Salesforce tells employees it's working on NFT cloud service
Salesforce told employees at a sales kickoff on Wednesday that the company plans to release an NFT Cloud, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are unique digital assets stored using blockchain technology. They've taken off in the world of art and collectibles, and Salesforce sees an opportunity to bring the technology into enterprise software.
Salesforce co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor both talked about the strategy at the online event, said one person who attended. The person asked not to be named because the event was private. Executives at the meeting referenced NFT-related work that Pepsi has done as an example, another person said.
Salesforce, which provides cloud-based software for sales reps, marketing departments and e-commerce vendors, wants to offer a service for artists to create content and release it on a marketplace like OpenSea, one person said. Last month, OpenSea said it raised $300 million at a $13.3 billion valuation, on the back of a surge in NFT trading, which surpassed $23 billion in 2021, according to DappRadar, a store for decentralized apps.
Salesforce could also potentially integrate the tool into its own ecosystem, where transactions could be managed, the people said. A Salesforce-owned marketplace could mean there wouldn't be a need to use OpenSea.
Salesforce's interest in the space shouldn't come as a surprise. Time magazine, which is owned by Benioff and his wife, Lynne, recently introduced TIMEPieces, a digital collectible that gives owners access to magazine content and events.
In a blog post on 2022 predictions published in December, Mathew Sweezey, director of market strategy at Salesforce, said that in the coming year “pioneering brands will search for utility via NFTs.” He called Time's project a “great example,” and said NFTs will become more pervasive as they move beyond the novelty phase.
“To unlock their full potential, brands are going to have to start creating utility via the token,” Sweezey wrote. “In 2022, you're going to hear a lot more about NFTs, and there will be winners and losers.”
A Salesforce representative didn't immediately provide a comment.
Salesforce shares rose 1.5% in extended trading on Wednesday to $225.40. The stock was down 13% for the year as of the close.
据知情人士透露，Salesforce 在周三的销售启动仪式上告诉员工，该公司计划发布 NFT 云。 NFT（不可替代代币）是使用区块链技术存储的独特数字资产。他们已经在艺术和收藏品领域腾飞，Salesforce 看到了将技术引入企业软件的机会。
一位与会人士表示，Salesforce 联合首席执行官马克·贝尼奥夫和布雷特·泰勒都在在线活动中谈到了这一战略。该人要求不具名，因为该活动是私人的。另一位知情人士表示，会议上的高管们以百事可乐所做的 NFT 相关工作为例。
一位知情人士说，为销售代表、营销部门和电子商务供应商提供基于云的软件的 Salesforce 希望为艺术家提供一项服务，以创建内容并将其发布到 OpenSea 等市场上。根据去中心化应用商店 DappRadar 的数据，上个月，OpenSea 表示，在 NFT 交易激增的背景下，它以 133 亿美元的估值筹集了 3 亿美元，该交易在 2021 年超过 230 亿美元。
知情人士说，Salesforce 也有可能将该工具整合到自己的生态系统中，从而可以管理交易。 Salesforce 拥有的市场可能意味着不需要使用 OpenSea。
Salesforce 对该领域的兴趣不足为奇。 Benioff 和他的妻子 Lynne 拥有的时代杂志最近推出了 TIMEPieces，这是一种数字收藏品，让所有者可以访问杂志内容和活动。
在 12 月发布的关于 2022 年预测的博客文章中，Salesforce 市场战略总监 Mathew Sweezey 表示，在未来一年，“先锋品牌将通过 NFT 搜索实用程序”。他称时代的项目是一个“很好的例子”，并表示随着 NFT 超越新奇阶段，它们将变得更加普遍。
“为了释放他们的全部潜力，品牌将不得不开始通过代币创造实用性，”Sweezey 写道。 “在 2022 年，你会听到更多关于 NFT 的消息，会有赢家和输家。”
Salesforce 代表没有立即发表评论。
Salesforce 股价在周三盘后交易中上涨 1.5% 至 225.40 美元。截至收盘，该股全年下跌 13%。
