Salesforce updates business social network Chatter

Salesforce.com has taken the wraps of an updated version of its Chatter enterprise social network tool, adding the ability for users to take advantage of beefed-up functionality using any Android or iOS device.

Specifically, the updated Chatter will give users the ability to access customer data in real time from within Salesforce, as well as creating and editing new records – and responding to updates from others - on the fly and on the move.

Android and iOS device optimisation is switched on with immediate effect, while the ability to create and edit records will be available in the second half of the year, according to Salesforce.com.

"Companies are grappling with the new business world where every customer has a voice through social and mobile technologies and expectations for immediate engagement," said Nasi Jazayeri, Chatter’s executive vice president and general manager.

"The new Salesforce Chatter delivers the next generation of social and mobile CRM to customer companies, transforming the way they connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Now every company employee can put the customer first to deliver amazing sales, service or marketing experiences right from the feed."

There are more than 195,000 active Chatter networks in operation today, with customer email and meeting volumes being reduced by an average of 25 per cent and 26 per cent, according to a Salesforce.com survey of 5,500 Chatter users.

The same research claimed Chatter has boosted ideas generation, employee engagement and connection by around a third.

"The industry is moving toward social and mobile sales, service and marketing much more quickly than many realise," said Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst at IDC. "Companies that are not putting their competitive energy into arming their employees for these areas will be trapped in the legacy portion of the market."

Chatter was unveiled by Salesforce.com back in 2009 at its annual Dreamforce event in San Francisco.

“We have to ask the question why is there not a Facebook for the enterprise? Why do I know more about Ashton Kutcher on Twitter than I do of my customers? Once again we have been eclipsed by the consumer,” the company’s chairman and chief executive Marc Benioff told delegates.

“Something has to change. We need our biggest breakthrough ever... Salesforce Chatter, the magic of Facebook and Twitter brought to your enterprise. We are going see the magic of content, apps and people brought into the enterprise.”

A mobile version of Chatter was rolled out in September 2010 while a free version arrived just a few months later.

A raft of updates followed at Dreamforce in 2011 before Dropbox rival Chatterbox made headlines at the event in 2012.