Salesforce Unveils Next Wave of Mobile Innovation for the Salesforce Analytics Cloud--Empowering Everyone with Instant Insights, Anywhere

Now any business user will be able to import new data sources, build dashboards and share insights--in just seconds from their phone

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Salesforce

Feb 19, 2015, 08:01 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today unveiled the next wave of mobile innovation for the Salesforce Analytics Cloud to empower every business user with instant insights, anywhere. Now users will be able to import and analyze new data sources, build entirely new dashboards and share insights—in just seconds from their phone. In addition, a free playground version of the Analytics Cloud is available for desktop and mobile devices—now anyone can experience the power of the Analytics Cloud using their own imported data or a variety of preloaded data sets.

According to a recent McKinsey & Company study, companies making intensive use of customer analytics are 2.6 times more likely to have a significantly higher ROI than competitors.¹ Despite this overwhelming advantage, most analytics solutions are not designed to be accessible to business users. And even though mobile devices have risen to account for more than 60 percent of all time spent on digital media, most analytics solutions make it nearly impossible for users to create and consume data-driven insights when and where they are needed most.

Analytics Cloud Empowers Business Users to Take Data-Driven Actions From Their Phone
Analytics Cloud, powered by the Wave Platform, is the first analytics solution built to serve mobile business users. In fact, since its launch just four months ago, more than half of all Analytics Cloud queries have come from mobile devices.

"Customers love to make decisions based on insights, not instincts, and that is driving the amazing momentum we are seeing with the Salesforce Analytics Cloud," said Keith Bigelow, SVP and GM of Analytics Cloud, Salesforce. "With our new mobile innovations, we are making it easier than ever to instantly consume, create and share critical customer insights without ever leaving your phone."

The new mobile innovations for the Salesforce Analytics Cloud and the Wave Platform include:

Wave Mobile Connector: With a single tap, users will be able to import a raw data file, such as a CSV file, into the Analytics Cloud mobile app, transforming it into interactive visualizations that can be explored instantly—directly on their phone. For example, a sales manager who receives an elaborate inventory forecast spreadsheet from a supplier as an email attachment will be able to import it into the Analytics Cloud mobile app, explore it as dynamic charts and graphs, and even share visualizations with her team via Salesforce Chatter—all within moments from her mobile device. For desktop users, a Wave Connector Add-In for Excel will also be available.
Wave Mobile Dashboard Designer: Now users will be able to create an entire analytics dashboard using any data source—directly from their phone. With just a few taps, a data set will be transformed into a variety of interconnected charts and graphs, each faceted together so they dynamically change as users interact with them. For example, a marketing agency executive will be able to quickly bring together a set of related campaign metrics—website traffic, pageviews, leads, social media interactions and offers—and build a single campaign review dashboard in just minutes en route to a client visit. Instead of fumbling through columns and rows, their conversation can explore data more interactively to discover new insights to enhance campaign performance.
Wave Links: The Salesforce1 Mobile App—or any custom or partner app built on the Salesforce1 Platform—will be able to connect directly to a specific data set, chart or dashboard in the Analytics Cloud mobile app—making it easier than ever for users to run their business from their phone. Specifically, users will be able to embed links into any Salesforce record or custom object that takes them to a specific visualization in the Analytics Cloud mobile app. For example, a service rep may gather insight into product usage behavior by clicking a link in the Service Cloud mobile app that will take him directly to a product usage dashboard in the Analytics Cloud mobile app. The rep can then determine whether the problem is a common case or an anomaly, and seamlessly toggle back to the service case to identify the right escalation path—all while talking to the customer.

Free Playground Version of the Analytics Cloud Now Available for Mobile Devices and Desktop
A free playground version of the Analytics Cloud allows anyone to experience the Analytics Cloud in action on a mobile device or desktop. Playground visitors can import their own data from a CSV file and explore it instantly, or experiment with a variety of pre-loaded data sets. The desktop version also includes tutorials to help visitors learn how to ask questions of data and explore dashboard mashups of multiple data sources.

Comments on the News

"Business intelligence is now the number two priority in mobile applications for the first time ever, trailing only email, according to our recent Mobile Computing/Mobile Business Intelligence Market Study," said Howard Dresner, founder and chief research officer, Dresner Advisory Services, LLC. "User empowerment is key right now, and cloud and mobile BI solutions are providing faster channels of delivering fact-based insights to more business users at key points of decision. This enables companies to foster a data-driven culture, where insights are powering more strategic and tactical decision making on a daily basis."

Pricing and Availability

The free playground version of the Salesforce Analytics Cloud is available today for the desktop at https://www.salesforce.com/analytics-playground, and also on the Salesforce Analytics mobile app for Apple iOS for iPhone and iPad, available for download at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/salesforce-analytics/id916982402?mt=8
Wave Mobile Connector, Wave Mobile Dashboard Designer and Wave Links are expected to be generally available in March 2015, and will be included with any Analytics Cloud license.
The Wave Connector Add-In for Excel is expected to be generally available in March 2015 for Excel 2013 and Excel Online via Microsoft's Apps for Office store.
Salesforce Analytics Cloud is generally available in English, with additional language support forthcoming.

Additional Information

Learn more about the Salesforce Analytics Cloud http://www.salesforce.com/analytics-cloud/.
Like Salesforce on Facebook:http://facebook.com/salesforce.
Follow @salesforce and @salesforcewave on Twitter.

About Salesforce
Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit:www.salesforce.com.

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¹ Using Customer Analytics To Boost Corporate Performance, McKinsey & Company, January 2014

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SOURCE Salesforce