Salesforce 2023 Recap: From New Launches to App Retirals and More
2023 was a remarkable year in the Salesforce ecosystem, marked by the launch of innovative Generative AI products and the phasing out of some classics, alongside a few surprises.
Let’s look at each month’s highlights, encapsulating the year’s pivotal moments:
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: January
Automotive Cloud debuted at the CES in Las Vegas.
Its launch empowered automotive dealerships to use data and insights from a customer’s purchase history and driving habits to deliver tailored, on-brand buying experiences.
The Vehicle Console Dashboard Gives a 360-degree View, Including the Client Maintenance & Repair Timetable.
The Vehicle Console Dashboard Gives a 360-degree View, Including the Client Maintenance & Repair Timetable.
Image Source https://medium.com/creme-de-la-crm/automotive-cloud-how-salesforce-is-driving-automakers-car-owners-to-success-99feb0ae41b
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: February
#1 Salesforce leads in 2023 Gartner Low-Code Quadrant.
Salesforce was announced as a leader in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code application platforms.
Patrick Stokes’ reaction on Gartner recognizing Salesforce as a top leader in Magic Quadrant for Low-code application platforms
#2 Salesforce EinsteinGPT Launched
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced the launch of Salesforce EinsteinGPT, the world’s #1 Gen-AI for CRM, allowing personalized customer interactions within the Salesforce ecosystem.
#3 Salesforce Adds Gender Identity Fields for Inclusivity
Salesforce added two gender identity and pronoun fields across its product line, allowing customers to represent transgender and nonbinary individuals accurately and refining gender-related data precision.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights:March
#1 Annual Trailblazers DX Developer Conference
The Annual Trailblazers DX Developer Conference was held in March with several key announcements. The highlight of the conference was the launch of Einstein GPT, a Gen-AI pilot that brings Chat GPT features to Salesforce products.
TrailblazerDX Salesforce Developer Conference creative
#2 Demo of Einstein GPT
The keynote included a comprehensive demo of the use of EinsteinGPT when researching a lead, preparing communications for an opportunity, and writing code and test classes.
EinsteinGPT connects effortlessly with OpenAI's language models, adaptable to any public or private model. (Image Courtesy - Salesforce)
#3 Einstein GPT for Slack
The demo also showed the use of Einstein GPT for Slack. Users can access the beta version, which offers conversation summaries and writing assistance within the enterprise communications app.
Slack Workflow Builder
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: April
#1 Education Summit 2023
Salesforce introduced enhanced features for Education Cloud, empowering institutions to offer personalized experiences spanning course purchasing, student onboarding, and appointment scheduling, among other areas.
#2 Launch of Customer 360 for Health
Allowing healthcare organizations to offer distinctive patient experiences using real-time data from Data Cloud, Einstein AI, and automation with Flow.
#3 Salesforce rolled out Slack Canvas
At the end of April, Salesforce rolled out Slack Canvas to its first users, confirming general availability plans in the coming months. Canvas features will allow teams to capture, organize, and share info from different sources inside Slack.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: May
#1 Gen-AI Integration in Slack and Tableau
Generative AI was integrated into the instant messaging app - Slack and the data visualization tool- Tableau, consolidating its Gen-AI stack.
#2 The Launch of 'Green Code'
Green Code aims at reducing the carbon emissions in SDLC. This can be achieved by decommissioning non-optimized systems and transitioning to energy-efficient alternatives.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights:June 2023
#1 The Debut of Marketing GPT and Commerce GPT
During Salesforce Connections on June 7, Marketing GPT and Commerce GPT made their debut. Notably, both these tools integrate seamlessly with Data Cloud, maximizing their performance using diverse data sources.
Here's what David Schmaier said on the debut of Marketing GPT and Commerce GPT
#2 WhatsApp for Service Cloud Available
This integration allows companies to interact effectively with customers through proactive and tailor-made messaging.
#3 The Retiral of Salesforce for Outlook
One can still access Salesforce for Outlook features by migrating to products — outlook integration and Einstein activity capture.
#4 Google Cloud and Salesforce collaborated
Offering customers hassle-free access to their data present across various platforms and cloud services.
