Latest news with #DataCloud
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite Limited Near-Term Catalysts, Oppenheimer Reaffirms Salesforce (CRM) at Overweight
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the 10 best tech stocks to buy according to billionaires right now. On June 9, an analyst at Oppenheimer reiterated his Outperform rating on the stock and maintained a $370 price target. In this latest note, the analyst pointed to a positive tone from the company management in their recent meeting, particularly around product demand, AI platform capabilities, and early-stage pipeline momentum. Within the AI platforms, he was specifically upbeat about traction in Agentforce and Data Cloud. Copyright: drserg / 123RF Stock Photo However, despite the constructive messaging, the analyst acknowledged that short-term catalysts appear limited. The recent announcement of a potential deal with Informatica Inc. (NYSE:INFA) is also weighing on sentiment for now. The company's historical track record in integration of acquired companies is not particularly strong, and thus the market is still cautious on the long-term synergies of this acquisition. That said, the Oppenheimer analyst maintains a longer-term positive view, citing Salesforce's strong position in the evolving AI landscape. The firm believes Salesforce is well placed to serve as a primary data layer and system-of-records provider in enterprise AI adoption. In the first week of June, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald also initiated coverage on Salesforce with an Overweight rating and a price target of $325. He cited the company as one of the highest-quality businesses within their coverage. Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a cloud-based software company specializing in customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. The company offers a comprehensive suite of cloud-based applications for sales, service, marketing, and analytics, enabling businesses to connect with their customers more meaningfully. Its platform is designed to help organizations streamline their operations, enhance customer engagement, and drive growth through data-driven insights. While we acknowledge the potential of CRM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None.
Techday NZ
12-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Talkdesk unveils CXA platform for autonomous AI customer journeys
Talkdesk has launched Customer Experience Automation (CXA), a software platform designed to automate complex customer journeys using coordinated, autonomous artificial intelligence agents. Addressing limitations The new CXA platform aims to address limitations found in traditional contact centre as a service (CCaaS) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems by consolidating fragmented and manually coordinated workflows. By leveraging a system of AI agents that collaborate in real time, Talkdesk states that enterprises will be able to orchestrate and resolve customer experience challenges across the full lifecycle of the customer journey. Tiago Paiva, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Talkdesk, said: "For years, businesses have faced a false choice: deliver personalised service or operate efficiently at scale. CXA ends that tradeoff. It's not just automation - it's coordinated, autonomous resolution of complex business problems with speed, scale, and impact, without sacrificing the personal touch customers expect." Organisations seeking efficient and scalable customer processes have historically encountered issues with outdated technology, siloed information, and fragmented data. Attempts to introduce automation have often resulted in disconnected bots and weak integrations, leading to inconsistent customer experiences and diminished trust, according to Talkdesk. The CXA platform introduces an operating system for customer experience built on the principles of multi-agent AI orchestration. At the core of this system is the Talkdesk Data Cloud, which integrates structured and unstructured data across customer interactions, channels, and existing record systems. This integration enables AI agents to access actionable knowledge from transcripts, call recordings, messages, and notes, alongside aggregated customer data from multiple systems, to autonomously solve business issues. Talkdesk describes this process as a virtuous cycle of automation, with organisations able to discover high-impact opportunities, build intelligent workflows, orchestrate teams of AI agents, and measure outcomes to enable ongoing learning and improvement. With multi-agent orchestration, the system deploys a network of specialist AI agents, each programmed for a specific role but able to share context and collaborate in real time. Talkdesk claims this approach enables automation across complex, cross-functional business processes, spanning both front and back office operations. "With the launch of CXA, Talkdesk is taking a fundamentally different approach," said Zeus Kerravala, Founder of ZK Research. "Rather than simply layering AI onto legacy infrastructure, they have created a platform focused on autonomous, multi-agent orchestration. This innovation allows enterprises to automate complex workflows with precision—an area where traditional solutions often fall short." Boosting customer experience The CXA platform is built for rapid deployment, offering pre-configured use cases, low- and no-code tools, and general-purpose or industry-specialised AI agents. Supported industry sectors include healthcare, financial services, retail, utilities, and government. The platform can be scaled from a single workflow automation up to broader business unit applications, with the intention of accelerating time to value for organisations. Talkdesk has also introduced a dedicated AI agent for automating high-volume outbound voice campaigns, such as appointment reminders, billing alerts, and service updates. This agent aims to enable businesses to improve outreach and engagement while reducing reliance on live agents. Paiva added: "The customer experience bar is higher than ever, and getting it right is no longer a differentiator - it's essential for survival. Talkdesk CXA represents a monumental leap forward. We've gone deeper into problem-solving for specific industries, uncovering unique use cases where traditional solutions failed. Our new CXA platform is not about flimsy automations or bolted-together tools; it's about intelligent, coordinated, autonomous, and