Salesforce Introduction - Coursera / University of California

Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform // Customer Success Platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools to help business manage their: 

• Customer relationship
• Sales
• Marketing
• Other businesses

Essentially, you can sell, service, market, analyze, and connect with your customers.

It is: 

• Cloud based: are hosted on remote servers of Salesforce company. Users access it via Internet.
• SaaS model: Companies subsribe to service on a per-use / per-service basis. 

Variety of modules

Sales Cloud:

Function: Automates sales processes.
Features: Contact and account management, opportunity tracking, lead management, sales forecasting, and performance analytics.

Service Cloud:

Function: Enhances customer support and service operations.
Features: Case management, service automation, a knowledge base, customer portals, and multi-channel support (phone, email, chat, social media).

Marketing Cloud:

Function: Manages digital marketing efforts.
Features: Email marketing, social media marketing, advertising, customer journey management, and analytics.

Commerce Cloud:

Function: Supports e-commerce operations.
Features: Online store management, mobile commerce, order management, product recommendations, and personalization.

Community Cloud:

Function: Builds online communities for customers, partners, and employees.
Features: Discussion forums, user groups, knowledge sharing, and customer service communities.

Analytics Cloud (Einstein Analytics):

Function: Provides advanced data analysis and business intelligence.
Features: Data visualization, dashboards, predictive analytics, and AI-driven insights.

App Cloud:

Function: Enables custom application development.
Features: Development platforms like Force.com, Heroku, and Lightning for building custom apps that integrate with Salesforce.

Einstein AI:

Function: Adds artificial intelligence capabilities across Salesforce.
Features: Predictive analytics, natural language processing, automated data entry, and intelligent recommendations.

Integration Cloud:

Function: Ensures seamless integration with other enterprise systems.
Features: Tools for data synchronization, API management, and integration with third-party applications.