Big changes are coming to Salesforce Data Cloud, and it’s not just about pricing. Salesforce is also rolling out significant updates to permission sets to simplify user management and better align with different roles.
A new era of data ingestion
Salesforce is now offering zero-cost data ingestion for structured data coming from its own internal clouds, including CRM, Marketing Cloud Engagement, Marketing Cloud Personalization, and Commerce Cloud. This means the initial ingestion of this crucial data is now completely free, helping you save on credit consumption from the very beginning. This is a game-changer for businesses looking to leverage their existing Salesforce data without incurring significant upfront costs.
While this is a fantastic benefit, it’s important to remember that this zero-cost ingestion applies specifically to the initial import of structured data from Salesforce’s own clouds. You’ll still need to consider consumption across other key categories, such as Unification, Transformation, Calculated Insights, Segmentation, and all Activations.
These processes are essential for turning raw data into actionable insights, and they will still use your credits. So, while your initial ingestion costs are covered, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your usage as you unify, transform, and activate your data.
Simplified licensing and credit management
Beyond the zero-cost ingestion, Salesforce has rolled out several other significant updates aimed at simplifying the Data Cloud experience and providing greater flexibility.
- Sandbox credit merge: Data Cloud sandbox credits are being discontinued and merged with your production credits. This change allows you to enable Data Cloud on any sandbox org without needing to purchase separate credits, making it easier to test and develop new solutions.
- Simplified consumption: To provide more flexibility, Salesforce is merging Segmentation and Activation credits into the Data Services consumption card. This simplifies how you track and manage your usage, giving you a clearer picture of your overall consumption.
- Cheaper sandbox use: A 20% lower rate multiplier is being applied to sandbox usage. This ensures that testing and development will use fewer credits, encouraging innovation without the high cost.
- Overage invoicing: While invoicing for overages was temporarily suspended, it is planned to resume. This makes it more critical than ever to monitor your consumption cards in the Digital Wallet to avoid any unexpected charges. Regularly checking your usage can help you manage your budget and prevent surprises.
Updates to Data Cloud permission sets
In addition to the credit changes, Salesforce is making key updates to Data Cloud permission sets to streamline user access and improve security.
- Renaming the Data Cloud admin permission set: The Data Cloud admin permission set has been renamed to Data Cloud architect to better reflect its role in designing and overseeing your Data Cloud environment. Remember that even with this new permission set, access to setup still requires users to have a Salesforce admin role or the customize application permission.
- Retiring and replacing marketing permission sets: The existing Data Cloud marketing manager and Data Cloud marketing specialist permission sets will now be marked as legacy. You can continue to use them, but they will no longer be updated with new features. Salesforce is introducing new permission sets that offer a more refined and granular set of functionality, making it easier to grant specific access rights.
- New permission sets for data governance and AI: Salesforce is also adding new standard permission sets designed for specific roles, such as data governance and AI specialists. These permission sets will grant access to specific subsets of Data Cloud functionality, ensuring that users have access only to the features relevant to their roles. This is a crucial step towards more secure and efficient data management as you build a trusted data foundation for your teams and AI solutions.
These changes are all about simplifying the Data Cloud experience and providing greater flexibility. Don’t miss out on these new benefits. Make sure you monitor your Digital Wallet to understand your usage and review your permission sets to ensure your team has the right access to these powerful new features!
Atrium can help you get more from Salesforce Data Cloud
Atrium’s Data Cloud consulting services can help you unify and activate customer data to improve experiences and drive revenue. With expertise in Salesforce, data, analytics, and AI, we guide companies in integrating Data Cloud with existing models, sources, and systems to achieve a single, actionable view of the customer.
Whether you’re starting with Salesforce’s free Data Cloud offering or optimizing an existing implementation, Atrium delivers tailored services that improve data quality, strengthen integration, and build a long-term data strategy to maximize business outcomes.
