# Enterprise agents still need specialized application interfaces

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/enterprise-agents-still-need-specialized-application/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Marc Benioff](https://realalpha.app/builders/marc-benioff/) · Marc Benioff is cofounder and CEO of Salesforce. · Founded Salesforce in 1999, pioneering cloud computing and building one of the world's leading enterprise software companies.
- Host: [Logan Bartlett](https://realalpha.app/people/logan-bartlett/) · Software Investor, Redpoint Ventures · Backs enterprise software companies like Ramp, Cribl, Cyera and Legora.
- Show: The Logan Bartlett Show
- Episode: [Marc Benioff Predicts Half of Conversations Will be With AI Agents Next Year](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/), Aug 29, 2025
- Moment: 5:14 to 8:22 of the episode (3 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/enterprise-agents-still-need-specialized-application/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=314

## Quote

> “there's no better interface that I've seen or I would use it **on top of our data foundation**”
> — [Marc Benioff](https://realalpha.app/builders/marc-benioff/) at [6:25](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=385) · The Logan Bartlett Show

## Takeaways

1. Salesforce says support and sales need specialized application interfaces.
2. Benioff describes Data Cloud, MuleSoft, Tableau and Informatica as its data foundation.
3. Slack agents handle tasks such as renewals, support and employee interactions.

## About this segment

Marc Benioff argues that enterprise software and specialized interfaces remain important as agents spread. He describes Salesforce's data foundation and agents running inside Slack.

From “Marc Benioff Predicts Half of Conversations Will be With AI Agents Next Year”, Aug 29, 2025. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/)

## Transcript

From the transcript The Logan Bartlett Show publishes with the episode.

[5:20](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=320) sentiment as you sort of talk to people in the public markets on the investment side well I think you definitely see a lot of confusion with customers or with investors on what does it mean that we're moving into an agentex era does it mean that software and applications go away completely I mean that isn't true for me I don't know if it is true for you I will say I mean this I thought I was having the other day and I'm curious your thoughts on it is like you know I've been long my careers been sort of predicated on investing in software broadly speaking right but I'm definitely going to websites less like in using OpenAI or cloud as the portal of accessibility in some ways and so I was thinking like will I ultimately use some similar interface and not to say that that's going to capture value that you wouldn't otherwise capture but I do wonder about the

[6:12](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=372) interface element and usability changing well I think it sales force what we have really seen is that in the type of applications that were to point on the automation that we provide to enterprise professionals so I can't give you the example of you know our support center where we have an omnichannel supervisor that's managing humans and agents together there's no better interface that I've seen or I would use it on top of our data foundation you know our data foundation is our data cloud mule soft tablo and informatica that's the core of our company and we're we have a huge amount of data ourselves in there but we also managed two and thirty petabytes of that information for our customers all over the world the second layer is the application foundation and some of these areas like support or sales are highly specialized applications and require you know

[7:04](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=424) incredible you know powerful user interfaces and by the way it's not that I don't have like a slack user interface for service and support or a slack user interface for sales but then you know I still have to branch out because all of a sudden I've got a lot more data I need to consume and humans are not going away we are working in partnership with these with these agents and that's how I look at it and then when it comes to slack like for example since I talked to you nine months ago I now have you know a couple dozen agents running inside slack on my behalf doing renewals you know doing support but also like doing my wellness benefits doing you know all kinds of interactions with my employees they operate inside the slack application you can see in the slack marketplace all kinds of new

[7:52](https://realalpha.app/v/0RkNkGihrvc/?t=472) agentech apps and ISVs that are running inside there that's amazing so that is probably the most exciting most thriving ecosystem in tech for the enterprise right now is inside slack so I think we're really you have a good solid you know look at that every single day do you think this is maybe tied into my job in some ways but do you think