Salesforce delivered stronger-than-expected quarterly results Thursday and raised its full-year outlook, highlighting the growing contribution of artificial intelligence to one of the world’s largest enterprise software companies.
The company reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $11.3 billion, up 11% from a year earlier. Adjusted earnings per share reached $5.90, compared with $2.91 in the comparable period.
Salesforce also raised its fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to between $46.1 billion and $46.4 billion.
AI Becomes a Larger Revenue Driver
The results arrived as businesses increasingly evaluate artificial intelligence not simply as an experimental technology but as a tool for automating sales, customer service, data analysis and other professional functions.
Salesforce has positioned its Agentforce platform at the center of that strategy.
The company said annual recurring revenue associated with Agentforce and Data 360 reached $3.9 billion, approximately triple the level reported previously.
The figure is important because recurring revenue is a central measure of the strength and durability of enterprise software businesses.
Instead of relying primarily on one-time purchases, Salesforce operates on subscription-based models that provide predictable revenue when customers continue using its services.
AI therefore represents an opportunity to increase the value of existing software relationships.
Expanding AI Partnerships
The company is also expanding its partnerships with outside AI developers.
Salesforce announced a new initiative with Anthropic called Claudeforce, integrating Claude’s artificial-intelligence capabilities into Salesforce’s software environment.
An initial plugin containing more than 36 AI-powered sales tools entered limited release, with broader integration planned.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in the enterprise software market.
Companies are increasingly combining their existing workflow platforms with specialized AI models rather than attempting to build every component internally.
That approach allows enterprise software companies to concentrate on customer relationships, data and workflow integration while partnering with companies specializing in AI models.
For Salesforce, the strategy also creates an opportunity to make AI useful inside systems that businesses already depend on.
Embedding AI Into Business Workflows
Salesforce’s customer relationship management software is used to manage sales leads, customer interactions and other commercial processes.
Adding AI capabilities to those systems can potentially automate routine work and provide employees with additional analytical tools.
The business case ultimately depends on whether customers consider those capabilities valuable enough to justify additional spending.
Salesforce’s latest results provide some evidence of demand.
Current remaining performance obligations reached $33.5 billion, an increase of 14% year over year in constant-currency terms. Total remaining performance obligations reached $66.3 billion, up 11%.
Those figures indicate that the company continues to have substantial contracted business extending into future periods.
Informatica Expands the Data Strategy
The company’s acquisition of Informatica also contributed significantly to the quarter.
Salesforce said Informatica contributed approximately $456 million to total revenue and $440 million to subscription and support revenue.
The acquisition expands Salesforce’s position in data management, an increasingly important component of enterprise AI.
AI systems depend heavily on high-quality, organized data.
A company may have access to powerful AI models but still struggle to produce useful results if its underlying business data are fragmented, outdated or poorly structured.
That makes data management a strategic part of the AI market.
Market Reaction Highlights AI Expectations
Salesforce’s results also had implications for financial markets.
The company’s shares surged following the earnings announcement, contributing to a broader technology-sector rally. The Nasdaq rose 1.6% Thursday, while the S&P 500 increased 0.7%.
The market reaction reflected renewed investor attention to technology companies benefiting from AI demand.
For executives, however, the more important issue is whether AI can translate into measurable productivity improvements.
Businesses are increasingly scrutinizing technology spending and asking whether AI systems reduce costs, increase sales, improve customer service or allow employees to handle larger workloads.
Salesforce’s strategy is designed around those practical applications.
Competition Remains Significant
The company is not marketing AI simply as a standalone chatbot. Instead, it is embedding AI into business workflows and customer-management systems.
That distinction could become increasingly important as companies move from early AI experimentation toward larger enterprise deployments.
Salesforce still faces competition from Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe, ServiceNow and numerous specialized software providers.
Its ability to maintain growth will depend partly on how effectively it turns AI capabilities into recurring customer revenue.
For now, the latest results show a large enterprise software company using AI as a central part of its growth strategy.
The broader business significance is clear: artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming embedded in the software infrastructure that companies use to operate, rather than remaining a separate experimental technology category.
