Ever wondered if there could be an AppStore on the cloud? Well, the Salesforce AppExchange is exactly a store on the cloud, which is a whole lot more useful than the traditional AppStore. It has over 3,400 apps with a record of 5.6 million installs. That means nearly 1647 installs per app. Not a bad number at all for an enterprise-grade sales app. It’s a clear indicator of Salesforce’s resounding success of the #1 cloud-based CRM tool in the market right now.
Why Use AppExchange?
The AppExchange is a treasure house of ready to use sales apps. It is the fastest way for businesses to connect customers to their products, services, and solutions. In simple terms, it is a cloud computing marketplace where users can find and integrate the right set of software apps to enhance their sales strategy further. Enterprise users can find all categories of solutions, starting from point solutions to 360o automation apps.
What Are The Benefits?
Today, the cloud offers a business with new levels of productivity and efficiency. No longer is the need to create infrastructure or download software. Salesforce is based on the SaaS delivery model, which means enterprise users can access applications over the internet from the comfort of their browsers. Think of it as extensions in browsers. The two primary benefits of using AppExchange are:
- Ready to Use: Apps on AppExchange are ready to use. Enterprises need not spend resources and time on building new functionalities to meet business goals.
- Cost-Effective: Not only are the apps pre-built by independent providers, but they also look after maintenance and support. This saves enterprises time and investment.
How Salesforce AppExchange Works?
The Salesforce AppExchange is self-sustaining by design. Salesforce users can publish their customizations, set of dashboards and reports that improve business, on the AppExchange as an app or an extension. To publish, a user must have “Create AppExchange packages” and “Upload AppExchange packages” permissions.
A salesforce admin can choose to install the app after viewing a fully functional demo of the app. Once installed, the admin can send access invites to a select group of people. This means any salesforce user can search, browse and test drive AppExchange listings.
Why Use Apps in Salesforce?
To understand the true implication of the AppExchange on the Salesforce ecosystem, here’s a small analogy with the mobile AppStore that all of us are familiar with.
Today’s smartphone is rich in both features and performance. However, in-built apps do not serve all our purpose. We have apps on the play store to serve all our needs from entertainment to social media. Mobile apps are built on top of the mobile OS and are designed to derive maximum performance and efficiency from the mobile OS. In the same way, apps on the app exchange are designed to make maximum use of the salesforce cloud capabilities, and the possibilities are infinite.
The Many Enterprise Use Cases of Salesforce AppExchange
More than half of the fortune 100 companies were reportedly using one or more Salesforce AppExchange app for connecting to their customers. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Appexchange is a treasure house of social, mobile, and cloud-connected apps that businesses can use for measurable long-term benefits.
Moreover, ISV partners like us, help enterprises create apps that completely transform sales strategies. Our salesforce configuration, integration and customization services ensure that salesforce users can leverage maximum benefits from their salesforce initiatives. From helping enterprises to find the right apps on the Appexchange to creating completely customized solutions, PSI makes your salesforce journey smooth and accelerating productive.
