed at helping independent software vendors (ISVs) with services needed to quickly build, market, and sell enterprise applications (apps).
Salesforce.com, number 53 on the 2013 Software 500, reported $2.3 billion in software and services revenue, a growth rate of 37 percent.
Several ISVs targeting the enterprise participate in the program including Apptus, FinanceForce.com, Kenandy, and Veeva Systems.
“ISVs have an opportunity to build the next generation of business application companies. AppExchange Accelerate combines the Salesforce 1 Platform, go-to-market services, and our business apps marketplace,” states Mike Rosenbaum, EVP, Salesforce Platform.
Life Sciences to the Cloud
Peter Gassner, founder/CEO, Veeva Systems, says, “Veeva saw the opportunity to bring life sciences to the cloud and remove the industry’s reliance on complex legacy software deployments. The Salesforce 1 Platform eliminated the need to invest in a major hardware and platform infrastructure, enabling us to focus on building applications. As a result, Veeva is able to get to market faster and focus on customer success.”
“Businesses need cloud-based applications that are specific to their needs. They don’t want to make a generic application for their business or hire an IT staff. The Salesforce AppExchange Accelerate program provides a great start to ISVs for delivering these business-critical applications,” notes Chritin Dover, research director, enterprise apps and digital commerce, IDC.
ApExchange
The Salesforce 1 Platform is marketed as a pay-as-you-sell model with no ramp-up costs. Pricing is predictable and scales with volume. AppExchange Accelerate consultants advise on go-to-market strategies and technology enablement. A mentorship program helps ISVs learn from experienced partners. This includes access to venture capital firms including Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Emergence Capital, SV Angel, and Lightspeed Ventures. The program also works with the RocketSpace and Alchemist technology incubation programs.
ISVs on the ApExchange find the quality of leads to be high, and report conversion rates of leads to qualified opportunities at rates ranging from 17 to 71 percent, according to a study by IDC sponsored by Salesforce.com. The report states in part, “Lack of quality leads is a common complaint from ISVs partnering with software vendors, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Salesforce.com partners. Partners are also reporting that the number of close deals attributed to AppExchange opportunities are accelerating year over year.”
The Salesforce App Exchange launched in 2005, and currently has more than 2,000 applications installed over two million times by Salesforce.com customers.
Apptus brought its quote-to-cash business process to the cloud using the Salesforce 1 Platform. Founded in Sweden in 2000, Apptus provides products to enable new sales opportunities and increasing customer lifetime value via its content enhancement techniques.
FinancialForce.com scrapped initial plans to build its own platform and opted to move to the Salesforce 1 Customer Platform for its accounting, billing, and revenue recognition apps concentrating on linking front and back office functions. Founded in 2009, FinancialForce.com is backed by UNIT4 and Salesforce.com. The company recently announced its FinancialForce 360° Back Office mobile app will run on the Salesforce1 AppExchange.
Kenandy is working to bring its enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to the cloud for the manufacturing industry. Kenandy was founded in 2010 by chairman/CEO, Sandra Kurtzig, the founder of ASK Computer Systems, creator of the MANMAN product family for the manufacturing industry. The venture started as the result of a conversation between Kurtzig and Marc Benioff, chairman/CEO, Salesforce.com, about building an ERP system natively on the cloud using the Salesforce Platform.
Kenandy recently launched its Mobile Order Management system on the Salesforce1 AppExchange, allowing all partners in the order management process to collaborate and respond in real time. “Our new Mobile Order Management app delivers wireless mobility for order management, facilitating the process in real time,” states Kurtzig. “Kenandy Mobile Order Management gives companies a competitive edge by coordinating all the players, allowing them to take action as a team. With the new app, checking order status and product availability, placing new orders, and suggesting alternative products is all done in real time.”
Accelerate
The Salesforce AppExchange Accelerate offering is available for eligible startups in the first half of 2014, the company states. SW
Feb2014, Software Magazine
