--- title: "Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud this year: Deepening localization and unleashing new value" type: "Topics" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/topics/24984579.md" description: "At the 2023 Yunqi Conference, Salesforce announced a new development: core CRM products including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Platform Cloud will be sold and operated in China by Alibaba Cloud. This was followed by a series of rapid actions: On November 1, 2023, the Salesforce On Alibaba Cloud ecosystem partnership program was launched; on December 18, 2023..." datetime: "2024-11-01T10:04:03.000Z" locales: - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/topics/24984579.md) - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/topics/24984579.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/topics/24984579.md) author: "[Alter聊科技](https://longbridge.com/en/profiles/8644227.md)" --- # Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud this year: Deepening localization and unleashing new value At the 2023 Yunqi Conference, Salesforce announced a new development: core CRM products including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Platform Cloud will be sold and operated in China by Alibaba Cloud. This was followed by a series of rapid actions: > On November 1, 2023, the Salesforce On Alibaba Cloud Ecosystem Partnership Program was launched; > On December 18, 2023, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud officially went GA (General Availability); > On January 31, 2024, the localized extension component Internet Gateway CXG tailored for Chinese customers was officially released; > ... > On July 31, 2024, the Salesforce CRM CN Enterprise Edition on Alibaba Cloud was released. Almost every month, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud has rolled out product updates or related market initiatives, raising a new question: Nearly a year after entering the Chinese market, how has Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud progressed? Has it overcome localization challenges, and what innovations has it brought to customer experience? At the recent Yunqi Conference 2024, we explored the new products and features at the Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud booth and found definitive answers to these questions. # **01 More Efficient Migration Services** As widely known, the collaboration between Alibaba Cloud and Salesforce must address the practical challenge of "data compliance." The "hosting + operations" model offers the optimal solution for adapting to China's market regulations, while also creating the need for system migration—moving business and data from Salesforce to Alibaba Cloud. However, migrating business and data is far from a simple copy-paste operation. It requires an end-to-end migration project involving functional differences across regions, cross-border data transfers, system integration configuration and testing, and subsequent operations and management. It is a meticulously designed and sequenced systemic project. Since the first pilot customer went live, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud has invested significant resources into migration, developing a robust methodology. **For example, providing efficient tools and universal rules.** To tackle the challenges of cross-domain deployment, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud introduced the "Technical Migration Guide," helping customers develop comprehensive migration strategies. Through practice, it has distilled universal migration methods covering integration approaches, data management, project timelines, and general rules. Among the migration process's most tedious tasks is data classification. Salesforce has introduced a custom data classification feature to distinguish between globally applicable fields and China-specific fields. Users can also leverage standard functionalities to tag fields and perform batch uploads/downloads as needed, enabling efficient management of both global and regionalized data models. "A craftsman must sharpen his tools to do his work well." To further enhance migration efficiency, Salesforce partnered with Copado to develop an out-of-the-box multi-region Salesforce DevOps tool that effectively manages core and regional software while enabling bidirectional deployment. **Another example is the Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud Partner Program.** For customers seeking rapid migration, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud has onboarded 17+ consulting partners, all certified by both Salesforce and Alibaba Cloud. These partners possess proven methodologies and migration solutions, offering cross-regional and cross-industry expertise. At the Yunqi Conference, Accenture, well-versed in Salesforce platform security and compliance, shared practical insights—ranging from network-level security and data protection to personal information safeguards and cross-border data transfer compliance—based on its tailored strategies and best practices, ensuring data security and business compliance during migration. Another consulting partner, Deloitte, presented an end-to-end migration strategy covering metadata migration, data migration, test deployment, and go-live operations. It also shared challenges and solutions, such as thoroughly evaluating Global system functionalities and testing Alibaba Cloud-compatible alternatives for high-fidelity migration, as well as strengthening collaboration between global and China teams for project efficiency. While "migration" may have been a concern a year ago, today’s efficient and mature migration services have paved the way for customer data security and compliance. # **02 A More Diverse Local Ecosystem** A key driver for customers migrating to Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud is China's unique user behavior. Unlike other markets, Chinese consumers center all activities around smartphones, creating a distinct social, commercial, and entertainment ecosystem. For businesses aiming to deepen their presence in China, this ecosystem presents both challenges and opportunities. The challenge lies in adapting to local consumer habits for targeted marketing and engagement; the opportunity lies in unlocking immense growth potential by bridging this gap. Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud has astutely recognized China's uniqueness and deeply integrated its products with the local ecosystem. **First is the aforementioned Internet Gateway CXG, currently offering four modules—social commerce, social integration, CXG Voice, and marketing automation.** Social commerce enables unified multi-channel e-commerce platforms or mini-programs. Social integration connects WeChat Official Accounts, Mini Programs, Enterprise WeChat, Amap, and Alipay. CXG Voice provides out-of-the-box call center (hotline) functionality. The value of CXG is evident in a typical scenario: By linking China's mainstream social channels to Customer 360, businesses can engage in one-on-one real-time chats with WeChat users via Service Cloud, embed e-commerce links in Official Account posts, and associate WeChat interactions with CRM records for a complete customer view. **Building on CXG, deep integrations with Alibaba Cloud products like Quick Service and Quick Audience enable seamless CRM connectivity for voice, CDP, and marketing automation.** For instance, Quick Audience's CDP module offers plug-and-play data connectivity, allowing flexible customer tagging, rule definition, audience segmentation, and behavioral insights to enhance marketing effectiveness. Automated marketing canvases can push personalized messages via WeChat, SMS, and other local channels for rapid customer engagement and conversion. Interaction records sync back to CRM, enabling a holistic 360° customer view. The rapidly growing ISV ecosystem is another highlight. To address challenges global ISVs face in China—regulatory compliance, system optimization, and commercialization—Alibaba Cloud has built a localized product ecosystem platform. Additionally, Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud partnered with Digital China to establish a Landing Partner framework, assisting international ISVs in entering the Chinese market. The numbers speak to the ecosystem's growth: **From signing its first ISV partner in early 2024 to onboarding 13+ partners—including COPADO, Plauti, Odaseva, and JINGdigital—in just six months, all focused on delivering globally consistent customer experiences.** # **03 Unleashing Greater Value** Beyond data compliance and localized ecosystems, a critical question remains: What value does Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud deliver? After all, migration is a means; value creation is the end goal. As many observed at Yunqi Conference, the one-year-old Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud has not only addressed data security and compliance but also enhanced access speeds and post-sales experiences—delivering a stellar performance. The unexpected lies in even greater value unlocking. Here are two landmark cases. **First, a transformation in healthcare services.** Traditional healthcare revolves around providers: Patients await rounds for updates, follow doctors' medication orders, and face service gaps post-discharge. Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud brought Health Cloud to China, showcasing patient-centric care: Patients can consult providers via WeChat, schedule appointments, discuss treatments online, track outcomes, and even connect with pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials or aid programs. In this model, patients gain agency—no longer passive recipients. Interactions extend beyond hospitals to broader ecosystems. **Second, a pet nutrition company’s evolution.** Previously a "middleman," this company relied on fragmented retailer feedback for product insights, lacking brand awareness or efficient service systems. With a consulting partner’s help, it deployed Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud, CXG, and Quick Service to build an omnichannel service hub (phone, email, WeChat, social media), integrating backend product, QA, and analytics interfaces. This enabled deep customer engagement: Consumers now access the brand via Mini Programs for inquiries, logistics, complaints, and food safety. Armed with clear customer profiles and behavioral data, the company refined its offerings and even launched customized pet nutrition plans. These cases underscore a trend: **In China’s digital boom, products alone no longer differentiate. Businesses must build omnichannel engagement, deliver personalized experiences, and forge ubiquitous connections for 360° customer views—key to superior experiences.** For multinationals in China or Chinese firms expanding abroad, now is the time to migrate to Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud. # **04 Looking Ahead** Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud’s journey is just beginning. Take AI, which has seen early Salesforce adoption—how will it adapt to China? Strong signals suggest Alibaba Cloud and Salesforce are already developing localized solutions to elevate customer experiences and operational efficiency. At Yunqi Conference 2025, expect Salesforce on Alibaba Cloud to redefine possibilities in products, ecosystems, and experiences. ### Related Stocks - [CRM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CRM.US.md) - [09988.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/09988.HK.md) - [BABA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BABA.US.md) - [89988.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/89988.HK.md)