Salesforce.com Unveils Salesforce Files

On Friday, Salesforce.com announced Salesforce Files, a service that would enable companies to share and connect any file to business.

In essence, Salesforce Files is Chatterbox,the file-sharing service it launched as a competitor to Box and similar services. With the new name, however, the company is positioning it as a way to connect files from internal and external sources, such as Google Drive, SharePoint, and Documentum.

Currently, Salesforce Files is the "only enterprise file system that seamlessly connects any file with sales, service, marketing, and other business processes—from any device," according to a company statement. For example, a remote sales rep can now ask for support from competitive experts who can instantly share the latest FAQs. An on-site service agent can access the latest tech specs to close a case quickly, from a mobile device. Creative briefs, advertising copy, and brand assets can be shared on one record so the global marketing team can easily manage every step of the campaign. Similarly, an interviewer can screen a candidate's resume and provide feedback right from his phone to accelerate an employment offer.

"Employees use a patchwork of disconnected file repositories trying to get work done," Nasi Jazayeri, executive vice president and general manager of Salesforce Chatter, says. "Salesforce Files changes the game for our customers because they can now connect any file, no matter where it is stored, to their businesses and make it mobile and social, all on a single, trusted platform."

The new service, which gathers files from internal and third-party services and integrates them all in one place, borrows a lot of its technology from EntropySoft, a company Salesforce acquired earlier this year. EntropySoft functioned through a network of connectors that allowed files from enterprise content management and file-sharing services to be integrated.

Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff unveiled Chatterbox at TechCrunch Disrupt last year. It was originally intended for companies to share files and collaborate and did not offer integration with third-party services. The product has undergone some transformation since then. Still, even with a new name, Salesforce Files is not yet available, and no official launch date has been set. It is currently in private beta testing at DenMat and Kelly Services.

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