Salesforce has successfully completed its acquisition of Own Company, marking a significant milestone with its largest purchase since the acquisition of Slack in 2021. The $1.9 billion deal brings a substantial enrichment to Salesforce’s technological arsenal, particularly in the realm of SaaS data backup, management, and recovery solutions—ushering a new era for Salesforce’s Data Cloud security. While seen as a strategic alignment by some, this move has sparked a broad spectrum of opinions within the customer experience community, raising myriad questions and discussions about the future paths of data management, partnerships, and integrations.
Industry Reactions to the Acquisition
Mixed Sentiments within the Customer Experience Community
The acquisition of Own Company by Salesforce has undeniably stirred varied reactions within the customer experience landscape. Certain sections of the industry voice strong support, viewing this strategic move as a natural evolution given Own’s capabilities in data protection. Own Company, which was valued at $3.35 billion just a few years ago, has brought a plethora of advanced data backup and recovery solutions to Salesforce’s already robust Data Cloud offering. Advocates see this as a wise investment, positioning Salesforce to better cater to businesses increasingly reliant on secure and sophisticated data management solutions.
On the other hand, some industry analysts have expressed reservations about Salesforce’s strategy to acquire rather than partner. The concerns stem from the complexities involved in ensuring seamless integration and maintaining consistency across multiple platforms. There is an inherent apprehension that incorporating Own’s systems into Salesforce’s existing infrastructure could potentially lead to challenges, particularly regarding interoperability and the future support of integrations with other major platforms like Microsoft and ServiceNow. This debate reflects a broader industry challenge of balancing consolidation with the need for flexible, specialized services.
Insights from Industry Experts
Renowned figures within the tech industry have voiced their perspectives on Salesforce’s newest acquisition. Salesforce’s President and GM of Sales Einstein 1 Platform and Unified Data Services, Steve Fisher, underscored the criticality of data protection in today’s business ecosystem, emphasizing that robust data management is pivotal to ensuring customer trust and driving innovation. Liz Miller, VP at Constellation Research, lauded the move as particularly strategic amid Salesforce’s critiques of competitors such as Microsoft Copilot’s data management practices.
However, the opinion isn’t unanimous. Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst at ZK Research, advocated for a collaborative approach over ownership. He argued that working with specialized third-party providers like Own instead of outright acquisition could potentially lead to more agile and tailored solutions. Kerravala raised pertinent points regarding the risk of consistency issues and the potential complications in maintaining seamless functionality across diverse platforms. This viewpoint underscores the ongoing tension between comprehensive ownership and selective partnership strategies within the tech industry, highlighting the varied paths companies can take to achieve their technological goals.
Strategic Implications and Future Plans
Salesforce’s “Try Before You Buy” Approach
Salesforce’s decision to fully acquire Own aligns closely with its established “try before you buy” strategy, in which the company initially took a 10% stake in Own Company. This approach allowed Salesforce to carefully evaluate Own’s integration and effectiveness within its broader ecosystem before making a full-scale acquisition. The preference for Own was driven by its ability to enable businesses to regain control over their data, facilitating advanced analytics, and ensuring that companies can switch providers without losing their autonomy. This aligns with Salesforce’s broader mission to imbue businesses with the power to leverage data for competitive advantage.
Own’s CEO, Sam Gutmann, emphasized the company’s expanded mission, which now includes not just preventing data loss but also unlocking deeper business insights and accelerating AI-driven innovation. This expanded mission aligns with Salesforce’s broader strategic goals of integrating advanced analytics and AI capabilities into their products, thus empowering their customers to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. The emphasis on AI-driven innovation underlines the importance placed on forward-thinking solutions in staying relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Expansion and the Agentforce Solution
Salesforce has successfully finalized its acquisition of Own Company, marking its most significant purchase since acquiring Slack in 2021. The $1.9 billion deal significantly enhances Salesforce’s technology, particularly in SaaS data backup, management, and recovery solutions. This acquisition ushers in a new era for Salesforce’s Data Cloud security. Many consider this move a strategic alignment, but it has sparked a wide range of opinions within the customer experience community. This acquisition has led to numerous discussions and questions about the future of data management, potential new partnerships, and integrations within Salesforce’s ecosystem. While some see it as a step forward in strengthening Salesforce’s capabilities in data services, others are curious about how this will impact the current operations and what new innovations will emerge from this substantial investment. As Salesforce continues to evolve, the integration of Own Company’s technologies will undeniably play a crucial role in shaping the future landscape of data security and management.
