Latest news with #AppExchange
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Build A High-Growth SaaS Marketplace
Bharath Balasubramanian, Director of Product Management, AppExchange at Salesforce. A successful marketplace is more than a directory of products. If it's built in a way that helps customers find solutions faster and enables partners to build, sell and scale efficiently, it can unlock a substantial channel for revenue growth. But too often, companies take a 'build it and they will come' approach, and can struggle to gain traction if a marketplace lacks clear value, on both the demand and supply side. I've worked with several organizations trying to create partner marketplaces on top of existing SaaS platforms. In each case, the question wasn't how to build one, it was why would anyone use it? That mindset shift is essential. A marketplace isn't about what you list. It's about the ecosystem you enable. B2B Software marketplaces are a rapidly growing channel, expected to account for 10% of all global enterprise software purchases by 2030. Here's what I've learned about what it takes to build a software marketplace that works. Start With Demand Every marketplace has two sides: supply and demand. Most companies begin by overinvesting in supply, trying to recruit partners before proving that there's a customer base worth building for. That's a common misstep. In reality, partners will only invest if they see evidence of customer interest. They're weighing trade-offs. Do they build for your existing platform or for one that already has a larger audience, more data and faster time to value? That's why it's critical to start by creating customer engagement first. One way to do that is by offering native or homegrown solutions in the marketplace that fill obvious white space—tools that help your users solve simple problems without needing custom development. These kinds of starter solutions build habits. They also help validate a platform's potential. Once customers are active, engaged and searching for more tailored solutions, you have a much stronger case to bring to potential partners. You're not pitching them an empty storefront. You're offering them access to a real, active market. There has been a 460% increase in unique B2B software marketplace buyers between 2020-2024, reflecting a growing interest in purchasing software through the marketplace channel. Make It Easy To Publish And Iterate Once a partner decides to participate, the last thing you want is friction. Getting a product listed and updated should feel intuitive and fast, not like a multi-week project with too many dependencies. This is where self-service tools make a huge difference. In a study cited by The Future of Commerce with manufacturers, 46% of respondents reported that B2B portals significantly reduced costs and saved time. Vendors should be able to create listings, adjust pricing, respond to feedback and optimize SEO directly from a single publishing console. That console should also support iteration because most products don't land perfectly on the first try. Partners need to test, tweak and refine quickly. One lesson I've learned is that self-service is not only convenient, it's a signal of how much you value your partners' time. If they're spending days waiting for edits to go live, they'll think twice about investing further. Design For Flexibility And Scale It's tempting to build a marketplace around one product type or solution category, but most platforms and strategies evolve. You may start with SaaS apps and later expand to APIs, connectors or AI agents. If your infrastructure wasn't designed to accommodate that growth, you'll end up rebuilding more often than shipping. That's why it's important to design your marketplace as a set of flexible services: licensing, publishing, search & discovery, order management, payments, fulfillment and analytics. Each should be able to support new product types as they emerge. Think of it like building a retail store with just the produce aisle open—but leaving space to add electronics, tools or home goods when the time is right. This doesn't mean overengineering from day one. Start simple, but modular. Prioritize the most relevant product type first. Just make sure the backend can grow with you. Build Tools That Serve Both Sides Your marketplace should evolve so that it can serve everyone in the ecosystem. That means helping developers build confidently, helping customers find the right fit and making sure the entire system is trusted and secure. A few building blocks that matter: • A transparent, efficient security review process • Licensing and commerce infrastructure that supports flexible pricing models, free trials and tiered plans • Access to developer tools and documentation without up-front fees • A community where developers can ask questions, share feedback and learn from each other Customers also benefit from marketplace intelligence: better discovery, curated bundles and clear industry use cases. If you're offering solutions for healthcare, finance or logistics, you should be telling those stories, ideally through content that ranks well and speaks directly to real-world needs. Marketplaces Amplify, They Don't Invent A marketplace is meant to amplify value, not innovate solutions from scratch. It reflects what already exists in your platform: customer trust, product extensibility and partner opportunity. If those ingredients are missing, the marketplace will expose the gap. But when the foundation is strong, a marketplace becomes a force multiplier. It accelerates innovation, increases customer stickiness and unlocks new revenue without compromising operating margin. It also shifts your role from being a provider to being an ecosystem enabler. That shift doesn't happen overnight. But with the right focus on customer needs, partner incentives and scalable infrastructure, it's possible to build an ecosystem that grows sustainably. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Business Wire
