Salesforce.com offers development tools to non-CRM users

Strategy shift also expands access to AppExchange market

By Marc L. Songini

April 23, 2007 12:00 PM ET

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In a shift in strategy, Salesforce.com Inc. today announced plans to let corporate users access its Apex technology platform without subscribing to the vendor's core CRM service.

San Francisco-based Salesforce.com said the new Salesforce Platform Edition will allow potential customers to use Salesforce.com's Apex programming language, its integration technology and other tools without a Salesforce.com CRM service license. The vendor said it changed its longtime strategy to open its technologies to a much larger potential customer base.

The new offering also lets users use the Apex programming tools to customize and integrate applications purchased on Salesforce.com's AppExchange software marketplace without the CRM license.

"Prior to Salesforce Platform Edition, customers had to purchase a CRM subscription to run any of our apps or our partner's AppExchange applications," said Ariel Kelman, director of Apex platform product marketing at Salesforce.com. "Additionally, new customers can purchase Salesforce Platform Edition alone without CRM subscriptions."

Kelman said the new offering targets users in human resources, research and development, finance and other corporate departments that don't need CRM applications.

The Salesforce Platform Enterprise Edition is available now for $50 per user per month; and Salesforce Platform Unlimited Edition is available now for $100 per user per month.

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