Monday marked Salesforce’s 15^th annual Dreamforce developer conference in San Francisco, which evidently proved to be the ideal event to showcase their new partnership with technology titans, Apple. Amongst the release of their biggest software update of the year, Apple have made headlines yet again, as they take their biggest step yet towards being at the technological forefront of the business enterprise sector. It is no secret that for years, Apple have had their sights set on expanding their target market to accommodate to professionals and ensure that their products were not only known as the leading competitor in smartphone technology for personal use, but the provider of go-to devices in which consumers can handle all aspects of their life without having to put aside their phone for 8 hours a day.

Bringing together the number one Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and the latest features of IOS 12, will inevitably bring opportunities for both parties, however the biggest direct result of the collaboration will be a redesigned, native Salesforce app exclusively for IOS. While the exact release date is still undisclosed, there have been talks of the software hitting our app stores as soon as early 2019. Salesforce will be taking on the Apple-exclusive features such as Face ID, Business Chat and the all new Siri Shortcuts. Such elements will allow for a seamless user experience, with consumers being able to assess daily briefings, and keep up to date with essential information just by using their voice. The advanced simplicity of such technology is one of the key initial attractions the partnership will bring, however there is no doubt that both companies are well aware of the media coverage and cross sales this partnership has the potential to produce.

The new-found, broad collaboration already has many plans in the pipeline. Salesforce is looking to empower their customers with endless innovative opportunities and give developers and consumers alike, the potential to build native IOS apps with the support and guidance of Trailhead, the free online learning platform introduced by Salesforce in 2014, which aims to assist developer learning and growth. With the combined power of Apple and Salesforce heading up the new age of app development, a whole new breadth of services is on the cards for customers looking to embark on the technological shift pioneered by industry giants. The launch of the first Salesforce Mobile software developers kit (SDK) which is set to be optimized for Swift, Apple’s unique and intuitive programming language, is said to work hand-in-hand with that of the Trailhead courses. Whilst Apple is known for being at the forefront of their sector, competition is growing and with new concepts surfacing every day, brands have been kept on their toes and Apple is one of many having to switch up strategies to stay ahead.

The partners have stated that developers will be able to build native IOS apps on top of Salesforce, and as the community grows with Trailhead, developers will not only learn to build apps – they will build career skills. Bringing together companies whose services collectively cover the majority of business sectors, this collaboration has brought a simplified edge to the world of tech. Combining the best products for business and a CRM that everyone can use, it appears that this is just the beginning of what already has the potential to dominate in the business enterprise sector.

Resources:
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/apple-and-salesforce-partner-to-help-redefine-customer-experiences-on-ios/

https://developer.salesforce.com/blogs/tech-pubs/2015/05/trailhead-new-approach-learning-salesforce.html