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Pricefx Launches Negotiation Guidance Solution on Salesforce AppExchange to Transform Revenue Management
MUNICH & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pricefx, the global leader in AI-powered pricing software, today announced the launch of its Negotiation Guidance solution on Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts. With this new solution Pricefx will help manufacturing and distribution customers unlock greater value from various areas of revenue management, available through Salesforce AppExchange. The launch aims to streamline processes across sales agreements, rebates, and account forecasting and more, providing enterprises with the most comprehensive, industry-specific revenue management solution. Designed for sales and powered by AI, Negotiation Guidance equips salespeople with clear, data-backed price guidance and recommendations tailored to an individual customer and product set, reflecting the unique dynamics of every sales situation and account. With integration into Salesforce Revenue Cloud, reps get real-time, intelligent pricing help right where they quote, driving smarter commercial conversations, higher win rates, and more profitable deals. Negotiation Guidance harnesses purpose-built AI to analyze customer-specific data, market trends, and historical performance to recommend pricing that maximizes margins and win rates – without slowing down the deal process. The tool presents simple pricing bands in a user-friendly format, helping teams make fast, flexible decisions with confidence and transparency. 'In hyper-competitive markets, pricing matters more than ever. The Negotiation Guidance solution is a welcome addition to AppExchange, helping customers unlock value fast,' said Meredith Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Revenue Cloud, Salesforce. 'We're excited to team up with Pricefx to drive innovation and results for our joint customers.' Pricefx's new solution comes at a pivotal moment for manufacturers and distributors. Market uncertainty – from tariffs, trade wars, and more – is at an all-time high. These conditions create immense pressure on businesses across the supply chain. 'It's a crucial time for Pricefx to help more enterprises use pricing as a strategic lever. Businesses desperately want help pricing to minimize business fluctuations, protect margins, and maintain competitive edge,' said Ronak Sheth, CEO at Pricefx. 'We can help companies achieve commercial objectives, whether that's maximizing profit, growing volume, or strengthening customer relationships. And with Negotiation Guidance on the AppExchange now, we can instantly give reps, pricing experts, and customers the confidence and trust they require for difficult deal negotiations.' Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. Since its launch in 2006, the platform has grown to include more than 8,000 apps and experts, with over 13 million customer installs. AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge. Follow Pricefx LinkedIn: X: Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, inc. About Pricefx Pricefx is the global leader in AI SaaS pricing software, offering an end-to-end platform solution that is fast to implement, flexible to configure, and friendly to learn and use. Since pioneering cloud-native pricing technology more than a decade ago, its leading AI price optimization and management capabilities deliver the industry's fastest time-to-value with activation in 6 months or less and the industry's highest average ROI of 7,000% in the first 12 months from activation. Pricefx's award-winning solution is focused on productized industry use cases proven to solve the most common and complex pricing challenges for large enterprise B2B companies in manufacturing, distribution, process engineering, and select other verticals. It is the leading AI price optimization and management platform that enterprises rely on to dynamically Plan, Price, and Profit. Pricefx's business model is entirely based on fairness, and the satisfaction and loyalty of their customers is recognized by years of leading rankings among customer review forums. For more information, please visit
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metazoa Announces Updates to Snapshot on Salesforce AppExchange
