The Salesforce.com (News - Alert) community, assembled in London for the Dreamforce Europe conference, today saw Model Metrics' use of the new Visualforce technology on the Force.com platform to create custom user interfaces for the Apple iPhone (News - Alert).

 

Model Metrics developers used Visualforce to customize the Salesforce interface specifically for the iPhone, making Salesforce "look and function just like native iPhone applications," Model Metrics officials say, including touchscreen functionality that iPhone users are accustomed to.

 

Salesforce.com and Model Metrics demonstrated it during Marc Benioff's (News - Alert) keynote address at Dreamforce Europe yesterday in London.

 

The iPhone application demonstrated by Model Metrics uses a scenario at an automotive dealership between a potential customer and sales agent. The sales agent is able to customize model, colors and options on the spot in the middle of the showroom floor, look for inventory at his location and other dealerships, and begin the purchasing process immediately via the iPhone. Information captured on the iPhone is reflected in the native Salesforce interface.

 

In April Model Metrics appointed David Dahlberg Vice President of Marketing. 

 

With 10-plus years of software marketing experience at Salesforce.com, Siebel Systems, and Oracle (News - Alert), Dahlberg is tasked with driving the market strategy for Model Metrics, a Software-as-a-Service delivery partner of Salesforce.com. 

 

Based on its close partnership with Salesforce.com, Model Metrics and its portfolio of products and services has grown from sales force automation implementations to large-scale products using the company's technology, business process and change management expertise across both customer relationship management (CRM) and non-CRM related initiatives. 

 

Dahlberg said Model Metrics' "bench strength," the "ingenuity" of the technology and products team, and the market opportunity for SaaS (News - Alert) has paved the way for "a great Chicago-based success story" for Model Metrics.

 

Prior to joining Model Metrics, Dahlberg founded Marketing Lucidity, a marketing services firm that provides marketing operations and lead generation services. