Introduction
Beginning August 2022, Salesforce has closed down its regional office in Hong Kong as a result of its strategic partnership with Alibaba. What does this mean to existing and new Salesforce clients?
To help you stay informed and in the loop, we’ve summarized our most frequently asked questions.
1) What is Salesforce’s office closure all about?
Salesforce confirmed shutting down its Hong Kong branch in August 2022, in an effort to tighten its partnership with Alibaba in China.
The move was intended to better serve the Greater China region. Although Alibaba was reportedly going to take over the firm’s sales in mainland China and Hong Kong (with Taiwan falling under the management of the Singapore office), Salesforce has made no official announcements confirming such changes.
Instead, the Singapore office will now be handling sales enquiries from Hong Kong.
2) Are my current Salesforce solutions deployed in Hong Kong affected?
No. Because Salesforce’s infrastructure remains unchanged, the Salesforce’s solutions deployed in Hong Kong will not be affected.
Customer support for all Hong Kong clients will remain unchanged, and of course, you will still have the support from your Salesforce Partner.
The big change is your Salesforce contact point, which is transferred from Hong Kong to Singapore.
3) Do I have to sign a new contract with Salesforce or Alibaba?
Nope. There is no need to sign a new contract with either Salesforce or Alibaba.
All Hong Kong clients’ contracts are in the trusted hands of Salesforce’s Singapore office and will be fulfilled.
4) Will our Salesforce hosting be migrated to Alibaba Cloud?
No. You will likely have the option to migrate to Alibaba Cloud in the future.
For now, the data centers for Salesforce’s Hong Kong clients are located in Japan and Australia.
Further news will be announced by Salesforce as the integration moves forward.
5) What are the procedures to migrate my Salesforce hosting to Alibaba Cloud?
Salesforce has yet to announce any roadmap or guidelines for data migration to Alibaba Cloud.
We’re keeping an eye out for the latest development. Please feel free to reach out to us to learn more.
For the time being, you can keep your hosting option as is.
6) How do I renew my Salesforce licenses after Salesforce Hong Kong’s closure?
The Salesforce Singapore office will cover all the license renewals for Hong Kong.
If you’re not sure of your Salesforce Singapore contacts, please feel free to contact us and we will help to connect.
7) Can I still deploy new Salesforce solutions in Hong Kong?
Yes. Your new Salesforce deployment in Hong Kong will be the same as before.
There is no change to Salesforce’s infrastructure and service offerings.
To ensure successful deployment, we recommend you work with a certified Salesforce Partner.
8) Is Ceterna still an official Salesforce Partner?
Yes. Ceterna has been a certified Salesforce Partner since 2010. Our partner status is not affected.
9) How do I check on my licenses or acquire new licenses after Salesforce Hong Kong’s closure?
You may contact Salesforce Singapore representatives to check on your licenses, or to acquire new licenses.
As all accounts have been reassigned, you are welcome to contact Ceterna regarding any Salesforce-related inquiries, and we will link you up to the right person at Salesforce Singapore.
To purchase new licenses, please reach out to a Salesforce Singapore account executive. You may also reach out to Ceterna, as we can help you assess your needs before you make any purchase.
10) I’d like to speak to a Salesforce’s representative, what should I do?
Please contact Salesforce’s Singapore office, as Salesforce Hong Kong has completely ceased operations.
Ceterna is able to offer support on Salesforce-related matters, as well as connect you to a relevant Salesforce representative in Singapore.
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