Complex org splits and clones that once took months can now be completed in just a few days SAN FRANCISCO, May 13, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metazoa today announced a major update to Snapshot on Salesforce AppExchange, the leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts. The new release empowers Salesforce Administrators to split, clone, or merge complex production environments in just a day or two. This advancement in platform agility is powered by specially constructed placeholder components called Shell Assets, which bypass metadata dependencies. The two-stage deployment process enables Administrators to rapidly bootstrap destination environments and then deploy the real metadata without triggering dependency errors. Snapshot with Shell Assets is now available on the AppExchange. In the first stage, specially constructed components are deployed to the target org. In the second stage, those shells are overwritten with the full source metadata, enabling a clean and accurate replication. With Shell Asset technology, Salesforce professionals can: Create a true metadata clone of any Salesforce org Complete org splits and clones in days instead of months Reduce cost and complexity by an order of magnitude Accelerate user acceptance testing (UAT) cycles Unlock platform agility and flexibility Comments on the News "We've broken through the deployment log jam," said Bill Appleton, CTO of Metazoa. "Today, a single Administrator can stand up a true metadata clone in just a day or two — a task that once took months and large development teams. This innovation slashes time, cost, and complexity for our customers and partners." This technology lays the foundation for a general-purpose algorithmic solution to the deployment problem. By combining shell assets with advanced metadata dependency analysis, Metazoa can eliminate deployment errors at scale, unlocking new possibilities for DevOps, continuous delivery, and release automation. Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. Since its launch in 2006, the platform has grown to include more than 8,000 apps and experts, with over 13 million customer installs. AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge. Additional Resources Follow Salesforce on LinkedIn Follow Metazoa on LinkedIn Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. About Metazoa Metazoa provides top-tier administrative tools for Salesforce, offering advanced solutions designed to enhance operations, bolster security, and ensure compliance across Salesforce environments. With the innovative Metazoa Snapshot, organizations achieve heightened visibility and control, driving efficiency and leveraging the full potential of their Salesforce investments. View source version on Contacts Media Contact:Jennifer MercerMetazoajennifer@ (408) 555-1234 Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Metazoa Announces Updates to Snapshot on Salesforce AppExchange
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metazoa today announced a major update to Snapshot on Salesforce AppExchange, the leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts. The new release empowers Salesforce Administrators to split, clone, or merge complex production environments in just a day or two. This advancement in platform agility is powered by specially constructed placeholder components called Shell Assets, which bypass metadata dependencies. The two-stage deployment process enables Administrators to rapidly bootstrap destination environments and then deploy the real metadata without triggering dependency errors. Metazoa's new Shell Asset technology cuts Salesforce org cloning costs by up to 90% — a game-changer for GSIs and enterprise teams. Share Snapshot with Shell Assets is now available on the AppExchange. In the first stage, specially constructed components are deployed to the target org. In the second stage, those shells are overwritten with the full source metadata, enabling a clean and accurate replication. With Shell Asset technology, Salesforce professionals can: Create a true metadata clone of any Salesforce org Complete org splits and clones in days instead of months Reduce cost and complexity by an order of magnitude Accelerate user acceptance testing (UAT) cycles Unlock platform agility and flexibility Comments on the News "We've broken through the deployment log jam,' said Bill Appleton, CTO of Metazoa. 'Today, a single Administrator can stand up a true metadata clone in just a day or two — a task that once took months and large development teams. This innovation slashes time, cost, and complexity for our customers and partners.' This technology lays the foundation for a general-purpose algorithmic solution to the deployment problem. By combining shell assets with advanced metadata dependency analysis, Metazoa can eliminate deployment errors at scale, unlocking new possibilities for DevOps, continuous delivery, and release automation. Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. Since its launch in 2006, the platform has grown to include more than 8,000 apps and experts, with over 13 million customer installs. AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge. Additional Resources Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. About Metazoa Metazoa provides top-tier administrative tools for Salesforce, offering advanced solutions designed to enhance operations, bolster security, and ensure compliance across Salesforce environments. With the innovative Metazoa Snapshot, organizations achieve heightened visibility and control, driving efficiency and leveraging the full potential of their Salesforce investments.
Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
RingCentral Announces RingCX for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice on Salesforce AppExchange
BELMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a global leader in AI-powered business communications, today announced it has launched RingCX™ for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice on Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowering customers to deliver a unified and streamlined experience for agents by integrating RingCentral's digital channel and voice capabilities into Salesforce. This powerful combination enables organizations to not only deliver faster, more intelligent, and highly personalized service across all touchpoints, but also to enrich their CRM ecosystem with deep insights into customer interactions that grow more intelligent over time. RingCX for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice is currently available on AppExchange. RingCentral's integration with Salesforce is particularly valuable for organizations seeking to unify their communication channels and improve cross-functional collaboration. Having established a robust Unified Communications integration with Salesforce trusted by thousands of customers worldwide, RingCentral is building on this successful foundation to extend its capabilities to include Contact Center integration within the Salesforce environment. By bringing together unified communications and contact center capabilities within the Salesforce ecosystem, businesses can break down silos between departments, enabling seamless information sharing and more efficient customer service. Comments on the News "This native integration brings best-in-class cloud voice and digital communications to the Salesforce CRM environment," said Carson Hostetter, EVP & GM, AI & Customer Experience at RingCentral. "We're helping businesses maintain their existing telephony and contact center investments with RingCentral while leveraging Salesforce's powerful CRM capabilities for a more comprehensive customer service solution. By combining voice and digital channels in one unified experience, we're enabling seamless interactions across all touchpoints. Together we're dedicated to delivering effortless customer experiences and driving powerful outcomes for our mutual customers." 'RingCX for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice is a welcome addition to AppExchange, as it accelerates business transformation for customers by seamlessly integrating RingCentral's advanced voice capabilities into the Salesforce environment, enabling agents to effortlessly manage calls, messages, and customer data from one intuitive interface,' said Alice Steinglass, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Platform, Integration, and Automation, Salesforce. 'AppExchange is constantly evolving to connect customers with the right apps and experts for their business needs.' 'In today's competitive business environment, having a unified approach to communication and customer engagement is crucial," said Sheila McGee-Smith, Founder and Principal Analyst at McGee-Smith Analytics. "RingCentral's integration of unified communications and contact center capabilities within Salesforce addresses a critical need in the market, enabling businesses to create more cohesive and efficient workflows across their entire organization." RingCX for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice offers many benefits, including: Unified agent workspace: Agents can manage calls, digital channels, and CRM data from a single interface, providing a true single pane of glass experience that improves productivity and reduces context switching. Native Salesforce experience: The integration delivers a native Salesforce user interface, allowing employees to assist customers without leaving their familiar Salesforce environment. Service Cloud Voice integration: RingCX now fully integrates with Salesforce Service Cloud Voice, allowing businesses to leverage RingCentral's robust voice capabilities within Salesforce's omnichannel routing environment. Embedded dialer: Users can make calls directly from Salesforce records, with automatic call logging and easy access to customer information during conversations. Omnichannel routing: The integration supports voice, chat, email, and social media channels, enabling businesses to provide consistent customer experiences across all touchpoints. Advanced analytics: Comprehensive reporting and analytics tools provide insights into communication patterns, agent performance, and customer interactions, helping businesses make data-driven decisions. AI-powered insights: Leveraging Salesforce's AI capabilities, the integration provides real-time transcription, next-best action, and conversational insights to achieve the best customer outcomes. Seamless workflow integration: The solution enables automatic call logging, screen pops with customer information, and leveraging Salesforce data during calls, improving agent productivity and customer service efficiency. Additional information can be found on the RingCentral blog. Salesforce AppExchange, a leading enterprise marketplace for partner apps and experts, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. Since its launch in 2006, the platform has grown to include more than 8,000 apps and experts, with over 13 million customer installs. AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge. Additional Resources Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. About RingCentral RingCentral is a global leader in AI-powered trusted business communications, contact center, conversational intelligence, video and hybrid event solutions. RingCentral empowers businesses with conversation intelligence and unlocks rich customer and employee interactions to provide insights and improved business outcomes. With decades of expertise in reliable and secure cloud communications, RingCentral has earned the trust of hundreds of thousands of customers and millions of users worldwide. Visit to learn more. © 2025 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, RingCX, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc.
