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2025 will be remembered as the year Salesforce customers fundamentally rethought their data, their architecture, and the role AI plays in the enterprise. From Agentforce and Data Cloud to major shifts in customer buying behaviour, this year marked the beginning of a new era: one where the intelligent, composable enterprise finally became achievable.
To understand the trends that defined 2025, we interviewed three of Pracedo’s commercial and product leaders: Ellie Copp (CRO), Alan Morgan (Director of Design & Transformation), and Dave Chapman (Commercial Director). Together, they represent the front lines of customer conversations across industries.
Here are the trends they agreed shaped the Salesforce ecosystem in 2025 and what it means for the road ahead.
1. Agentforce Became Unavoidable and Redefined the AI Conversation
Across every interview, one trend stood out above all others: Agentforce dominated 2025.
Salesforce’s move into fully agentic AI transformed the conversation not by introducing more generative capabilities but by shifting focus from traditional “AI insights” to AI agents that can act on behalf of humans. This pivot brought AI discussions out of back-office analytics teams and directly into the boardroom, as leaders recognised the organisational impact of AI systems that don’t just predict, but do.
Dave Chapman called Agentforce “the number one proliferation product” because no matter the industry, tech, hospitality, retail, or business services, customers couldn’t avoid discussing its potential value.
What changed in 2025 wasn’t just capability: it was accessibility.
As Alan Morgan put it:
“Agentforce finally put agentic AI squarely on the table. Customers can now see how AI could transform their whole organisation, not just one task or team.”
But with accessibility came misconceptions.
Alan highlighted that many customers assumed AI would “just work,” without considering the foundations required to support it:
“Most AI is still probabilistic. You only get great results if you have strong foundational systems and good data. Many failed AI launches were built on poor foundations.”
At the same time, Dave Chapman noted a widespread myth that organisations must wait for perfect data before starting something he strongly pushes back on:
“If you wait for perfect data, you’ll fall behind. The goal is to experiment and iterate.”
In reality, these points reinforce each other.
The organisations that made the biggest strides in 2025 were those that started early, experimenting, validating use cases, and learning quickly, while simultaneously improving data quality and architecture as they went. Agentic AI rewards momentum, but it also rewards maturity.
2. Data Cloud Emerged as the “Activation Layer” for AI
If Agentforce was the headline, Data Cloud was the backbone.
All three interviewees agreed that the most in-demand product of 2025 alongside Mulesoft was Data Cloud (Data 360). But the reason was more nuanced than customer excitement.
As Dave Chapman explained:
“The biggest surprise for customers was realising Data Cloud isn’t just another distinct cloud but rather an activation layer to enable a new wave of use cases. It’s the activation layer that powers Agentforce.”
Ellie reinforced this point:
“Without Data Cloud, Agentforce simply can’t reach its potential. It unifies the data, connects the sources, and makes every tool smarter.”
And customers finally recognised this.
Conversations shifted from GDPR and security checklists to how data can actively work for the business, driving real-time action, improving customer experiences, and informing agentic workflows.
But Data Cloud wasn’t just for AI.
Alan noted its rise as a solution for campaign management, common identity, and as a mediator when trust in a single source of truth was low.
Despite demand, customers rarely initiate Data Cloud discussions themselves.
“People don’t ask for Data Cloud; they ask for something that requires Data Cloud,” said Alan.
In other words, Data Cloud became invisible but essential.
3. Mulesoft and Composable Architectures Hit a New Peak in Demand
2025 saw an explosion in demand for integration and composable architecture, driven by the need to feed Agentforce with clean, connected, real-time data.
Ellie described this shift clearly:
“Salesforce provides the front agentic layer, whilst Data Cloud unifies the data that powers it. Over and above the Data Cloud connectors, Mulesoft further unlocks data within custom-built solutions, and/or across multiple data sources via API, providing true access to valuable, unified, real-time data.”
For many businesses planning two-year transformations, Mulesoft became the architecture strategy that enabled:
- Staged system deprecation
- API-led connectivity
- Long-term CI/CD savings
- Smoother enterprise rollouts
In a year filled with new Salesforce products and pricing models, integration became the stabiliser.
And in 2026, this will go even further with Mulesoft Fabric, which Ellie described as:
“The mechanism that knits together different agents across the tech stack: Salesforce, AWS, Gemini and everything so business processes run end-to-end.”
4. Revenue Cloud Surged Far Exceeding Historical CPQ Demand
While AI dominated headlines, one of the biggest quiet winners of 2025 was Revenue Cloud.
Dave clarified that this isn’t a case of Revenue Cloud outpacing CPQ uptake because CPQ uptake has effectively stalled due to its end-of-sale status. The real story is bigger:
“Demand for Revenue Cloud is significantly higher than the typical levels we ever saw for CPQ. And unlike CPQ, where Salesforce often led the conversation, customers are now coming to us proactively asking about Revenue Cloud and Agentforce Revenue Management (ARM).”
This shift reflects a clear market evolution. Organisations aren’t looking for traditional configure-price-quote tools anymore. They want something more modern, more integrated, and more aligned with how revenue is generated and recognised today.
Revenue Cloud’s unified approach to quoting, contracting, billing, and subscription/usage-based models is landing precisely as commercial teams seek to simplify and streamline quote-to-cash.
The trend is unmistakable:
Businesses don’t want a patchwork of tools stitched together; they want one cohesive revenue engine, and Revenue Cloud is increasingly becoming the default choice.
5. Customer Buying Behaviour Shifted Toward MVPs and ROI Proof
Budget constraints, economic uncertainty, and pressure for measurable value reshaped buying behaviour in 2025.
