Microsoft brings back coopetition: Salesforce partnership part of bigger plan
Summary
While I had very mixed feelings about the conference itself, I was able to ascertain through a significant number of subtextual hints that Microsoft under Satya Nadellas leadership was taking a crucial turn. Microsoft, rather than taking the approach of us or nothing is saying, no matter, whatever technology you use we can underlay, overlay, or embed in or integrate with so we are good with what youve decided, mi amore. To get more details on this, check out what I wrote about its strengths and limitations in 2018, this Watchlist winner post this year that provides what I thought about it from Adobes perspective (included in it but not an article about the partnership per se) and some more of the recent evolution of the partnership with Magento and Marketo playing a role in that, according to my dear bud and CRM Playaz partner Brent Leary and included in his take on the Salesforce-Microsoft announcement of a few days ago. Even at the business level, Microsoft and Adobe salespeople are compensated for the sales of specific applications of the other partner in order to encourage "bundled" apps and services from both combined. So there is more to consider, but this current rather dramatic effort is worth watching and Microsoft, if they can minimally stay the course and optimally escalate without losing focus, is a company that will have to be reckoned with a great deal in 2020 – in a cooperative way of course.
