Latest news with #Salesforce
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veeva's Vault Vision: Can It Thrive After Parting With Salesforce?
Veeva Systems VEEV is entering a pivotal phase as it gradually transitions away from Salesforce's infrastructure, aiming to complete the shift by the end of September 2025. This move marks a significant step toward full platform independence, allowing Veeva to operate entirely on its proprietary Vault architecture. The strategy is designed to give Veeva greater control over product development, performance, and long-term innovation — especially as the company deepens its focus on delivering purpose-built software for the life sciences sector. Early signs are promising, with many clients already reporting smoother integration and more consistent performance on Vault. Veeva's recent performance shows just how central the Vault platform has become to its long-term growth story. Veeva has also been proactive in helping its Commercial Cloud customers prepare for the shift, offering migration roadmaps and hands-on support to ease the transition. While increased investment in R&D and customer onboarding may weigh on margins in the short term, Veeva appears focused on the bigger picture, owning its infrastructure to drive faster innovation and long-term differentiation in a highly specialized market. Peers Update For Salesforce CRM, the conclusion of its infrastructure partnership with Veeva marks a natural evolution as both companies refine their long-term strategies. While Veeva was a high-profile example of Salesforce's presence in life sciences, its shift reflects a broader industry trend toward purpose-built platforms. Salesforce continues to expand its healthcare and life sciences offerings through initiatives like Health Cloud and Data Cloud, aiming to meet the growing demand for tailored solutions. Although adoption varies across segments, Salesforce remains a key player with a broad enterprise footprint and a strong innovation pipeline. IQVIA IQV, a major player in the life sciences technology space, continues to compete through its deep data assets and broad service offerings. While its technology stack is not as tightly integrated as Veeva's, IQVIA's scale and diversified model give it a different kind of competitive edge. As Veeva builds out its post-Salesforce identity, IQVIA remains a key peer to watch — particularly in areas where data services and real-world evidence intersect with software. Veeva Systems' Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates Shares of VEEV have gained 36% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry's growth of 8.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, Veeva trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 14.3, above the industry average. VEEV carries a Value Score of D. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VEEV's fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 15.8% rise from the year-ago period. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Salesforce Inc. (CRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Veeva Systems Inc. (VEEV) : Free Stock Analysis Report IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Techday NZ
3 hours ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Salesforce unveils Agentforce to speed up quoting for sellers
Salesforce has introduced Agentforce for Revenue, a new feature embedded within Revenue Cloud, designed to significantly reduce the time and effort sales representatives spend on generating and managing quotes. According to Salesforce, Agentforce for Revenue enables sales teams to produce accurate quotes in seconds by simply describing their requirements, such as "Quote 25 licenses with a 10% discount." The tool then automatically configures the relevant products, pricing, and legal terms. Internally, Salesforce reports that Agentforce has reduced quoting times by 75% and cut the number of required clicks by 87% for its own sales personnel. Cutting manual work The solution aims to relieve sellers of the administrative burden typical in quote generation. Sales representatives often need to navigate through multiple SKUs, interpret complex pricing, check legal conditions, and wait for various approvals, all of which can introduce errors or delays in the sales cycle. Salesforce states that these issues directly impact deal velocity and revenue growth. "Revenue Cloud is transforming the way we do business," said Bill Francy, President of Client Services at AdMed, Inc. "We're currently piloting the new quoting agent, and we expect it to cut manual work, accelerate deal cycles, and get quotes to clients faster than ever. It's not just about efficiency. It's about unlocking more closed-won opportunities and scaling smarter." AdMed, a provider of training in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, is among the customers already piloting the new tools. Bill Francy's comments reflect expectations that Agentforce will simplify work processes and help to accelerate outcomes in sales operations. Product configuration enhancements In addition to fast quote generation, Revenue Cloud now features an enhanced Product Configurator. This system allows sellers to tailor complex offerings, handling quotes with over a thousand line items. Salesforce notes that the configurator incorporates a constraint-based logic engine, supplementing the typical rules-based configuration to accommodate complex business needs. It uses bidirectional rules and templates intended to simplify maintenance and speed up the process of getting quotes to customers. The company likens this new engine to a GPS for quoting, driving representatives towards valid configurations in real time and further reducing time-to-quote. API-first architecture Another major change highlighted by Salesforce is the platform's API-first design. Every revenue process is now embedded as an API, which allows businesses to easily connect revenue channels, deploy agents, and scale automation through various interfaces. This flexible architecture enables the deployment of Agentforce on any channel and integrates revenue processes across different segments of a business. "Salesforce CPQ helped usher in the second wave of revenue management by enabling recurring revenue at scale," said Meredith Schmidt, EVP and GM of Revenue Cloud at Salesforce. "Now, with Revenue Cloud, we're delivering the third