After $27.7 bln deal, Salesforce aims to connect companies via Slack

submited by

Style Pass

2021-07-22 03:30:07

Smartphone with Slack logo stands in a shopping cart on a keyboard in front of displayed Salesforce logo in this picture illustration taken December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

July 21 (Reuters) - Business software maker Salesforce.com (CRM.N) on Wednesday closed its $27.7 billion purchase of Slack Technologies Inc (WORK.N), a massive bet that Slack's workplace app will become popular for collaborations within and between companies.

U.S. antitrust regulators cleared the deal this week, allowing the creation of a stronger challenger to Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), the top workplace software provider whose Teams app competes with Slack for market dominance.

The merger partners hope the deal will bolster efforts to connect their joint customers to smooth out common business deals, Salesforce President Bret Taylor and Slack Chief Executive Stewart Butterfield said in an interview on Wednesday.

They also want to reduce the complexity of using hundreds of different cloud-based apps that have crept into workplaces, they added.