Blog
June 10, 2025
What does this acquisition mean for your organization?
In case you missed it, there’s big news in the Data / AI world—Salesforce, the world’s #1 AI CRM, announced its plan to acquire Informatica, a leader in enterprise AI-powered cloud data management for $8 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Salesforce and Informatica and is expected to close early in Salesforce’s fiscal year 2027.
This move is poised to significantly enhance Salesforce’s data management and AI capabilities, particularly in the realm of agentic AI.
MuleSoft and Informatica: Complementary Roles
Salesforce’s acquisition strategy suggests a complementary integration of Informatica and MuleSoft, rather than a replacement. Informatica’s strengths in data integration, governance, quality, and Master Data Management (MDM) are expected to bolster Salesforce’s Data Cloud, Agentforce, and Customer 360 platforms. This integration aims to provide a robust data foundation for deploying powerful and responsible agentic AI across enterprises.
MuleSoft, acquired by Salesforce in 2018, specializes in application integration through its Anypoint Platform. While there is some functional overlap, Salesforce plans to leverage Informatica’s capabilities to enhance data quality and governance within MuleSoft APIs, ensuring data flowing through these APIs is enriched, standardized, and trustworthy.
“AND” Strategy: CRM and MDM Integration
Salesforce’s approach reflects an “AND” strategy, integrating both CRM and MDM capabilities to deliver a unified customer data platform. By combining Informatica’s MDM services with Salesforce’s CRM applications, the company aims to provide teams with the confidence to deliver more personalized and effective customer experiences, backed by trusted data.
Execution Challenges and Considerations
While the strategic rationale is clear, the integration of Informatica into Salesforce’s ecosystem may present some challenges. The success of this acquisition will depend on how quickly and seamlessly Salesforce can integrate Informatica’s capabilities into its broader data ecosystem.
Salesforce’s acquisition of Informatica is a strategic move to enhance its data management and AI capabilities. By integrating Informatica’s strengths with existing platforms like MuleSoft, Salesforce aims to provide a comprehensive, agent-ready data platform. However, careful execution will be crucial to realize the full benefits of this integration.
Recommendations for Our Clients
Align your data strategy with business goals
Each organization should evaluate its business goals and set a clear direction for its data strategy. This gives you a plan to execute against and allows you to make the best decision depending on where Salesforce and Informatica are in the acquisition process at the time that you need to start seeing results.
Integrate CRM and MDM
Remember, this is an “AND” conversation, not an “OR,” when it comes to CRM and MDM. Attain Partners recommends implementing the exact same framework we’ve used for years: CRM for engagement and MDM for data quality, governance, and golden records. This is tried and true and will continue to serve our clients well by maintaining data integrity.
Anticipate an integration timeline
It is also essential to account for the time it will take for Informatica to mature operationally within the Salesforce ecosystem once it is acquired. When Salesforce acquired MuleSoft, it took several years before the two organizations truly began to work in sync. Integration across sales, delivery, product strategy, and customer messaging was not immediate, and we should expect a similar ramp-up period with Informatica.
Knowing that achieving full integration between Salesforce and Informatica will not happen overnight, now is the time to establish a trusted partnership with an advisor. This will allow you to evaluate all options for your CRM and MDM needs even as they are rapidly evolving.
Attain Partners will be watching this acquisition closely and tracking its effects and implications in the market. We will be ready to advise the best path forward for each of our clients, given each org’s specific business goals. Find a partner whom you trust will give you honest answers to your hardest questions. That candid feedback will be essential as organizations navigate this rapidly changing landscape.
It’s an exciting time with new technology developing and systems becoming more and more sophisticated and powerful with the use of AI, both generative and agentic. Attain Partners is here to serve as your guide as you work to leverage these tools to accomplish your important missions. Contact us today.
