Salesforce Japan, a customer relationship management software company, plans to step up investments in artificial intelligence, focusing on data management, to help Japanese companies deploy AI effectively, Chairperson and CEO Shinichi Koide said.
“Data management is particularly important within the AI business,” Koide said in an interview last week.
He said that Japanese companies often operate fragmented information technology systems in which data is scattered across departments, making it difficult for AI applications to access and use information efficiently.
“To make AI immediately usable, data needs to be integrated,” Koide said.
As an example, he pointed to Japan’s relatively high reliance on legacy mainframe computers that continue to support mission-critical business systems. Data on such systems is often split across accounting, transaction-processing and information-management functions, creating data silos that can hinder AI adoption, he said.
Better-integrated data would allow AI agents, which are capable of autonomously performing tasks traditionally done by humans, to support systems reform and migration projects more effectively, Koide said.
Salesforce, the California-based parent of Salesforce Japan, announced plans last year to acquire U.S. data-management company Informatica for about $8 billion.
“The segment is expected to expand,” Koide said. “Japan presents greater growth opportunities than many other markets.”
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