• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
TechSalesforce

Microsoft and Salesforce have more joint products up their sleeves

By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 16, 2015, 4:05 PM ET
Photograph by Anna Kuperberg
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Microsoft (MSFT) and Salesforce (CRM) couldn’t negotiate a merger earlier this year, but their 18-month-old engineering relationship is getting cozier.

The two companies have already delivered on several projects that create close ties between the various Salesforce cloud services and Microsoft’s market-leading Office suite. They now have four more collaborations up their sleeves, including technology that embeds Skype conferencing and communications features right into the Salesforce user interface.

Why you care: a sales representative can now call a prospect from within the Salesforce system and dive into a pitch without having to launch an entirely separate application.

“We are doubling down for the next phase,” said Fergus Griffin, senior vice president of products and solutions marketing for Salesforce.

Several other things that customers can expect: ties between the Salesforce system and Microsoft’s digital note-taking app; support for Salesforce data in Office Graph and Office Delve analytics results; and a Salesforce1 app for Windows 10. All of these technologies should emerge in the second half of 2016, according to senior Microsoft and Salesforce executives. That seems like a long time away, but most businesses appreciate that sort of notice.

“The more lead time, the better,” Griffin said.

The relationship between the two companies reaches deeper than sharing development plans, although they haven’t gone so far as to swap source code. Griffin and his Microsoft counterpart, John Case, corporate vice president of Office and Office 365, said corporate sales teams for both companies are instructed to talk up their tight ties as a differentiator. Two of the most integrations are now available in the form of Salesforce apps for Outlook and Office.

That’s making a difference in accounts like consumer products company Unilever.

“As a global company with more than 400 brands, we are always looking for ways to strengthen collaboration across departments and take the complexity out of work,” said Paulo de Sa, vice president of employee services technology, in a statement.

You can expect Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to perpetuate the mutual admiration when he takes the stage Wednesday afternoon during the cloud software giant’s huge customer and partner conference Dreamforce. Nadella’s appearance in San Francisco is an unprecedented show of support, when you consider the two companies barely used to speak.

After all, Salesforce blazed the trail for customer relationship management software when it launched in 1999. Its then-novel subscription service took off like a rocket. Stung by that success, Microsoft entered the CRM market more than a decade ago with its own product. Interactions between the companies were often testy as a result.

But the chilly relationship changed in May 2014, when the two disclosed a broad strategic relationship.

Rumors of a potential merger galvanized the market last spring. The talks reportedly fizzled after the two failed to agree on a purchase price.

Subscribe to Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the business of technology.

 

 

 

About the Author
By Heather Clancy
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
PoliticsSocial Media
Australia to strengthen enforcement of under-16 social media ban
By Ainslie Chandler and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
Big TechChips
Apple seeks U.S. approval to buy chips from blacklisted CXMT: FT
By Angela Cullen and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
North Americaspace
SpaceX, Charter discussed mobile phone partnership in U.S.
By Kelcee Griffis and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
By Josh Wingrove, Rachel Metz and BloombergJune 27, 2026
4 hours ago
erik
AIJobs
‘It’s not going away’: The Stanford economist who called the AI entry-level jobs crisis early has the receipts
By Nick LichtenbergJune 27, 2026
5 hours ago
Robert Shiller, professor of economics at Yale University
AIEconomics
Nobel laureate economist warns AI jobs apocalypse fears could become a self-fulfilling prophesy
By Eva RoytburgJune 27, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
8 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Friday, June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Friday, June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
Politics
Leon Black says Epstein's network included Elon Musk, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, while saying 'I knew Jekyll. I didn't know Hyde'
By Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.