SAN FRANCISCO, May 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today introduced Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins to help companies provide connected, personalized service across any device. With Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins, organizations of any size can now quickly deploy a contextual, modern service experience by just "snapping-in" capabilities such as Cases, Knowledge, Live Chat, SOS and Tap-to-Call to their mobile and web apps. Additionally, the Salesforce SOS Snap-in now has two-way video chat, empowering agents to quickly see and resolve customer issues.

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Everyone and everything is connected thanks to the ubiquity of Internet access and mobile-giving rise to a new kind of customer who expects personal engagement and immediate answers. This is why customer service has never been more important. Customers expect service at the point of engagement and a frictionless experience as they move from phone to web to in-app. In fact, a recent study says 61 percent(1) of consumers use multiple channels to resolve a single customer service issue, underscoring why it is critical for companies to provide a connected omnichannel experience. As companies respond and add more channels to their service experience, they need a modern service platform that can help manage growing complexity for organizations, while ensuring that customers get a seamless service experience.

Introducing Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins--Faster, Smarter and Personalized for a Connected Service Experience

In 2013, Salesforce began a journey to deliver service everywhere, starting with service for mobile web, and has continued to extend those capabilities to in-app mobile support. Today, with the launch of Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins, Salesforce brings Cases, Knowledge, Live Chat and SOS to the web, and is expanding SOS on mobile to include two-way video call support.

New Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins will enable companies to deliver faster, smarter and more personalized customer support with the following innovations:


    --  New Unified Snap-in SDK for Web: This new web SDK ensures that customers
        have the same seamless experience on web as on mobile--and can easily
        deploy Cases, Chat, Knowledge and SOS. Because Snap-ins are fully
        integrated with the Service Cloud Lightning Platform, agents can see an
        entire 360-degree view of the customer to provide a personalized service
        experience.
    --  New iOS and Android Unified Snap-in SDKs for Mobile: With one powerful
        mobile SDK, companies will be able to quickly deploy Salesforce SOS,
        Knowledge, Cases, Chat and Tap-to-Call for Android or iOS. Having one
        SDK accelerates development, reduces complexity and ensures that
        companies can quickly and easily snap-in new service options as needed.
    --  New Salesforce SOS with Two-Way Video: The best service has a personal
        touch. The new Salesforce SOS takes it to a whole new level with two-way
        video, which will let a customer and customer service agent see each
        other using the camera on a smartphone. The customer will also be able
        to use the smartphone's front-facing camera to show the agent the
        problem they are facing--like a rip in a newly purchased item of
        clothing--giving the agent the information needed to resolve the issue
        quickly. Or if a dishwasher repair worker encountered a problem they
        could not fix, using the SOS two-way camera the employee could call
        headquarters, show them the problem and get the help needed to ensure
        the customer's issue is solved on the first visit.

Comments on the News:


    --  "Customers today expect service that is smart, personalized and
        fast--wherever and whenever they are interacting with a brand," said
        Mike Milburn, GM and SVP of Service Cloud, Salesforce. "In today's
        rapidly evolving service landscape, companies can turn to Service Cloud
        Lightning Snap-ins to ensure they are providing a modern, omnichannel
        service experience that harnesses the very latest technology has to
        offer."
    --  "Our mission at Suitsupply is to deliver a personal experience to suit
        every individual customer," said Martijn van der Zee, Marketing
        Director, Suitsupply. "Since shoppers are increasingly turning to
        digital and social channels in the overall customer journeys, our
        business needed a way to completely understand the customer and infuse
        the digital experience with the personal touch provided by our in-store
        professional stylists. Salesforce's services like SOS allows our
        stylists to provide that personal experience - in a digital channel."
    --  "At STANLEY Healthcare, we're focused on making the customer service
        experience effortless and seamless," said Amihai Zeltzer, AVP Worldwide
        Technical Services, STANLEY Healthcare. "Service Cloud Lightning
        Snap-ins will enable us to better support our users at hospitals and
        senior living communities, and also to better connect with the
        caregivers when they need it and at the place where they need help -
        leading to stronger relationships, faster case resolution and
        exceptional care for any customer using a STANLEY Healthcare product."

Service Cloud Lightning, the world's #1 customer service platform, offers a connected customer service experience spanning from the web to in-app to the field. Industry-defining companies use Service Cloud Lightning to differentiate with service. Companies that have deployed Service Cloud have seen an average of 48 percent faster case resolution, 45 percent decrease in support costs, an average of 47 percent increase in agent productivity and an average of 45 percent increase in customer satisfaction, according to a third-party research report sponsored by Salesforce.(2) Salesforce has been recognized as a leader for eight consecutive years in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer Engagement Center.(3)

Pricing and Availability


    --  Service Cloud Lightning is generally available now and editions start at
        $75 per user, per month.
    --  Service Cloud Lightning Mobile and Web Snap-in SDKs are expected to be
        generally available in June 2016. Service Cloud Lightning Cases are
        expected to be generally available for iOS in June 2016, and will be
        forthcoming for Android and web. Snap-in SDKs and Cases will be included
        for users with a Service Cloud Lightning Enterprise license or greater
        at no additional cost. End users requiring authenticated access can
        purchase customer community licenses.
    --  Service Cloud Lightning Live Agent Chat is expected to be available in
        pilot in June 2016 for web and will be forthcoming for iOS and Android.
        Live Agent is $75 per user, per month for users with a Service Cloud
        Lightning Enterprise license or greater.
    --  Service Cloud Lightning Knowledge for iOS is expected to be generally
        available in June 2016 and will be forthcoming for available for Android
        and web. Knowledge is $75 per user, per month for users with a Service
        Cloud Lightning Enterprise license or greater.
    --  Salesforce SOS, now with two-way video functionality, is generally
        available now for iOS and Android and will be forthcoming for web. SOS
        starts at $150 per user, per month for users with a Service Cloud
        Lightning Enterprise license or greater.

Additional Information


    --  To learn more about Service Cloud Lightning Snap-ins, please visit:
        http://www.salesforce.com/service-cloud/features/snap-ins/
    --  To learn more about Service Cloud, please visit:
        https://www.salesforce.com/service-cloud/overview/

Connect with Salesforce


    --  Like Salesforce on Facebook http://facebook.com/salesforce
    --  Follow @salesforce and @servicecloud on Twitter

Gartner Disclaimer
 Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Salesforce
 Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: http://www.salesforce.com.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit http://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

"Safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the future availability of certain services, features and pricing. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the company's results whether and when such services, features and pricing become available could differ materially from the results what is expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. Further information on factors that could affect the company's offerings and its financial and other results is included in the reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the company's most recent Form 10-K. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Information section of the company's website at www.salesforce.com/investor. Salesforce.com, inc. assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Salesforce, Salesforce Lightning, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

(1) Source: Northridge Group, State of Customer Service Study, June 2015
(2 )Source: Salesforce Customer Relationship Survey conducted March 2015-May 2015, by an independent third-party, Confirmit Inc., on 4,600+ customers randomly selected.
(3 )Gartner, Magic Quadrant for the CRM Customer Engagement Center, 04 May 2016

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SOURCE Salesforce