Salesforce (CRM) and International Business Machines (IBM) have recently announced an expanded strategic partnership that involves integrating IBM’s WatsonX data and artificial intelligence platform with Salesforce’s Einstein 1 platform. This collaboration is aimed at providing customers with more flexibility in deploying data and artificial intelligence, allowing teams to make informed, data-driven decisions directly within their workflow.
The partnership focuses on bi-directional data integration, large language model (LLM) flexibility, pre-built actions for CRM solutions, and a commitment to responsible AI development. Clients will be able to choose LLMs that best meet their specific business needs through the “Bring Your Own Large Language Model” strategy, integrating them with IBM’s watsonx.ai platform and Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Studio. IBM’s Granite models, known for their high performance and data governance standards, will be accessible to joint customers for various applications.
IBM, through its IBM Consulting, is developing industry-specific copilot action and prompt templates for Salesforce applications, starting with public sector use cases. The goal is to help industries such as automotive, energy, utilities, financial services, and the public sector connect with their constituents more effectively.
Additionally, IBM has joined the Salesforce Zero Copy Partner Network, enabling secure two-way zero-copy integrations with Salesforce Data Cloud. This integration simplifies security management and minimizes risk for customers, allowing them to access IBM data through watsonx.data from Salesforce Data Cloud.
Salesforce has also joined the AI Alliance, supporting the open and responsible development of AI with a focus on safety, ethics, and social benefits. This alliance includes over 100 leading organizations from various sectors working together to promote collaborative AI development.
The expanded partnership between IBM and Salesforce aims to improve AI and data ecosystems by providing customers with more flexible, secure, and efficient data and artificial intelligence solutions. By combining their strengths, they are fostering an environment of innovation and responsible development of artificial intelligence, delivering substantial value to businesses.
Both Salesforce and IBM currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), with shares of CRM and IBM up 7.8% and 6%, respectively, year-to-date (YTD). Some top-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Nvidia (NVDA) and CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD), each with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NVIDIA’s fiscal 2025 earnings suggests significant year-over-year growth, and CRWD stock has shown substantial growth year-to-date.
In summary, the partnership between Salesforce and IBM represents a significant step towards enhancing AI and data ecosystems, providing customers with innovative solutions and improved capabilities. The collaboration is set to bring valuable benefits to businesses by leveraging data and AI technologies effectively.
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