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Entrance to Dreamforce 2024 at the 'Dreamforce National Park,' with colorful arches welcoming attendees to blaze their trail and explore the event's engaging sessions and exhibits

Dreamforce 2024 DevOps Roundup

I had the pleasure of discussing DevOps with a range of users, vendors, and Salesforce executives during Dreamforce 2024. Here is a roundup of those discussions and other Salesforce DevOps-related conversations.

Salesforce Platform Division

At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce unveiled a series of DevOps innovations, signaling a strong commitment to enhancing developer productivity and software quality. I interviewed Dan Fernandez, VP of Product Management for Developer Services at Salesforce, as well as the content presented in the “Discover the Future of Salesforce Development” sessions offered in the Trailblazer Forest during the conference for this report.

This Salesforce Platform diagram showcases tools for low-code and AI builders, trust and governance features, models for AI agility, data services, and Hyperforce's scalable cloud infrastructure, all integrated through a unified metadata framework

Fernandez emphasized Salesforce’s dedication to DevOps, stating, “Our focus is on improving productivity, quality, and providing a consistent experience across the Salesforce ecosystem. We’re investing heavily in tools and processes that enable developers to build, test, and deploy more efficiently than ever before.”

During our discussions Fernandez highlighted several interesting innovations being made to improve the speed and quality of Salesforce development.

Agentforce for Developers Roadmap: A Year of Rapid AI Integration

Salesforce has unveiled an ambitious, year-long roadmap for Agentforce for Developers.

Winter ’25 Release

In this initial phase, developers will see the Alpha versions of several AI-powered features:

  • Natural language to code generation in Visual Studio Code
  • Improved AI-driven test case generation
  • Code explanations powered by AI
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for Salesforce documentation, enhancing contextual assistance
  • Early versions of AI-assisted Apex and Lightning Web Component (LWC) development tools

Spring ’25 Release

Building on the Winter release, Spring ’24 will transition many features to Beta while introducing new capabilities:

  • Requirements-to-code generation moves to Beta
  • AI-assisted code reviews enter Beta phase
  • Introduction of AI-powered debugging assistance in Alpha
  • Enhanced integration of DevOps Center with VS Code, including AI-assisted task management
  • Beta release of AI-driven data seeding for test environments
  • Improvements to the Code Analyzer with AI-enhanced suggestions

Summer ’25 Release

By this release, Salesforce aims to bring several features to General Availability (GA):

  • Natural language to code generation reaches GA
  • AI-powered debugging assistance moves to Beta
  • Introduction of “style-aware” code generation in Beta
  • GA release of RAG for Salesforce Documents
  • Full integration of AI capabilities with Scratch Org Snapshots
  • GA release of AI-enhanced Code Analyzer and Apex Guru features

This condensed timeline, moving from concept to production-ready features within three major releases, underscores Salesforce’s aggressive goals for AI integration in their development ecosystem. It sets a brisk pace for innovation and suggests that developers can expect significant enhancements to their toolkits in the coming year.

Scratch Org Snapshots: Accelerating Development

Salesforce introduced Scratch Org Snapshots, a feature that significantly reduces setup time for development environments.

Fernandez noted, “With Scratch Org Snapshots, developers can start from a pre-configured environment, eliminating the need to repeatedly install packages. We’ve seen productivity improvements of over 1000% in some cases.”

DevOps Center Testing: Streamlining Quality Assurance

The new DevOps Center Testing feature, currently in pilot, integrates partner testing solutions directly into the DevOps workflow.

“DevOps Center Testing allows teams to implement configurable quality gates,” Fernandez explained. “This ensures that only code meeting specific quality criteria makes it to production, significantly reducing risks.”

AI-Powered Development Assistance

Salesforce is leveraging AI to enhance various aspects of the development process, from code generation to testing.

Fernandez highlighted, “Our AI-based data seeding pilot allows developers to generate realistic test data on demand. This, combined with our natural language to code generation and automated unit test creation, is revolutionizing how developers work with Salesforce.”

Code Analysis and Quality Improvements

The integration of Code Analyzer into Visual Studio Code and the introduction of Apex Guru represent significant steps in improving code quality.

“With Code Analyzer and Apex Guru, we’re shifting quality checks left in the development process,” Fernandez said. “Developers get immediate feedback on their code, identifying potential issues before they become problems.”

Local Development Enhancements

Improvements in local development for Apex and Lightning Web Components (LWC) are set to improve developer productivity.

Fernandez emphasized, “Our local development tools now allow real-time preview of changes. This instant feedback loop is crucial for rapid development and iteration.”

Future Integrations and UI Testing

Salesforce is working on deeper integrations between DevOps Center and development tools, as well as improvements in UI testing.

“We’re exploring ways to bring DevOps Center functionality directly into the IDE,” Fernandez revealed. “Additionally, our early work on visual UI test recording shows promise in simplifying what has traditionally been a complex aspect of testing.”

Prodly

Prodly had a booth in Moscone North and sponsored the Revenue Cloud zone outside of the show. They teamed up with Neocol, RightRev, Vertex, and m3ter to host sessions on Salesforce Revenue Cloud. In one session, Prodly CEO Max Rudman helped customers understand all of the complicated DevOps and other release management practices required for Revenue Cloud.

Dreamforce 2024 at URBAN CENTER showcasing the Revenue Cloud Lounge, featuring sponsors like Neocol, RightRev, Vertex, and m³ter
“The SaaS world is moving to consumption pricing.” Craig Irons, m3ter. Photo Credit: LinkedIn /craigirons10
Revenue Cloud session at Dreamforce 2024 showcasing the complete revenue platform built on Salesforce, with attendees engaged in discussions led by key partners including Neocol, RightRev, Vertex, and m³ter
Max Rudman, CEO of Prodly and Ryan Lott, CEO of Neocol present on the new Salesforce Revenue Cloud platform at Dreamforce 2024 on September 18, 2024.

Rudman had the following comments about Dreamforce 2024: “Agentforce and the AI-powered future of humans assisted by agents underscored for me the importance of clean data, automation and the culture of innovation DevOps promotes and enables.”

Provar

Provar had a major presence at Dreamforce with two booths. They also introduced Provar AI suite, a novel set of copilots and assistants designed to enhance every stage of the test automation process. These AI-powered tools provide contextual support for test planning, design, automation, execution, and analysis. Test practitioners may use these tools for improved efficiency and accuracy. It’s interesting to see Provar make a concerted effort to offer embedded AI capabilities in its new platform architecture.

Engaged participants at Dreamforce 2024, exploring innovative solutions at the Provar booth with hands-on demonstrations and in-depth discussions about test automation.
Photo Credit: LinkedIn: /geraint-waters-61357482

Ivan Harris, Chief Product and Technology Officer for Provar had these comments: “Dreamforce 2024 further underscored the central role of AI in Salesforce’s strategy. The introduction of the Agentforce platform marks a significant enhancement to the generative AI capabilities of Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot solution. As AI continues to evolve, Salesforce remains focused on driving innovation while maintaining a strong emphasis on customer experience and trust.”

Salto

This year Knuckles, the Salto mascot, made a life-sized appearance! Salto continues to find traction in offering DevOps solutions that extend beyond Salesforce.

Dreamforce 2024 attendee taking a fun selfie with Knuckles, the mascot for Salto, adding excitement and energy to the event
Knuckles makes a new friend, Matthew Speiser from Salesforce Ventures. Photo Credit: LinkedIn /matthew-speiser-2551024b

Gil Hoffer, Salto co-founder and CTO, commented: “The energy at Dreamforce this year was truly electric. While AI and Agentforce certainly stole the spotlight, it was clear from the conversations at our booth that many companies are still grappling with the fundamentals of managing their Salesforce orgs effectively utilizing DevOps principles.”

Busy Salto booth at Dreamforce 2024, showcasing top-notch DevOps tools for admins and developers, with features like extensive dependency analysis and unified support for managed packages
The Salto booth during Dreamforce 2024, Photo Credit: LinkedIn/salto-io

Hoffer continued: “The influx of visitors to the Salto booth — more than double what we saw last year — is a strong indicator of the growing demand for practical modern DevOps tools and solutions, for Salesforce admins and developers, to help businesses stay agile and resilient amidst rapid change.”

Copado

Copado unveiled a suite of AI-powered agents at Dreamforce 2024. These specialized agents – PlanAgent, BuildAgent, TestAgent, ReleaseAgent, and OperateAgent – are designed to streamline each phase of the DevOps lifecycle for Salesforce development. The new offering includes collaborative AI-assisted workspaces, allowing teams to share context and knowledge with the AI. The company views this as a step towards creating a new category of “DevOps for business applications,” addressing the unique challenges of metadata-based platforms like Salesforce. While currently focused on guidance and automation, Copado hints at future enhancements that could see these AI agents taking on more active roles in the development process, potentially reshaping workflows and roles within Salesforce teams.

AI DevOps Zone at Dreamforce 2024, highlighting AI-powered agents for planning, building, testing, releasing, and operating, with a focus on both automation and people-centric solutions
Copado’s offsite zone featured the new agents. Photo Credit: LinkedIn/copadosolutions

At the show, Copado had their usual premier position as the most expansive Salesforce DevOps exhibitor with multiple booths and presentations.

David Brooks, SVP of Evangelism for Copado commented: “I was excited to see how well Agentforce aligned with our own vision of Agents for each phase of DevOps. And we’re honored to be invited to the inaugural class of Agentforce ISV partners.”

