Salesforce has announced plans to acquire Informatica in a deal valued at $8 billion as the firm continues with its AI focus.
In a statement confirming the acquisition, Salesforce said the deal will enhance its data management capabilities and will complement its agentic AI service.
Salesforce launched its Agentforce service in September last year, which gives users access to a range of autonomous AI agents focused on various areas, including customer service, HR, and recruitment.
The firm has even touted the use of AI agents to support frontline trade workers in recent months. More than 1,000 deals have been struck with enterprises for the Agentforce service since it launched, according to Salesforce.
“The combination of Informatica’s rich data catalog, data integration, governance, quality and privacy, metadata management, and Master Data Management (MDM) services with the Salesforce platform will establish a unified architecture for agentic AI — enabling AI agents to operate safely, responsibly, and at scale across the modern enterprise,” the company said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
By integrating Informatica’s solutions, Salesforce aims to bolster data transparency and governance capabilities, as well as provide a broader pool of metadata used to train and inform AI agents.
Salesforce eyes unified agentic AI gains
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who has been highly vocal on the potential of the firm’s Agentforce service over the last eight months, said the deal will create the “most complete, agent-ready data platform in the industry”.
He added: “By uniting the power of Data Cloud, MuleSoft, and Tableau with Informatica’s industry-leading, advanced data management capabilities, we will enable autonomous agents to deliver smarter, safer, and more scalable outcomes for every company, and significantly strengthen our position in the $150 billion-plus enterprise data market.”
The acquisition is expected to close early in the next fiscal year, according to Salesforce, and the company expects the deal to boost operating margins from the second year.
Informatica is Salesforce’s largest acquisition since it purchased Slack in 2021 as part of a $28 billion deal. The company acquired Tableau Software two years prior in a deal valued at $15.3 billion.
Salesforce shelved talks with the company last year after negotiations over an acquisition fell through.
“Joining forces with Salesforce represents a significant leap forward in our journey to bring data and AI to life by empowering businesses with the transformative power of their most critical asset — their data,” said Amit Walia, CEO of Informatica.
“We have a shared vision for how we can help organizations harness the full value of their data in the AI era.”
MORE FROM ITPRO
- Marc Benioff warns Microsoft could repeat 'pretty nasty’ Slack playbook with OpenAI
- High wire acts, Microsoft Clippy, and DIY AI at Dreamforce 2024
- Marc Benioff says Salesforce might not hire any software engineers in 2025
-
OnePlus Pad 3 reviewReviews The Pad 3 has everything you need on a tablet for a reasonable price, and the accessories come with discounts
-
A threat to Google’s dominance? The AI browser wars have begun – here are the top contenders vying for the crownNews Perplexity has unveiled its Comet browser while OpenAI is reportedly planning to follow suit
-
‘Lean into it’: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy thinks enterprises need to embrace AI to avoid being left behind – even if that means fewer jobs in the futureNews Amazon CEO Andy Jassy thinks companies need to "lean into" AI and embrace the technology despite concerns over job losses.
-
Engineering firms see little productivity benefit from use of AINews While engineering firms are keen on ramping up the use of AI, many aren't fully unlocking value due to botched adoption strategies and legacy technology.
-
Gen Z workers are keen on AI in the workplace – but they’re still skeptical about the hypeNews Younger workers could lead the shift to AI, but only think it can can manage some tasks
-
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is unfazed by AI job cuts — workers might not share the same optimismAnalysis Google CEO Sundar Pichai is upbeat about the impact of AI on the workforce, but workers might not share the same optimism amid repeated waves of job cuts.
-
Marc Benioff’s agentic AI gambit is paying dividendsAnalysis Agentforce is dominating the agenda at Salesforce – and it appears to be working
-
‘We’ve got some fabulous conditions’: Salesforce UK chief exec Zahra Bahrololoumi touts the country's tech industry potentialNews The UK remains a “priority market” for Salesforce, according to its regional CEO
-
‘A major step forward’: Keir Starmer’s £187 million tech skills drive welcomed by UK industryNews The ‘TechFirst’ program aims to shore up the UK’s digital skills to meet future AI needs
-
Multiverse wants to train 15,000 new AI apprentices across the UKNews The program, open to workers across the UK, is designed to support the UK government's AI Opportunities Action Plan
