Using the same utility computing model as salesforce.com, sforce provides services that developers need to build business applications directly over the Internet. sforce enables enterprises to drive sophisticated business processes as a Web-based service for a monthly per-user fee. Developers can build applications on the sforce architecture using the tools they already know, leveraging the power of Web services standards.

Dave Kellogg, senior group vice president of worldwide marketing at Business Objects commented, "using solutions from Business Objects, salesforce.com customers can enhance the reporting capabilities native to salesforce.com and produce analytic solutions to drive improvements in enterprise performance. Through the sforce initiative, a new paradigm has been introduced to build and deliver applications at a lower cost and greater ease than previously available."

With support from the tools vendors and salesforce.com's architecture, sforce combines the established market for software-as-service represented by 90,000 successful salesforce.com users with the capabilities and skills of five million .NET and Java developers. Enterprise application developers now have a new way to extend salesforce.com and build their own software-as-service solutions.