OREANDA-NEWS. September 14, 2015.  Every company must become an apps company. Apps are what business demands. Apps are how you draw the straightest line possible to the customer, whether internal or external. And the big challenge for IT right now is keeping up with the tremendous appetite for apps.

At Salesforce, we work hard to understand the demands on the business and on IT. We are the only company positioned to serve as a partner in this total transformation opportunity. We’re not just talking about technology. We’re focused on outcomes. We’re focused on apps. Our vision is to empower every organization and every type of developer with everything they need to build apps fast.

That’s why we are introducing the next evolution of the Salesforce1 Platform: Salesforce App Cloud. It builds on the world’s leading cloud platform and brings Force.com and Heroku closer together in a unified experience. The result is everything you need to build connected apps fast, along with the cloud infrastructure, compliance, and security you have come to expect from Salesforce.

Putting the service back in PaaS


The most important word in platform as a service (PaaS) is Service. Our App Cloud is a PaaS, with a major emphasis on service. We’re doubling down on making it easier for the enterprise to focus on innovation and the business, instead of spending so much time worrying about infrastructure and technology.

We wear the so-called pager so you don’t have to. As with the Salesforce1 Platform, App Cloud manages the hardware, software, upgrades, and more, so you are free to focus on what you do best: building apps. That’s why our customers love us. They get to spend their time on creating apps that transform their business, without worrying about all of the plumbing.

Everything you need for app building


People don’t always know what the game-changing app for their business is going to be. Instead of spending precious time trying to dream up that app, the way to be successful is to just keep trying. If an app is going to make an impact, you’ll know almost immediately. If not, you can fail fast and try again. It’s that sense of iteration that leads to innovation.

App Cloud enables our customers to quickly build the apps they need, in the way they want. Any builder can leverage our Lightning user experience point-and-click tools to create custom employee apps for any role and department. Every app is instantly mobile and social. Plus, there are pre-integrated, pre-vetted, and customizable grab-and-go apps available through the AppExchange.

Developers get a whole new coding experience using all the same technologies every consumer startup uses. Think open source languages, build packs and add ons, and robust microservices. Devs can focus on coding amazing apps, rather than setting up and managing databases, deployment, scalability, and configuration.

Enterprise-level trust and security


Another way App Cloud takes the pressure off IT is by enabling the business in a governance and compliance framework IT approves of. This is an especially big deal for customers in highly regulated industries. Salesforce Shield offers an extra level of control around business-critical applications.

The new Heroku Enterprise brings the functionality and scalability of Heroku for building engaging apps, with enterprise level control, such as single sign-on and role-based permissions. Networks can be integrated and isolated so you can run your own private cloud on top of Heroku. You can read even more on Heroku Enterprise here.

Solving for the developer gap


Salesforce recognizes that there isn’t enough developer talent to keep pace with today’s appetite for apps. Most organizations simply don’t have the resources to recruit hardcore developers. We want to take the pressure off of IT and make it easy for everyone to create apps, from business analysts to productivity workers close to the business.

A key part of this is the free App Cloud learning platform Trailhead. It teaches users of all skill levels how to build Salesforce apps with fun, bite-sized interactive tutorials that reward them with badges along the way. Trailhead has an amazing, motivated community of developers and admins. In fact, following the recent Salesforce Lightning announcement, the number of badges earned and awarded doubled almost immediately.

We’re just getting started


This is only the beginning for App Cloud. Salesforce’s business model centers around delivering innovation three times a year. Technology is moving so fast, the average enterprise needs a partner to be able to stay on top of it. I look forward to hearing about how you’re going to transform your business with Salesforce App Cloud, and I look forward to sharing our future innovation with you.

Hear more on how you can deliver apps at the speed of business. Join Tod Nielsen and special guests LIVE for the Dreamforce 2015 App Cloud Keynote, Thursday, September 17th, at 2 pm PST. Click here to add a reminder to your calendar. If you haven’t yet registered for Dreamforce, get started here.