Salesforce（CRM）

2025-05-27:

### Salesforce’s Core Business
Salesforce, Inc. is a leading cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializing in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions. Its core business focuses on providing a unified platform that integrates sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and application development. The platform, enhanced by tools like Agentforce and Slack, unifies customer data to offer a 360-degree view, enabling businesses to streamline processes, enhance customer engagement, and drive growth across industries. Salesforce’s technology, including autonomous AI agents, supports digital labor to improve efficiency and customer success.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salesforce)[](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/what-does-salesforce-do/)

 

### Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Salesforce’s TAM is vast, particularly in the CRM and digital labor markets. CEO Marc Benioff has stated that the TAM for digital labor, driven by platforms like Agentforce, is in the **trillions of dollars**, reflecting the potential for AI-driven solutions to transform enterprise workflows. In the CRM market, Salesforce holds a 23% share as of 2022, with the global software market offering significant growth opportunities. The company serves over 150,000 businesses, and its revenue of $34.86 billion in 2024 underscores its penetration into a massive market driven by digital transformation and customer engagement needs.[](https://erp.today/the-market-for-digital-labor-is-in-trillions-of-dollars-marc-benioff/)[](https://ascendix.com/blog/how-many-companies-use-salesforce/)[](https://backlinko.com/salesforce-stats)

 

### Key Competitive Moat
Salesforce’s key competitive moat lies in its **unified, multitenant cloud platform** and extensive ecosystem. The platform’s ability to provide a 360-degree customer view, seamless integration with tools like MuleSoft, Tableau, and Slack, and no-code customization sets it apart. Its focus on trust as a core value, with real-time security and performance transparency, builds customer loyalty. Additionally, Salesforce’s partner ecosystem, including global consultancies and app developers, amplifies its reach and innovation. The company’s early adoption of cloud-based CRM and continuous AI advancements, like Agentforce 2.0, further solidify its edge over competitors.[](https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/business-moats-competitive-advantage/)[](https://www.salesforce.com/crm/salesforce-competition/)[](https://erp.today/the-market-for-digital-labor-is-in-trillions-of-dollars-marc-benioff/)

 

### Key Competitors
Salesforce’s primary competitors in the CRM market include:
- **Microsoft (Dynamics 365)**: Competes in sales and service apps but trails Salesforce’s market share (e.g., Dynamics 365 Sales has ~10% vs. Salesforce Sales Cloud’s 40.6%).
- **Oracle**: Strong in enterprise software but holds a smaller CRM market share (e.g., Oracle Service Cloud at 8.3% vs. Salesforce Service Cloud’s 45.3%).
- **SAP**: A major enterprise software player, but its CRM solutions are less dominant than Salesforce’s.
- **Adobe (Experience Cloud)**: Competes closely in marketing automation, with a 12% market share compared to Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s 14.1%.

Combined, these competitors hold a 17.7% CRM market share, compared to Salesforce’s 23%. Salesforce’s comprehensive platform and AI integration give it an edge over these point-solution or less-integrated competitors.[](https://ascendix.com/blog/how-many-companies-use-salesforce/)[](https://backlinko.com/salesforce-stats)

 

### Current CEO and Founder Status
**Marc Benioff** is both the current CEO and a co-founder of Salesforce. He has served as Chairman and CEO since the company’s inception in 1999 and remains the primary leader following the departure of co-CEO Bret Taylor in January 2023.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salesforce)[](https://www.clay.com/dossier/salesforce-executives)

 

### Founder Background Summary
Marc Benioff, born in 1964, is a technology entrepreneur with a background in software development and business strategy. Before founding Salesforce in 1999 with co-founders Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez, Benioff worked at **Oracle Corporation** for 13 years, rising to senior roles under Larry Ellison, where he gained expertise in enterprise software. He also had an early stint at **Apple Computer**, honing his skills in technology and innovation. Benioff’s vision for Salesforce was to deliver software via the cloud, a revolutionary concept in the late 1990s, disrupting traditional on-premise solutions. He pioneered the “end of software” campaign and established Salesforce’s 1-1-1 philanthropy model, committing 1% of equity, technology, and employee time to social causes. He holds a degree from the University of Southern California and is a prominent advocate for stakeholder capitalism, sustainability, and ethical AI use.[](https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/salesforcecom-inc/executives/)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salesforce)[](https://www.clay.com/dossier/salesforce-executives)