Dreamforce Recap / 2011 Salesforce Roadmap

Event


A key takeaway from Dreamforce 2010 is that the Saleforce cloud is expanding beyond sales and that 2011 will see the launch of several exciting tools for enterprise development. When the current roadmap runs its course, there will be five ways to build Salesforce applications.

  1. Appforce (classic Force.com) - Today - Appforce is the tried and true platform we use today, which combines Salesforce CRM, the force.com platform, and the VisualForce user interface library.
  2. Siteforce (web sites) - GA Summer 2010 - Siteforce combines content managmement with database management to create compelling web sites, for internal or external use.
  3. VMForce (enterprise Java apps) - GA in 2011 - VMForce is SFDC’s partnership with VMWare to deliver an enterprise Java cloud.
  4. Heroku (Ruby apps) - Today - Heroku is an established, cloud-based Ruby web application platform, available through its own website.
  5. ISVForce (AppExchange) - Today - ISVForce provides the tools and technologies partners need to package applications for distribution.
    Supporting the five development streams are two other products
  • RemedyForce - Today - IT help desk.
  • Database.com - Summer 2011 - By providing a trusted database platform for any language and any device, Salesforce hopes to help more customers move enterprise applications to the cloud.
    A key point is that Salesforce is providing a separate application platform and a separate database platform. Developers can use the platforms together, or mix-and-match with other platforms and services. You might host an ASP.NET application on your own server, or on Azure, but reach out to database.com for storage. Or you might host an application on Siteforce and reach out to your own web service for crucial data.

Mobile applications are a great fit for cloud based development tools. There is no app server running on your mobile device, but by reaching out to a cloud database, you can connect the mobile app to other people in your enterprise.

More about Siteforce
The Siteforce mission to make the building and management of web sites dramatically easier. Technically, Salesforce is combining a cloud version of dreamweaver with a cloud web CMS with 24x7 hosting technology and an easy point-and-click, drag-and -drop design interface that non-techical people can use to build applications.

Developers can drag existing applications into the CMS and build templates that people can use to build websites. The Siteforce architecture will also provide different views for different devices, simplifying mobile support. Since people do not want their web sites subject to scheduled mainenance, Siteforce will use a different infrastructure that will sites to stay online 24x7x365.

Initially, the primary focus for SiteForce will be on marketing web sites, but the platform will be expanded to make building collaborative sites easier too. An open component architecture allows developers to build connections to the SFDC database and develop functionality like forums and wikis. Using the component architecture, Salesforce is expecting that the development community will provide a wide array of custom Siteforce extensions and components through the AppExchange.

Siteforce also includes full support for VisualForce pages and integrated authentification with the customer service and platform portals. Salesforce is extending its offering to appeal to both code-driven and visual developers.

More about VMForce
The Saleforce vision for VMForce is simple: Give Java developers a path to the cloud so that they can run their enterprise applications on our services. Java developers can use their existing tools, using the SpringSource tools suite, based on Eclipse. Developers can deploy to our cloud service simply by dragging a WAR file onto a Salesforce server. Developers can also use Java JPA code and Java objects to connect to database.com. The focus is on the Spring Framework and standard Java (rather than the full J2EE stack). Apex and VisualForce are not going away – Salesforce is extending its offerings to appeal to a wider range of developers.

Getting Started
While some of the new SFDC development offerings are a work in progress, you can get up and running with a free Force.com site today. Just vist free.force.com and dive in.