wave: revenue management powered by an API-first, composable, and agent-ready platform that lets revenue flow seamlessly across every channel, from sales reps and partner portals to self-service and field service." Unified data and security Agentforce and Revenue Cloud combine structured and unstructured data - such as purchase histories, product catalogues, and asset insights - into Salesforce's Data Cloud. The company states that this unified data powers Agentforce's artificial intelligence, allowing teams to automate tasks beyond simple suggestions, and to deploy agents that can carry out end-to-end sales activities autonomously. Salesforce also emphasises security, with Agentforce operating within employee-specific permissions and adhering to internal policies and pricing rules via the Salesforce Trust Layer. This is designed to prevent unauthorised data access while ensuring compliance throughout the quoting process. Additional features The latest release of Revenue Cloud introduces several further capabilities. Sellers can use Agentforce within Slack and directly from Salesforce opportunity, quote, and account records. This integration aims to streamline workflows by allowing quotes to be generated, edited, and finalised without switching between different tools. Revenue Cloud Billing supports end-to-end processes from quote to invoice, while embedded analytics give real-time visibility into revenue operations via Tableau Next. Salesforce confirms ongoing support for existing Salesforce CPQ customers, allowing them to continue using their current systems with full contract support and the ability to add licences. The company offers a network of partners to assist businesses interested in migrating to Revenue Cloud and adopting its new agent-assisted capabilities.
Globe and Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Veeva's Vault Vision: Can It Thrive After Parting With Salesforce?
Veeva Systems VEEV is entering a pivotal phase as it gradually transitions away from Salesforce's infrastructure, aiming to complete the shift by the end of September 2025. This move marks a significant step toward full platform independence, allowing Veeva to operate entirely on its proprietary Vault architecture. The strategy is designed to give Veeva greater control over product development, performance, and long-term innovation — especially as the company deepens its focus on delivering purpose-built software for the life sciences sector. Early signs are promising, with many clients already reporting smoother integration and more consistent performance on Vault. Veeva's recent performance shows just how central the Vault platform has become to its long-term growth story. Veeva has also been proactive in helping its Commercial Cloud customers prepare for the shift, offering migration roadmaps and hands-on support to ease the transition. While increased investment in R&D and customer onboarding may weigh on margins in the short term, Veeva appears focused on the bigger picture, owning its infrastructure to drive faster innovation and long-term differentiation in a highly specialized market. Peers Update For Salesforce CRM, the conclusion of its infrastructure partnership with Veeva marks a natural evolution as both companies refine their long-term strategies. While Veeva was a high-profile example of Salesforce's presence in life sciences, its shift reflects a broader industry trend toward purpose-built platforms. Salesforce continues to expand its healthcare and life sciences offerings through initiatives like Health Cloud and Data Cloud, aiming to meet the growing demand for tailored solutions. Although adoption varies across segments, Salesforce remains a key player with a broad enterprise footprint and a strong innovation pipeline. IQVIA IQV, a major player in the life sciences technology space, continues to compete through its deep data assets and broad service offerings. While its technology stack is not as tightly integrated as Veeva's, IQVIA's scale and diversified model give it a different kind of competitive edge. As Veeva builds out its post-Salesforce identity, IQVIA remains a key peer to watch — particularly in areas where data services and real-world evidence intersect with software. Veeva Systems' Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates Shares of VEEV have gained 36% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry 's growth of 8.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, Veeva trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 14.3, above the industry average. VEEV carries a Value Score of D. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VEEV's fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 15.8% rise from the year-ago period. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops." Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Salesforce Inc. (CRM): Free Stock Analysis Report Veeva Systems Inc. (VEEV): Free Stock Analysis Report IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV): Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Salesforce.com (CRM) Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
In the latest trading session, (CRM) closed at $267.22, marking a +1.38% move from the previous day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.78%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 1.14%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.61%. The customer-management software developer's stock has dropped by 2.8% in the past month, falling short of the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 8.76% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.88%. Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.77, reflecting a 8.2% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $10.13 billion, indicating a 8.66% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. CRM's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $11.3 per share and revenue of $41.17 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +10.78% and +8.64%, respectively. Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Salesforcecom. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability. Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system. The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). With respect to valuation, is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 23.33. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 24.84. Meanwhile, CRM's PEG ratio is currently 1.81. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Computer - Software industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.3. The Computer - Software industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 39, which puts it in the top 16% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Remember to apply to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Salesforce Inc. (CRM) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Communication And Collaboration: The Next Frontier Of AI
