salesforce launches ‘missionforce,’ a national security-focused business unit

Salesforce Expands into National Security Sector

Salesforce is demonstrating an increased commitment to supporting national security initiatives.

The leading customer relationship management provider revealed the establishment of a dedicated business unit, Missionforce, on Tuesday.

Focus Areas of Missionforce

This new unit will concentrate on integrating AI technologies into defense operations across three key domains: personnel management, logistical support, and enhanced decision-making processes, as detailed in a company statement.

Kendall Collins, currently the CEO of Government Cloud, will lead Missionforce. Collins assumed her role at Salesforce in 2023, bringing prior experience as the chief business officer and chief of staff to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

Statements from Leadership

“Through Missionforce, we aim to deliver the advantages of AI, cloud computing, and platform technology – innovations proven in the private sector – to modernize vital functions,” Collins stated in the official press release.

“Our objective is straightforward: to empower our service members and the supporting organizations with the tools to operate with greater intelligence, speed, and efficiency. The need to support those who serve has never been more critical.”

Existing Government Contracts

Salesforce has maintained contracts with the U.S. government for several years, serving a wide range of federal agencies and branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The company does not publicly disclose the number of government contracts it holds, nor the associated revenue generated from these agreements.

Trend of Tech Companies Serving Government

This development aligns with a growing trend of technology companies developing and offering specialized services tailored for the U.S. government.

Recent AI Offerings from Competitors

In January, OpenAI launched a specialized version of its ChatGPT designed for use by U.S. government agencies.

Subsequently, in August, OpenAI announced an agreement to provide federal agencies access to its enterprise ChatGPT tier for a nominal fee of $1 annually.

Other companies have mirrored this approach.

A week following OpenAI’s announcement, Anthropic announced it would grant the U.S. government access to its government and enterprise tiers of its Claude chatbot, also for $1.

Google unveiled “Gemini for Government” in late August, extending its AI services to federal agencies at a cost of 47 cents for the initial year.

This article has been updated to accurately reflect Kendall Collins’s position within the company.