Norhurst is a leader in providing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Professional Services. Our SalesForce.com consultants provide professional services in support of the following solutions:
SALES CLOUD
This application runs in the cloud so the user can access it anywhere connectivity is available to include an Internet-enabled mobile device. The Sales Cloud includes a “Real-Time” sales collaborative tool called Chatter, which provides sales representatives with a complete customer profile and account history. Sales Cloud allows the user to manage marketing campaign spending and performance across a variety of channels from a single application, tracks all opportunity-related data including milestones, decision makers, customer communications, and any other information unique to the company’s sales process. Automatic email reminders can be scheduled to keep teams up to date on the latest information.
SERVICE CLOUD
The Service Cloud provides companies with a call center-like view that enables your business to create and track cases coming in from every channel. It then automatically routes and escalates each call in order of importance. The Salesforce CRM-powered customer portal provides customers the ability to track their own cases 24 hours a day, provides analytical tools and other services including email services, chatting tools, Google search, provides access to customers’ entitlement and contracts, and even includes a social networking “plug in” that enables the user to join the conversation about their company on Social Networking Sites.
FORCE.COM PLATFORM
Salesforce.com Platform as a System (PaaS) product is known as the Force.com platform. This platform allows external developers to create add-on applications that integrate into the main salesforce.com application and are hosted on the salesforce.com infrastructure. These applications are built using Apex (a proprietary Java-like programming language for the Force.com platform) and Visualforce (an XML-like syntax for building user interfaces in HTML, Ajax or Flex).
CHATTER
Chatter, released in June 2010, is a real-time collaboration platform for users. This service sends information proactively via a “Real-Time” news stream. Users can follow coworkers and data to receive broadcast updates about project and customer status. Users can also form groups and post messages on each other’s profiles to collaborate on projects.
APPEXCHANGE
Launched in 2005, AppExchange is a marketplace for cloud computing applications and widgets built for the salesforce.com community and delivered by partners or by third-party developers. Users can purchase and add to their salesforce.com environment from AppExchange. As of October 2010, there are over 900 applications available from over 450 independent software vendors. All salesforce.com partners can distribute applications and solutions on the AppExchange. Applications created on the Force.com platform can be immediately installed by any salesforce.com customers.
MOBILE SUPPORT
In April 2009, salesforce.com released a slimmed down version of their application for subscribers with BlackBerry, Droid, iPhone, and Windows Mobile devices. In January 2010, salesforce.com began promoting the use of 2D Barcodes (SPARQ-Code)for exporting contact information to mobile handsets.
OTHER
Other technologies allowing more advanced customization of Salesforce interfaces are the “In-House” technologies Apex (Java-like programming language and programming platform), VisualForce (a user interface library), and S-controls (Salesforce widgets – these are predominantly based on JavaScript). S-controls are depleted as of March 2010. It is possible to edit and use existing controls, but no new ones can be created.