Salesforce outlook shows surging demand for cloud services

San Francisco

SALESFORCE.COM Inc has again demonstrated growing demand for cloud-based software as it forecast another strong year ahead.

Sales should reach US$8 billion to US$8.1 billion during the fiscal year that begins in February, the San Francisco-based company said on Wednesday. That compares with estimates of US$7.99 billion. The company saw gains across its products and from all the major regions around the globe.

Chief executive officer Marc Benioff - a longtime believer in delivering features over the cloud - is extending his product lineup as he looks for new ways to bolster spending with existing customers while also wooing new ones. The company has landed deals with customers such as General Motors Co and Anheu…