On June 10, 2019, Salesforce announced its plans to acquire Tableau in a deal worth $15.7 billion. This acquisition is one of the largest in Salesforce’s history and marks a significant shift in the company’s strategy. In this article, we’ll explore what this acquisition means for Salesforce, Tableau, and the future of business intelligence.
What is Tableau?
Tableau is a data visualization software that allows businesses to analyze and share their data in an intuitive way. With Tableau, businesses can create interactive dashboards, reports, and charts that help them better understand their data and make data-driven decisions. Tableau is used by businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, and is considered one of the leaders in the business intelligence industry.
Why Did Salesforce Acquire Tableau?
Salesforce has long been a leader in the customer relationship management (CRM) industry. With its cloud-based software, Salesforce helps businesses manage their customer relationships, sales, and marketing efforts. However, Salesforce has been looking to expand its offerings beyond just CRM software.
By acquiring Tableau, Salesforce is able to enter the business intelligence industry and offer its customers a more complete solution. With Tableau’s data visualization software, Salesforce can now offer businesses insight into their customer data, helping them make better decisions and improve their customer relationships.
What Does This Mean for Tableau?
For Tableau, being acquired by Salesforce means access to a larger customer base and more resources. Tableau will be able to leverage Salesforce’s sales and marketing expertise to reach more businesses and grow its user base.
However, some Tableau users are concerned about what this acquisition means for the future of the software. Will Tableau continue to operate as an independent product, or will it be integrated into Salesforce’s offerings? Only time will tell, but for now, Tableau is continuing to operate independently under the Salesforce umbrella.
What Does This Mean for Salesforce?
For Salesforce, the acquisition of Tableau means a new revenue stream and a more complete solution for its customers. With Tableau’s data visualization software, Salesforce can offer businesses a more complete picture of their customer data, helping them make better decisions and improve their customer relationships.
However, Salesforce will need to be careful not to alienate Tableau’s existing users. Tableau has a dedicated user base who may be resistant to changes or integration with Salesforce’s offerings. Salesforce will need to find a way to balance its own offerings with Tableau’s, while still providing value to all of its customers.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Business Intelligence?
The acquisition of Tableau by Salesforce is just one example of the changing landscape of the business intelligence industry. With more businesses relying on data to make decisions, the demand for business intelligence software is only going to increase.
However, as the industry continues to grow, we may see more consolidation and acquisitions like this one. The key to success in the business intelligence industry will be providing a complete solution that offers both data analysis and visualization.
Conclusion
The acquisition of Tableau by Salesforce is a significant event in the business intelligence industry. For Salesforce, it means a new revenue stream and a more complete solution for its customers. For Tableau, it means access to a larger customer base and more resources. However, the future of Tableau and its integration with Salesforce’s offerings is still uncertain. As the demand for business intelligence software continues to increase, we may see more consolidation and acquisitions in the industry.