Acquisitions and legacy terminology
When working with clients or researching more about the products covered in this chapter, you may occasionally come across terminology not used in this book. While I encourage you to always use the current names of products, Salesforce is notorious for changing and redefining product names frequently and it can be hard to keep up. Sometimes, you have to meet your clients where they are and use the language they are comfortable with in order to facilitate a meaningful conversation. Always anchor back to a solid understanding of exactly what is being proposed or implemented in terms of Salesforce-licensed products, the platforms they are built on, and the clouds they are a part of.
Since Salesforce is a company built largely through strategic acquisitions, many of the legacy names for products are the names of acquired companies.
Here are a few legacy product names you may encounter for awareness:
- Demandware: The enterprise B2C Commerce product that sits outside of the Salesforce Platform, often abbreviated to SFCC (though this more accurately refers to the entire Salesforce Commerce Cloud, including B2C Commerce)
- ExactTarget: The core of Marketing Cloud, including Marketing Cloud Email Studio, which also sits outside of the Salesforce Platform
- CloudCraze: The original B2B Commerce product built on the Salesforce Platform
- Community Cloud: Now called Experience Cloud, built on the Salesforce Platform
Tip
It's always best to use the most current and accurate name when possible. Language is incredibly important when describing a solution to ensure a common understanding. Once you're moving into the solution phase, move away from the marketing terms and talk about what you're building.
