Software as a service: Salesforce.com

In this talk at Supernova 2005, Marc Benioff, founder of Salesforce.com, describes their success in offering customer relationship management and sales force automation software as a service rather than in-house applications. Benioff feels that software as a service will largely replace user-owned software as networks spread and improve. This will level the playing field between large and small companies by enabling them all to use the same cheap, reliable programs.

Benioff is also encouraging outside programmers to use the tools that were used to develop the Salesforce.com applications. He expects most software to move to the service model in the future, and wants his development tools to become the "Visual Studio" of network-hosted applications. You can use these development tools, CustomForce, SForce and MultiForce, at SalesForce.com.

He likens the adoption of his software and development tools by millions of small companies and developers to the long tail concept in retail sales.