Anil Pantangi is an award-winning AI and product leader who has driven impactful initiatives across Fortune 500 firms. Currently, AI is at a stage similar to where the internet was in the early 1990s. The building blocks are here—powerful models, real business use cases and innovative startups. However, none of it is connected in a meaningful way yet. Think back to those early days of the web. Websites were clunky. Browsers didn't agree on how to display them. Developers worked in isolation. It wasn't until shared languages like HTML and protocols like HTTP arrived that the web truly took off. Those standards transformed the internet from a scattered experiment into the global system we depend on today. AI is facing that same turning point. Every company is building its own agents, copilots or chat interfaces. SaaS vendors are adding GenAI to their products. Enterprises are launching internal AI platforms to automate tasks, summarize reports and generate content. What we're not building is a way for these agents to communicate with each other coherently, securely or responsibly. Right now, Salesforce's assistant doesn't meaningfully collaborate with Microsoft Copilot or your finance team's enterprise resource planning system. Each operates in its bubble, optimized for a single workflow, tool or department. Instead of unlocking intelligence across businesses, we're creating intelligent silos. This fragmentation is a significant obstacle to productivity, profitability and long-term operational success. I've seen this firsthand in industries like telecom, HR and enterprise platforms. One of the biggest challenges in telecom wasn't network speed or device compatibility—it was systems that couldn't coordinate. IoT sounded like the future, but connected vehicles and smart grids struggled because carriers didn't share consistent standards for data or messaging. It took years before initiatives like the GSMA's eSIM brought common ground. Until then, every integration was a fragile and expensive one-off effort. Now, we have an opportunity to solve that same coordination challenge at a much larger scale. AI agents will soon be everywhere—managing workflows, guiding customers, assisting product teams, even advising on compliance. Without shared frameworks, each of these agents will operate with a narrow view of the world. They won't be able to collaborate or build on each other's work. The same pattern shows up in HR technology. Enterprises are investing millions into employee learning platforms, internal mobility programs and skills development systems. Employees often find themselves stuck between disconnected systems, wondering why their work in one part of the organization doesn't translate into meaningful growth elsewhere. GenAI could exacerbate this issue if each system generates its own independent recommendations. Without coordination, companies will soon have competing AI-generated guidance for the same person. Enterprise SaaS is heading in the same direction. Today's tools are filled with isolated AI features. One tool drafts marketing copy, another predicts revenue, and another generates sales materials—but they don't share context or decisions. Teams won't know which tool has the correct version or whether critical steps are missing. Instead of making work easier, these systems risk adding new layers of confusion. However, this is also the moment of possibility. We don't just need more intelligent agents. We need better foundations. The next wave of AI innovation will depend on the development of shared protocols. Not just APIs or vendor integrations. We need true frameworks for agents to exchange context, share reasoning and work together to achieve outcomes, not just isolated outputs. Imagine something like TCP/IP but designed for intelligent systems—a standard protocol for communication, security and traceability that's built with global business in mind. This concept is moving from theory to practice. Treating LLMs as a new kind of operating system can allow your specialized agents to run on them like applications. It's a decisive step, but it only addresses part of the problem. Enterprises don't just need individual operating systems—they need a universal way for agents across industries to collaborate. It's time to build something like an agent collaboration protocol, with open standards supported by both the public and private sectors. Of course, protocols alone aren't enough. These systems also need embedded ethical frameworks, permission controls and security models. Otherwise, we risk intelligent agents working at cross purposes, leaking sensitive data or making decisions that don't align with business strategy. Governance should be an integral part of the design, not added as an afterthought. Enterprise product leaders, CIOs and technology executives should lead this. It's time to stop focusing only on features and start focusing on foundations. This is what product leadership looks like in the next era. Those who help build these protocols will not only lead their industries—they will shape the future of global business. The urgency is real. IDC projected in 2023 that the IoT market alone would surpass $1 trillion by 2026. GenAI is already becoming standard in every major enterprise software suite. Without shared frameworks, this next phase of growth will slow under the weight of duplicated effort and uncoordinated decision making. Enterprises that lead in shaping these foundations will define how industries operate for years to come. We need a common language for intelligent agents—not just for convenience but for resilience, growth and trust. We've built the agents. Now, it's time to build the roads that connect them. Intelligent agents won't change the world alone, but if we help them work together, they just might. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
