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CRM: Book Review

Marc Benioff Takes Us Behind the Cloud

Salesforce.com Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO shares untold details of how the company brought businesses into the cloud

Cloud Expo on Ulitzer

Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), the enterprise cloud computing company announced the availability of "Behind the Cloud," a new book by Founder and CEO Marc Benioff and published by Jossey-Bass, an imprint of Wiley.

"Behind the Cloud" will, for the first time, offer a personal insider's view of the creation of a cloud computing giant and tell the story of how salesforce.com brought businesses into the cloud in an era dominated by mass consumer cloud services like Facebook, Google and Twitter. Benioff shares personal stories of the pivotal situations that salesforce.com encountered on its ascent.

"Behind the Cloud" provides readers with a practical, how-to guide, including 10 playbooks with 111 plays that are packaged as case studies so entrepreneurs and existing business executives may employ the secrets to salesforce.com's success. Readers will uncover the plays used to take salesforce.com from idea to billion-dollar company in just 10 years, all while revolutionizing the technology industry. But "Behind the Cloud" is about more than just technology. Benioff details the company's innovative integrated philanthropy model that has generated $14 million in grants, 150,000 hours of donated employee service and 6,000 successful nonprofit organizations running on salesforce.com's service. For every entrepreneur, and anyone interested in cloud computing, this is a must-read.

"In 'Behind the Cloud,' I offer an insider's guide on how to replicate our success, including how to build a business that's not just profitable, but inspiring: good for your employees, good for your customers, and good for your community," said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO, salesforce.com. "At a time when more entrepreneurs are starting companies faster and cheaper than ever before, the simple, accessible, and unconventional advice offered here will help you stand out, innovate better, and grow faster in any economic climate."

Coauthored by Carlye Adler, "Behind the Cloud" includes a foreword by Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell, and 10 playbooks with 111 plays to guide readers to on a path to their own success. Playbooks include:

  • The Start-Up Playbook: How to Turn a Simple Idea into a High-Growth Company
  • The Marketing Playbook: How to Cut Through the Noise and Pitch the Bigger Picture
  • The Events Playbook: How to Use Events to Build Buzz and Drive Business
  • The Sales Playbook: How to Energize Your Customer into a Million-Member Sales Team
  • The Technology Playbook: How to Develop Products Users Love
  • The Corporate Philanthropy Playbook: How to Make Your Company About More Than Just the Bottom Line
  • The Global Playbook: How to Launch Your Product and Introduce Your Model to New Markets
  • The Finance Playbook: How to Raise Capital, Create a Return, and Never Sell Your Soul
  • The Leadership Playbook: How to Create Alignment -- the Key to Organizational Success
  • The Final Play: Make Everyone Successful

More Stories By Liz McMillan

Liz is Associate Online Editor at Ulitzer.com, where she covers emerging technologies including Cloud Computing and Virtualization, as well as mergers and acquisitions and "new-media" strategies as described under the Ulitzer Live! umbrella. You can forward your press releases by email lizmcmillan.ulitzer.com.

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