David Schmaier on Salesforce and Google's collaboration
#4 The Launch of AI Cloud
Salesforce announced its new product line - AI Cloud powered with AI, data, analytics, and automation capabilities. This generative AI solution will be a great fit for enterprise usage.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: July
#1 Price Hike Announcement
For the first time since 2016, Salesforce announced a price hike, applicable on selective Clouds (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Industries, and Tableau) across editions.
Table showcasing before and after prices of various Salesforce editions w.r.t to company's price hike
#2 Salesforce Gets a New President
Salesforce appointed Sabastian Niles as President and Chief Legal Officer on July 17. He will report to current CEO Marc Benioff.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: August
#1 Starters' Suite for SMBs Launched
Available at $25 per user per month for groups of 10 or more, it seamlessly integrates key Sales, Marketing, and Service Cloud features, providing a cost-effective solution tailored for SMBs.
#2 Slack Sales Elevate Introduced
Priced at $60/user/month, it integrates tools, real-time data, and streamlined processes within Slack enabling fast deal closure.
Slack Elevate Sales Insights
#3 The launch of Einstein studio
A Gen-AI tool embracing the 'Bring Your Own Model' concept, empowering users to construct and train AI models within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: September
#1 Dreamforce 2023: Unveiling Einstein 1
At Dreamforce in San Francisco (Sep 12-14), the focus was on unveiling Einstein 1 - merging Data Cloud connectivity, Einstein's AI, and Salesforce's framework.
#2 Einstein Copilot Introduced
It is a side panel feature designed to enhance the user interface experience through natural language chat.
#3 New Functionalities in Slack
Slack received an upgrade introducing new functionalities like Auto powered by Slack AI, Summarize facilitated by Slack Assistant, Track Work utilizing Slack List, and Salesforce data updates through Sales Elevate.
#4 Gen AI Statistics Revealed
As per Salesforce’s recent study, only 49 percent of participants have interacted with Gen-AI with just 33 percent using it daily. 63 percent of the participants said they’d use Gen-AI if it is more safe/secure.
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: October
#1 Salesforce acquires Airkit.ai
Airkit.ai is a low-code platform for creating customer service applications. The SaaS leader confirmed its plans to integrate Airkit.ai with its Service Cloud platform.
#2 The Launch of Anypoint Code Builder
Mulesoft launched Anypoint Code Builder, a next-gen IDE harnessing generative AI for an intuitive Visual Studio Code experience, enabling code generation through natural language prompts.
#3 Life Sciences Cloud Introduced
Life Sciences Cloud is targeted at pharma and med-tech sectors enabling drug and device development, patient engagement in clinical trials, and personalized CX.
Participant Account Dashboard in Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: November
#1 Trade Promotion Planning for Consumer Goods Cloud
Salesforce added Trade Promotion Optimization for its Consumer Goods Cloud. This new feature leverages predictive AI and intelligent analytics, enabling customers to efficiently analyze and improve their trade promotion planning.
#2 The Launch of Code Builder
Salesforce launched one of its highly anticipated tools in Code Builder, a browser-based coding tool capable of converting natural language into functional code.
Dan Fernandez after Salesforce launched its browser-based coding tool - Web Builder
#3 Salesforce Collaborates With IMDb
Another exciting event in November was Salesforce’s collaboration with IMDb showcasing its commitment to merge entertainment with analytics.
#4 Service Intelligence for Service Cloud
Salesforce's Service Intelligence enhances Service Cloud with better data access, customizable dashboards, and Einstein-driven conversation mining.
Service Intelligence Dashboard in Service Console
Salesforce 2023 Highlights: December
#1 Salesforce Teams Up with Apple for Service Innovation
During the NY World Tour, Salesforce revealed its partnership with Apple, integrating cutting-edge innovations into Service Cloud and Field Service offerings.
#2 Updates in the Einstein 1 Platform
Salesforce announced significant updates to its Einstein 1 Platform, adding the Data Cloud Vector Database and Einstein Copilot Search.
Salesforce World Tour NY, Main Keynote
#3 The Debut of Unlimited Edition+
Salesforce unveiled the Unlimited Edition+, merging data, AI, and CRM capabilities into a single platform with flexible pricing and packaging choices.
Here's how Bill Patterson reacted after Salesforce launched Unlimited edition+
