Software giant Salesforce has announced that it has closed USD 27.7 billion purchase of messaging app Slack Technologies. The record acquisition comes at a time when the company is shifting focus on a digital work-from-anywhere technology that can be big in demand in the future. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said Slack and Salesforce jointly will define the future of enterprise software. “We are on the path of starting a new trend in the future. We will create the digital HQ that will make working possible from anywhere with the help of enterprise software. In a way, will help every company to deliver customer and employee success from any location,” Benioff said in a statement.
Slack’s co-founder and chief executive officer Stewart Butterfield said that deal is a once in a generation opportunity to rethink and reshape the way people have been working and from where they want to work. Butterfield will continue to lead the company. “Slack and Salesforce are in a position to lead this historic shift. Slack and Salesforce can lead the organization to a digital-first world. I am very excited about what we are going to have.” Butterfield said. Salesforce signed an agreement to acquire Slack in December last year. As part of the deal, Salesforce agreed to buy the messaging software for USD 27.7 billion in cash and stock. This is the biggest ever acquisition by Salesforce.
The deal was being investigated by the Department of Justice and got a green signal from the department last week. Salesforce has been eyeing the acquisition after the pandemic struck last year. This is because it is of the view that those organization which lags behind in terms of digital technology to connect with employees, customers and partners would not be able to survive in the future. “Headquarters are no more on prime locations likes Madison Avenue or others. They have shifted to the cloud. Every industry needs to develop a strategy to be able to serve to a digital-first customer,” the company said.