Ellie summarised it best:
“Customers are price-conscious. Many are focused on MVPs, proof of concepts, and roadmaps that prove the value prior to full-scale commitments.”
Instead of broad programmes, customers leaned into:
- Minimum viable products
- Phased transformations
- Advisory-first engagements
- Cost optimisation
- Quicker speed-to-value
Alan reinforced that:
“No customer will buy anything without a very specific value case. Everyone is tightening purse strings.”
This was further influenced by uncertainty around Salesforce’s evolving pricing models, particularly for Agentforce and Data Cloud. Many mid-market customers experienced hesitation or slower decision cycles, often influenced by confusion over consumption-based charges and licensing structures. This lack of clarity around cost and ROI became a genuine blocker for organisations trying to plan budgets and justify investment internally.
Pricing clarity and accelerated value became essential for conversion.
6. The Ecosystem Faced New Blockers: Consumption Pricing, Licensing Complexity & Acquisition Fatigue
2025 brought new friction points across the Salesforce ecosystem.
Common blockers included:
- Consumption pricing can be difficult to predict for Agentforce and Data Cloud licensing, and pricing models changed throughout the year
- Complex SKU structures
- Acquisition activity pausing projects
- Unclear early messaging between Agentforce and the core platform
- Customers are choosing cheaper, ‘70% good’ alternatives where core features are baked in, avoiding Salesforce’s complex SKU stacking.
However, not all blockers were external. A significant internal friction point arose where customers misunderstood the platform’s boundaries, particularly regarding finance functions.
With the increased visibility of Revenue Cloud and Billing, some organisations fell into the trap of conflating revenue management with full ERP functionality. This architectural overreach creates technical debt that obscures the platform’s actual ROI.
Alan pointed out this significant risk:
“Customers are trying to solve ERP problems inside Salesforce because they see a billing product. That leads to over-customisation and steps away from the platform’s value.”
This highlights a critical need for advisory: guiding customers on where Salesforce ends and where the ERP should begin is now just as important as the technical implementation itself.
However, avoiding over-customisation doesn’t mean avoiding complex data needs. It means solving them with the right tools.
Alan highlighted the specific opportunity arising from the Informatica acquisition, not as a silver bullet, but as a strategic integration play that requires navigation:
“Salesforce has acquired fantastic technology with Informatica, but like Mulesoft and Tableau before it, full maturity within the ecosystem is likely a three-to-five-year journey. The real focus now is helping customers understand how to fit these best-in-class technologies, Data Cloud, Mulesoft, and Informatica, together effectively.”
Taken together, these insights illustrate the delicate balance partners must manage.
While there is potential for customers to overreach by extending Salesforce into areas like ERP (creating technical debt), partners play a critical role in preventing this. The mandate for 2025 is to stop customers from building finance systems inside the platform and instead guide them on how to integrate those systems with the platform using the new capabilities available.
7. The Strategic Opportunity for Partners: Industry Depth & AI-Augmented Delivery
All three leaders agreed that the partners who win in 2026 will be the ones who adopt new ways of working and redesign delivery with AI at the core.
Ellie was clear:
“Partners need to double down on using agents to fast-track delivery, optimise processes, and free consultants to focus on higher-value work.”
Alan emphasised industry specialisation, predicting it will differentiate partners as customers look for trusted advisors rather than generalists.
He also challenged the ecosystem’s reliance on Salesforce-led demand:
“Partners need to generate their own leads. Salesforce’s motions are changing. Relying on the old cycle will lead to failure.”
This reflects a maturing ecosystem where value is driven by expertise, not just certification volume.
8. What Will Dominate 2026? Agentforce, Data Cloud, and Intelligent Integration
Looking ahead, the trends that defined 2025 won’t slow down; they’ll accelerate.
Our leaders predict:
- Agentforce will dominate early 2026, especially as customers refine initial implementations.
- Consumption-based pricing will increase scrutiny from CFOs and CTOs.
- Informatica’s acquisition will become a major enterprise storyline.
- Mulesoft Fabric will unlock cross-platform agents.
- Data Cloud remains the must-have capability for any AI roadmap.
But perhaps the most important prediction came from Alan:
“The must-have doesn’t change. Customers still want a 360-degree view, just a better way of achieving it.”
Technology evolves, but the mission remains constant:
Better decision-making, end-to-end visibility, and unified customer experiences.
Final Word: 2025 Was the Year Foundations Became Strategy
2025 proved that the future isn’t about buying more tools; it’s about activating them intelligently.
The winners in the Salesforce ecosystem this year were not the companies with the largest investments, but those who:
- Unified their data
- Integrated their systems
- Adopted agentic AI early
- Focused on value over volume
- Experimented before perfection
- Built a composable, scalable architecture
As we head into 2026, one truth is clear:
Agentic AI will only be as strong as the data, integrations, and strategy that support it.
And for organisations ready to embrace that shift, the opportunity has never been greater.
Why Partner with Pracedo?
Pracedo is an award-winning Summit (Platinum) Salesforce Consulting Partner that delivers innovative Salesforce implementations to forward-thinking customers.
With over a decade of experience focused on Salesforce, we work with our customers to unlock the platform’s power through tailored implementations that facilitate achieving business goals and ambitions. Our talented team of over 80 Salesforce professionals globally means that Pracedo offers a boutique consultancy experience, delivered locally to you, with the breadth and depth of knowledge earned from delivering over 1000 projects across our locations.
Pracedo specialises in Digital Transformation and Change Management. Implementations and customisations include: Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, Salesforce Revenue Cloud, Salesforce Experience Cloud and Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud.
