Salesforce.Com: Cloud Services Go Mainstream

C CASE STUDY 3: Salesforce.Com: Cloud Services Go Mainstream

I. Statement of the Problem(s) or Issues to be analyzed

II. Background of the Case

III. Key Relevant Case Facts

* Cloud computing, also known as on-demand computing, is a kind of Internet-based computing that provides shared processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand

* Increased competition, both from traditional industry leaders and new challengers hoping to replicate Salesforce’s success

* Salesforce still has plenty of catching up to do to reach the size and market share of its larger competitors

* Since it has experienced a number of service outages, Salesforce needs to continually prove to customers that it is reliable and secure enough to remotely handle their corporate data and applications

* Salesforce’s handling of customer information leaks and system hacks incident satisfactory

* Salesforce is challenged to expand its business model into other areas

* Salesforce is focused on the platform as a service instead of software as a service

* Salesforce.com subscribers depend on the service being available 24/7

* A number of companies are reluctant to jump on the SaaS and cloud computing bandwagon.

IV. Case Analysis

a. SWOT Analysis

Weaknesses

Weaknesses

Strengths

Strengths

Opportunities

Opportunities

Threats

Threats

With the use of the SWOT analysis, the group identified the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Salesforce.com. The group can then use this information to come up with solutions and recommendations that can use the strengths and opportunities to eliminate or improve weaknesses and threats.

Salesforce.com provides customer relationship management (CRM) and other software applications using the software-as-a-service business model over the Internet. Because of its unique and innovative business model, Saleforce.com has little competition in the cloud computing and CRM...