outcome-focused resolution that transforms the entire customer lifecycle." According to Talkdesk, more than half of its customer base - including BankUnited, Ouro Global, United Rentals, Memorial Healthcare, Michaels, and TEKA - are already using CXA features. The platform is being applied to various use cases, such as pharmacy callbacks, fraud alerts, and insurance claims, with AI agents orchestrated as an intelligent network across systems and channels. Jeffrey Sturman, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Information Officer at Memorial Healthcare System, commented: "As a health system, we need solutions built specifically for our needs and for the communities we serve, and Talkdesk consistently delivers. Having leveraged their advanced AI tools, we're particularly excited about the new CXA platform. It's a monumental leap, with its autonomous, multi-agent AI approach and industry-specific capabilities set to transform how we orchestrate seamless healthcare consumer interactions and critical operational workflows. This is a key differentiator for us." Amber Scott, Vice President of Customer Experience at Serta Simmons Bedding, also remarked: "Our long-standing partnership with Talkdesk is grounded in a shared drive to innovate and elevate how businesses connect with their customers. That's why we're excited about - but not surprised by - their latest announcement. Talkdesk continues to demonstrate its commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in this space. Their new Customer Experience Automation platform is a bold step forward, and we believe it has the potential to fundamentally change how organisations design and deliver customer journeys." Jeiner Morales, Senior Vice President and Director of Data Analytics and Business Systems at BankUnited, said: "Talkdesk consistently delivers innovation built for the specific needs of our industry. We've leveraged their advanced AI to improve banking interactions, and the new CXA platform is truly transformational. Its autonomous, multi-agent AI approach redefines how we deliver intelligent, secure, and outcome-focused service, cementing Talkdesk as a vital partner." Thomas Grosso, Executive Director of Service Desk at CAI, stated: "When CAI chose Talkdesk, we went all in. We harnessed everything we felt we needed to hit the ground running and maximise ROI as quickly as possible, including Talkdesk Workforce Management, Customer Experience Analytics, and Talkdesk Copilot - all components of Talkdesk CXA." Security and integration Talkdesk has emphasised its focus on trust and policy compliance, stating that CXA has integrated AI guardrails to mitigate hallucinations, maintain compliance, and provide human oversight. The platform incorporates an AI Gateway feature that allows it to integrate with existing contact centre systems, including both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. This enables deployment of the AI-driven features without requiring a wholesale system replacement. While available as a standalone platform, CXA also integrates into the wider Talkdesk CX Cloud product, encompassing voice, digital, performance, and workforce management capabilities with the AI automation built in.
Scoop
11-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Blue Yonder Named Snowflake Retail & Consumer Goods Data Cloud Product Partner Of The Year
Press Release – Blue Yonder This award recognizes Blue Yonder's commitment to data-driven transformation and the remarkable results they are delivering in the supply chain space through our collaborative partnership, says Kieran Kennedy, VP, Data Cloud Product Partners, … Blue Yonder, the leader in end-to-end supply chain digital transformation, today announced at Snowflake's annual user conference, Snowflake Summit 2025, that it has been named the 2025 Retail & Consumer Goods Data Cloud Product Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. This is the fourth year in a row that Blue Yonder has been recognized as a Snowflake partner award winner. Blue Yonder was recognized for its achievements as part of the Snowflake AI Data Cloud ecosystem, helping joint customers unify data across internal and external sources to improve and accelerate decision-making at scale. The partnership allows Blue Yonder to integrate Snowflake's data capabilities into its Blue Yonder Platform, powered by Snowflake, enabling customers to access real-time data and make faster, higher quality decisions. By facilitating seamless data sharing and collaboration on a single platform and leveraging advanced machine learning (ML) technology, users can execute thousands of supply chain scenarios simultaneously, significantly reducing the cost, complexity and time associated with traditional marketplaces. 'By combining our advanced supply chain technology with Snowflake's robust data management capabilities, we deliver true end-to-end supply chain solutions that enhance performance, scalability and resilience for our shared customers,' said Chris Burchett, senior vice president, Generative AI, Blue Yonder. 'We're honored to receive this prestigious award for the fourth year in a row and are excited to continue our collaboration with Snowflake to provide innovative solutions and transformative results for retailers, manufacturers and logistics service providers worldwide.' 'We are proud to name Blue Yonder as our Retail & Consumer Goods Data Cloud Product Partner of the Year,' said Kieran Kennedy, VP, Data Cloud Product Partners, Snowflake. 'As a leader in supply chain technology, Blue Yonder is expertly leveraging the power of our AI Data Cloud across their platform, driving significant value and innovation for our shared customers. This award recognizes their commitment to data-driven transformation and the remarkable results they are delivering in the supply chain space through our collaborative partnership.' Learn more about the Blue Yonder and Snowflake partnership in the 'Supply Chain Management With Blue Yonder and Snowflake' video and the ' Using GenAI To Drive Fast, Precise Decisions For Supply Chain Management ' video interview of Burchett on Data Cloud Now. Check out keynotes from Snowflake Summit 2025 live or on-demand here and stay on top of the latest news and announcements from Snowflake on LinkedIn and Twitter/X. About Blue Yonder Blue Yonder is the world leader in end-to-end digital supply chain transformation. With a unified, AI-driven platform and multi-tier network, Blue Yonder empowers businesses to operate sustainably, scale profitably, and delight their customers — all at machine speed. A pioneer in applying AI solutions to the most complicated supply chain challenges, Blue Yonder's modern innovations and unmatched industry expertise help more than 3,000 retailers, manufacturers, and logistics service providers to confidently navigate supply chain complexity and disruption.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) Declares Quarterly Dividend of US$0.42 Per Share
