Rypple, the Toronto-based cloud human resources management software acquired by Salesforce.com in December 2011, has been relaunched today as Work.com.
Announced from Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference underway in San Francisco, Rypple’s technology is being presented as a social approach to managing employees. The Web-based software offers a “gamification” approach to motivating employees, rewarding them with points as they work towards company goals and are recognized by bosses and colleagues. Those points can be put towards a gift card with Amazon.com, thanks to a partnership with the online retailer.
The announcement fits into Salesforce’s focus on positioning its line of business software as social-first. Nick Stein, part of the Rypple talent acquired by Salesforce, wrote a blog post to introduce the new product in his new role as director of marketing for Work.com.
“Away from the office, Facebook and other social apps have transformed the way we connect and share information. Yet the systems most companies use to manage work were designed for the hierarchical, siloed, slow-moving workplace of the past,” he writes. “They automate needless bureaucracy and painful reviews instead of improving productivity and results.”
On Work.com, employees keep social profiles that are connected with Salesforce.com’s Chatter service. The profiles are emblazoned with badges to reflect employee achievements.
The financial details of Rypple’s acquisition were not disclosed, but Salesforce.com quickly rebranded the product as Salesforce Rypple within six weeks of the deal. Orignally, the enterprise software firm said it would relaunch Rypple’s offering as Successforce in a new human capital management division. But the Work.com announcement made today comes along with a partnership with Workday, another cloud-based suite of human resources software with a focus on mobile products.
Some recognizable names are among the early customers of Work.com, including 1-800-Flowers, Facebook, Virgin America, LinkedIn, and Spotify.
The full Work.com release is coming in the last quarter of this year, Stein says. Meanwhile Salesforce Rypple remains available. Pricing for the new platform starts at $5 per user per month, and a $9 per user per month plan includes performance reviews, analytics and reporting, and feedback features.
Salesforce also announced its new Marketing Cloud product at Dreamforce, powered by Canadian acquisition Radian6.