Here’s our rundown of last week’s top stories. Want The Picklist delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up now!
Salesforce Q1 FY26 Results in Full: Revenue and Cash Flow Rise, CRM Stock Gets Boost
Salesforce have recently announced their financial results for the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, and the news might not be what you think.
The cloud giant has reported $9.8B in revenue (up 8% YoY), $6.5B in operating cash flow, and EPS of $2.58 – beating Wall Street estimates. Its recent Informatica acquisition, expected to close in FY27, won’t affect current fiscal guidance.
On the product side, Salesforce shared impressive growth in its Data Cloud and Agentforce platforms, which now account for over $1B in ARR. Data Cloud processed 22 trillion records in Q1 (up 175% YoY), and Agentforce has handled 750,000 support cases, helping cut volume by 7%.
Check out the original article here.
Salesforce Acquires Data Giant Informatica for $8B
Speaking of Informatica, Salesforce announced on Wednesday that they had finally acquired the data giant for $8B, following failed and revived talks. Salesforce says that it’s part of their larger effort to strengthen the company’s data foundations needed to support its AI ventures.
There is no better time than the present to address the challenges that AI-first organizations need to overcome, with data being at the heart of it all. With Informatica’s top-level data capabilities in place, Salesforce will now be in a really strong position to accelerate and expand on the progress it’s making with Agentforce.
However, in this sale, Informatica was sold at $25 in cash per share; during last year’s round of talks, shares were trading at $38.48 – a 34% discount.
Is this down to the fact that Informatica is currently just under $2B in debt? It’s certainly a possibility.
Check out the original post here.
SF Ben Salesforce Admin Survey Results 2025: Download Now!
The results from Salesforce Ben’s latest Salesforce Admin survey are out, and this year’s results tell us more about this mighty subsection of professionals than ever.
Nearly 1,000 respondents from across 47 countries and 19 industries shared their voices this year, and that has led to the painting of an even clearer picture of how admins are navigating AI, tools, career development, challenges, and opportunities.
The report is certainly worth a read in full to get the best idea of the current Salesforce Admin landscape.
Check it out here.
Understanding Common Agentforce Pain Points and How Salesforce Addresses Them
Since launching Agentforce in October 2024, Salesforce have gone all-in on promoting their AI agent platform – branding events, shifting ad strategy, and pushing adoption. But reactions have so far been mixed.
While the platform holds promise for redefining CRM and enterprise AI, early feedback exposed key issues: rigid pricing, lack of real-time usage visibility, limited internal use cases, billing uncertainty, and high perceived costs compared to competitors. Salesforce have responded with new features like Flex Credits, Digital Wallet upgrades, Agentforce for Employees, and a Testing Center to address these pain points.
However, deeper challenges remain. Many customers face foundational issues like poor data governance, outdated processes, and siloed decision-making – barriers that Salesforce can’t fix alone. While recent updates make Agentforce more accessible, true adoption will depend on whether organizations are ready to modernize and fully embrace AI-driven change.
Check out the original post here.
Is the Salesforce Admin Role a Destination or a Stepping Stone?
It’s no secret that the Salesforce Admin role is evolving rapidly alongside the platform itself. But it is a starter role for many professionals in the ecosystem, and does this mean that it should be seen as an end goal or merely a stepping stone?
Many see it as a fulfilling long-term career thanks to its variety, strategic scope, and growing responsibilities, which make the role increasingly attractive as a career destination in its own right. However, others view the admin position as a stepping stone toward more technical or specialized paths.
Nearly 40% of surveyed admins aspire to become developers, architects, or solution designers. While the admin role builds a strong foundation, expectations can be overwhelming, and confidence gaps – especially in coding and AI – push some toward roles with a narrower focus and deeper expertise.
Check out the original article here.
How to Invest in Agentforce Before It Blows Up
Agentforce this, Agentforce that… why should you really invest now?
Staying ahead of the competition, catching on before the technology gets big, and advancing skillsets are just some of the reasons, but it can also go much further than that.
Yes, jumping onto any new technology before its benefits are widely explored can be risky, especially for SMBs with smaller budgets. However, if you can afford to take the risk, you could be heading towards significant rewards and learn a whole host of new, future-proof skills along the way.
Watch the video here.