David Brook, SVP Evangelism at Copado, presenting at the Alibaba Cloud Theater during Dreamforce 2024, discussing Copado's leadership in DevOps for business applications with a focus on security, partnerships, and global implementation
David Brooks presents on Copado’s integration with Alibaba Cloud. Photo Credit: LinkedIn/copadosolutions

Testsigma

Testsigma is a relatively new entrant into the Salesforce DevOps and Test Automation field, who recently received a Series A funding round to go after the ecosystem. They were in guerilla mode by roaming the show floor and making targeted sales encounters. And they participated as a sponsor in the Salesforce Ben after Dreamforce party on Tuesday.

As proponents of the use of AI in testing, Testsigma believes AI Agents will require new approaches that will challenge the way QA and Test Automation have traditionally been built.

One of their new representatives, Jon Robinson, Head of Salesforce at Testsigma, commented: “Dreamforce was all about Agentforce this year and it’s clear where Salesforce thinks the industry is going, and it’s towards AI Agents. AI-based agents have a lot of potential to be sure, but unlike GenAI, AI Agents will need to be thoroughly tested to ensure they are able to be a positive reflection on your brand”

ACCELQ

Test automation leader ACCELQ was at Dreamforce showcasing Copilot 360. They had a booth in the campground and sponsored several presentations. Copilot 360 is wholistic AI solution enhances test automation by offering a comprehensive, no-code platform that extends far beyond simple code generation.

Guljeet Nagpaul, Chief Product Officer for ACCELQ, commented on the show: “This year was extra special as it marked our 5th year at Dreamforce. The Dreamforce experience continues to surpass expectations, and 2024 was no exception. The showcase of Agentforce and AI perfectly aligned with ACCELQ’s vision of driving innovation through LLMs, GenAI, and GPTs, all with a focus on fostering customer success. We’re excited about our ongoing partnership with Salesforce and look forward to staying at the forefront of innovation together.”

Elements.cloud

Ian Gotts and the extensive Elements.cloud crew made their impact with a booth presence, an offsite zone, and lots of customer interactions. Gotts offered his thought leadership about Agentforce and Data Cloud: “Agentforce and Data Cloud usher in an exciting future for Salesforce. They require strong process-led analysis and metadata management. But so does a well-run Salesforce org which is the foundation for Agentforce and Data Cloud.”

Gotts continued, “So, I’m delighted that tooling like Elements.cloud are critical to the long term success of Salesforce customers and partners. And with consumption pricing, their success is seen to be fundamental to Salesforce’s continued growth.”

Opsera

At Dreamforce 2024, Opsera unveiled enhanced Salesforce DevOps capabilities within its Unified DevOps platform. Key features include an auto-merge function for Git, improved Jira integration, continuous code scanning, and AI-driven insights via their Hummingbird AI tool. CEO Kumar Chivukula highlighted a trend towards “platformization,” with enterprises seeking unified solutions for managing diverse SaaS applications beyond just Salesforce.

Opsera’s platform now supports multiple SaaS applications, including ServiceNow and Snowflake, positioning the company at the forefront of this trend. Chivukula also emphasized the need for robust governance in AI integration within DevOps. Recently included in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, Opsera is showcasing these innovations at Dreamforce, aiming to address the complex needs of enterprises managing multi-application environments.

Chivukula had these comments about the show: “Opsera’s latest advancements in our Salesforce DevOps platform reinforce our commitment to enhancing the developer experience and leveraging AI for smarter, faster, and safer deployments. Our Unified DevOps Platform, combined with 100+ native integrations, uniquely positions us to accelerate the development of AI agent frameworks, reimagining and transforming the future of software delivery management.”

It’s A Wrap

To conclude this Dreamforce 2024 DevOps roundup, it’s clear that AI integration is at the forefront of innovation in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce’s ambitious Agentforce roadmap, along with the AI-driven tools introduced by vendors like Copado, Provar, and Opsera, signal a significant shift towards more intelligent, automated DevOps processes.

The industry is moving towards what Copado calls “DevOps for business applications,” addressing the unique challenges of metadata-based platforms. This trend is further exemplified by Opsera’s focus on “platformization,” catering to enterprises seeking unified solutions for diverse SaaS applications.

While AI promises increased efficiency and productivity, industry leaders like Gil Hoffer from Salto and Ian Gotts from Elements.cloud remind us of the continued importance of fundamental DevOps principles and strong metadata management. As the ecosystem evolves, balancing cutting-edge AI capabilities with robust governance and testing, as highlighted by Testsigma, will be crucial.

Dreamforce 2024 has set the stage for a transformative year ahead in Salesforce DevOps, with AI poised to reshape workflows, enhance developer productivity, and drive innovation across the platform.

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