Salesforce and the AI agents: New era or exaggerated expectations?

Salesforce's stock market value is rising again thanks to the AI boom, but the question remains: Can the cloud specialist really fulfill the high expectations for its Agentforce platform?

Salesforce puts everything on "Agentforce"

Salesforce, a heavyweight in the tech industry, has caused a stir with the launch of its AI agent platform "Agentforce". According to founder Marc Benioff, the programs, which automate complex tasks using artificial intelligence, are set to revolutionize the world of work. Benioff describes the new platform as a "revolutionary transformation" and sees it as the next big chapter for Salesforce.

The euphoria at the top of the company is unmistakable. "Without a doubt, this is the most exciting time in my career," Benioff said recently. However, the AI offensive is not only causing optimism within the Group, but also among investors: after a slump in May, the share price has risen by more than 50 percent since the launch of Agentforce, reaching a record high of 369 dollars at the beginning of December.

The Group: Salesforce builds on technical foundations

The development of the Agentforce technology is based on years of work on the platform. Salesforce has created a standardized data model that enables intelligent conclusions and a user-friendly interface that allows agents to be used without programming knowledge. These technological foundations should enable companies to use AI agents as digital "employees" who analyze data, make decisions and perform routine tasks.

Despite the promising outlook, challenges remain. The monetization of the new system is ambitious: Two dollars are charged per interaction with an agent. For larger companies, these costs could quickly turn out to be high - a hurdle that Salesforce still has to overcome in order to conquer the mass market.

The customers: Focus on increasing efficiency

Companies such as chemicals trader Brenntag are already testing the platform. The aim is to achieve efficiency gains by automating routine tasks. AI agents analyze product information or pre-formulate emails, for example. Brenntag's Head of Technology, Michelle Wu, hopes that the processing time per customer inquiry can be reduced by up to 25 percent.

London Heathrow Airport also uses AI agents to provide passengers with real-time information on flights or baggage. In addition to Brenntag and Heathrow, major companies such as IBM, FedEx and Accenture are also among Agentforce's first customers.

The stock market: growth forecasts and challenges

Salesforce raised its sales and margin targets for the current financial year. Analysts praise the Agentforce platform as a potential growth driver. Dan Ives from financial house Wedbush sees AI agents as an "enormous growth catalyst" and raised his price target to 425 dollars. However, not all areas of the company are benefiting from the focus on AI. The traditional cloud business, for example, is experiencing a significant slowdown in growth.

Conclusion: revolution or hype?

Expectations of Salesforce and its Agentforce platform are high. If it succeeds in fulfilling the promise of efficiency in the various industries, Salesforce could play a pioneering role in the next phase of AI development. However, the high cost of the technology and the challenges of scaling remain key risks. Marc Benioff remains optimistic: "As long as we stay focused, maintain our pioneering spirit and stick to our values, we will be successful." Whether that is enough remains to be seen.

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