Comments on: Is “Platform Edition” a reality? http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/ Authored by Scott Hemmeter of Arrowpointe Corp, this blog is written from the perspective of a Salesforce.com solution provider and contains information on Arrowpointe's AppExchange products as well as tips, findings, sample code, functionality wishes, etc. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:52:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Scott Hemmeter http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6431 Scott Hemmeter Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:42:05 +0000 http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6431 Agree. The API (and APEX Code when it's out) is a must for this to work. That's over half the reason that someone would want this in the first place. Agree. The API (and APEX Code when it’s out) is a must for this to work. That’s over half the reason that someone would want this in the first place.

]]> By: Charlie Wood http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6402 Charlie Wood Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:03:30 +0000 http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6402 I absolutely agree that this would be huge. In fact, I think it's necessary to get Salesforce where they want to be. But I'm worried about two things: pricing and API access. If pricing for Platform Edition is too high--say, higher than OEM Edition (at $25/month per seat) I think it could fail to get traction. And if it doesn't come with SOAP API access, I'd say it's a non-starter. But if Salesforce were to come out with a $25/month Platform Edition with full API access, I think they'd have a shot at being the Microsoft Windows of the web age. Regards, Charlie I absolutely agree that this would be huge. In fact, I think it’s necessary to get Salesforce where they want to be. But I’m worried about two things: pricing and API access.

If pricing for Platform Edition is too high–say, higher than OEM Edition (at $25/month per seat) I think it could fail to get traction.

And if it doesn’t come with SOAP API access, I’d say it’s a non-starter.

But if Salesforce were to come out with a $25/month Platform Edition with full API access, I think they’d have a shot at being the Microsoft Windows of the web age.

Regards,
Charlie

]]> By: Scott Hemmeter http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6399 Scott Hemmeter Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:37:12 +0000 http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6399 It's not the same thing. The OEM edition must be purchased through an OEM provider. When you buy it, you are purchasing with the intent of using the OEM application. You may or may not use CRM. I discuss this <a href="http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2006/05/25/oem-edition/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Its in the same neighborhood as the Platform Edition, but not the same thing. The Platform Edition concept eliminates 3rd parties from the equation. It's between you and Salesforce. When you buy it, you have the ability to build your own apps or then go ahead and purchase other ones. The idea is that you got the platform on your own and you intend to build your own functionality. You are not tied to Salesforce.com's CRM or an OEM product. An analogy would be buying a copy of Microsoft Access now. You can buy it and then build the tables, forms, reports, macros, etc. for an application you want to create. Or you could use it as a back-end database for a web application. You didn't need to go through an OEM to get it. Although, you could still go and purchase 3rd party apps that work on top of Access. The platform edition would be the same. Suppose I want to build the next del.icio.us. Why use a MySQL database? I could, instead, use Salesforce.com as my back-end. To do that, I'd need a license type that lets me buy the Salesforce.com platform without any of the CRM capabilities in it and with no applications already installed. By doing that, I have just outsourced my database infrastructure to Salesforce.com and got some killer admin tools to help me work with it. Make sense? It’s not the same thing. The OEM edition must be purchased through an OEM provider. When you buy it, you are purchasing with the intent of using the OEM application. You may or may not use CRM. I discuss this here. Its in the same neighborhood as the Platform Edition, but not the same thing.

The Platform Edition concept eliminates 3rd parties from the equation. It’s between you and Salesforce. When you buy it, you have the ability to build your own apps or then go ahead and purchase other ones. The idea is that you got the platform on your own and you intend to build your own functionality. You are not tied to Salesforce.com’s CRM or an OEM product.

An analogy would be buying a copy of Microsoft Access now. You can buy it and then build the tables, forms, reports, macros, etc. for an application you want to create. Or you could use it as a back-end database for a web application. You didn’t need to go through an OEM to get it. Although, you could still go and purchase 3rd party apps that work on top of Access.

The platform edition would be the same. Suppose I want to build the next del.icio.us. Why use a MySQL database? I could, instead, use Salesforce.com as my back-end. To do that, I’d need a license type that lets me buy the Salesforce.com platform without any of the CRM capabilities in it and with no applications already installed. By doing that, I have just outsourced my database infrastructure to Salesforce.com and got some killer admin tools to help me work with it.

Make sense?

]]> By: Mike http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6398 Mike Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:19:24 +0000 http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6398 Isn't this the OEM Edition Salesforce announced last May? http://www.salesforce.com/newsevents/press-release.jsp?year=2006&month=May&id=060524-39 Isn’t this the OEM Edition Salesforce announced last May?

http://www.salesforce.com/newsevents/press-release.jsp?year=2006&month=May&id=060524-39

]]> By: Steve http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6395 Steve Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:51:04 +0000 http://sfdc.arrowpointe.com/2007/01/17/is-platform-edition-a-reality/#comment-6395 This is huge. I look forward to them filling out the business model behind that picklist! I also noticed the new Appexchange package uploaded today for tracking and managing installs of your managed packages (http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/detail_overview.jsp?id=a0330000002WKfiAAG). Seems to be targeted at people who will be selling apps as components or standalone apps. This is huge. I look forward to them filling out the business model behind that picklist! I also noticed the new Appexchange package uploaded today for tracking and managing installs of your managed packages (http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/detail_overview.jsp?id=a0330000002WKfiAAG). Seems to be targeted at people who will be selling apps as components or standalone apps.

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