Salesforce recently affirmed a quarterly cash dividend of $0.42 per share, payable in July 2025. Over the last week, Salesforce's share price remained flat, mirroring the overall market's stable performance despite the broader market experiencing gains, particularly in tech stocks. The market showed resilience with the S&P 500 reaching 6,000 points, bolstered by solid economic data such as the May jobs report. Salesforce's dividend announcement aligns with these broader market sentiments but didn't significantly influence its stock price, reflecting the prevailing investor confidence in robust economic conditions. We've discovered 1 warning sign for Salesforce that you should be aware of before investing here. Uncover the next big thing with financially sound penny stocks that balance risk and reward. The recent dividend announcement by Salesforce anchors its long-term strategy to retain investor confidence, reflecting robust economic expectations. Over five years, Salesforce's total return—including share price and dividends—was 56.38%, offering a valuable context to its stable performance over the last week. While the company's share price mirrored a flat overall market recently, it indicates that investors may have already priced in the anticipated market resilience and economic growth. Salesforce's shares did underperform the broader US Software industry over the past year, which experienced a higher return of 21.9% compared to the market's 11%. The dividend news alone may not significantly shift revenue and earnings forecasts but underscores the company's commitment to shareholders amidst economic optimism. Analysts forecast Salesforce's revenue to grow by 9% annually over the next three years, with earnings projected to reach US$9.9 billion by 2028. The share price reveals a 32.6% discount compared to the consensus price target of US$354.14, suggesting potential for appreciation if these forecasts are realized. The company's strengthening of AI and data initiatives through investments like Agentforce and Data Cloud may provide further revenue streams, potentially impacting long-term share performance positively. However, risks such as pricing model transitions and external competition remain considerations for Salesforce's future growth trajectory. Click here and access our complete financial health analysis report to understand the dynamics of Salesforce. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:CRM. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio
CNBC
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
How cybersecurity standout CrowdStrike aims to capitalize on the AI agent gold rush
Cybersecurity powerhouse CrowdStrike sees big business in helping companies safeguard their AI agents, which by design have access to vast amounts of their sensitive data. These artificial intelligence applications with human-like reasoning and problem-solving abilities are quickly becoming all the rage in corporate America. They are being used in a variety of ways — from customer support to task automation. In fact, a new survey of IT leaders by data firm Cloudera showed that 96% of them said they plan to expand their use of AI agents in the next 12 months. During a "Mad Money" interview Wednesday, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told Jim Cramer the growth of AI agents, or agentics, is a "massive opportunity" for the company. Kurtz described these autonomous agents as "superhumans" with access to tons of proprietary company information, including identities and business workflows. He added, "AI agents could be in the billions, and CrowdStrike will be at the forefront of being able to protect those." Within its portfolio, CrowdStrike has seen traction with Charlotte AI, which Kurtz refers to as the company's agentic security analyst. Morgan Stanley analysts agree with Kurtz, saying AI agents are creating an opportunity for CrowdStrike because they expand the "surface area of IT to be protected," requiring heightened visibility, control, and protection. To be sure, it's still early innings for AI agent adoption — and while companies are spending no small fortune to develop and implement the technology, the return on investment is still up for debate. Enterprise software giant Salesforce has been a leader in AI agents, with its Agentforce platform. But it has also been subject to Wall Street skepticism, with analysts and investors questioning whether CEO Marc Benioff has put too much emphasis on AI agents at the expense of the company's core business. Salesforce, which reported earnings on May 28, said that combined annual recurring revenue (ARR) for its Data Cloud and Agentforce topped $1 billion, up from the $900 million provided in February. On "Mad Money" that night, Benioff told Jim that Agentforce was now an "over $100 million ARR product." While $100 million is pretty good for a platform that's less than a year old, it is a drop in the bucket when considering Salesforce's revenue in its latest quarter alone was $9.82 billion. From the Club's perspective, we believe AI agents are a double-edged sword, helping automate workflows while simultaneously creating a greater need for CrowdStrike's best-in-class cybersecurity solutions. Kurtz's discussion with Jim came after the Club name Tuesday evening reported better-than-expected quarterly results on many of the key metrics that investors focus on. The stock, which closed Tuesday's regular session at a record high, lost nearly 6% Wednesday on concerns about mixed guidance and questions about a federal government inquiry into information related to last year's massive IT outage that was caused by a botched CrowdStrike software update. Kurtz defended the company in the probe. Last week, we increased our price target on CrowdStrike to $500 from $400 after the print. However, we maintained our hold-equivalent 2 rating out of respect for the stock's recent run and overall 34% increase year to date. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long CRWD, CRM. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
