A Good Storm Story

With less than a week to go, Dreamforce continues to bear down on the world like a hurricane slowly approaching from across the ocean -- in a good way, if that makes any sense. Salesforce has pumped new products into the market that will serve as the focus of at least part of the discussion in San Francisco. Also, CEO and Chairman Marc Benioff recently decided to buy Time magazine, one of journalism's 20th century icons.

Over the late summer, the company introduced improvements or whole new products for the small and mid-sized business market, philanthropy and financial services. There is a theme in this, but it might be hard to suss out.

To save time, let's say that Salesforce continues a "hit 'em where they ain't" strategy, which I translate to mean that they preferentially invent net new solutions over simply paving over a well-worn cow path. This is important, because many technology companies -- if not most -- have made their names, and a very nice living, in the paving business.

Early enterprise software vendors made fortunes developing computer analogs for the back office -- especially general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, enterprise resource planning and material requirements planning. It's a long list, and all these solutions were necessary, if low-hanging fruit.

However, as a second- or third-generation entrant in the enterprise space, Salesforce has more than once confounded the experts, steadfastly refusing to play to type by reinventing that wheel.