Salesforce Applications

Although it is possible to use Salesforce’s standard Web user interface from a browser-equipped mobile device, it has significant drawbacks. The desktop-centric user interface is cumbersome on a smaller screen, requiring lots of zooming and panning to find and click anything. The performance is sluggish due to the large amount of information, media, and code on each page. And if network connectivity is lost, it can also mean the loss of functionality and work in progress.

To improve the experience for mobile users, Salesforce offers three applications specifically designed for mobile phones and tablets:

Salesforce Classic—This is the original Salesforce mobile application. It is geared toward users who need offline access to data. Administrators can select data to synchronize with the mobile device by user or profile, and remotely delete the data at any point. By default, the standard Sales and Service Cloud application data is synchronized with the device, including contacts, accounts, and opportunities.

Salesforce Touch—Salesforce Touch can be thought of as a reskinned subset of the Salesforce Web application, designed for devices that rely on touch input rather than a keyboard and mouse. All data remains on the Salesforce servers, not on the mobile device. Standard and custom object tabs are available, with limited record creation and editing functionality.

Chatter Mobile—Chatter Mobile is focused on collaboration. You can post and comment on feeds, create and edit records, view and add files, participate in groups, and view dashboards and user profiles.

Many independent software vendors have released applications that address the Salesforce market. Some are tailored for a particular workflow, such as sales or service. Others are neutral, adopting the tabs and layouts from your Salesforce organization and providing generic data management in a mobile form factor. Run a search on your mobile device’s application marketplace to learn more.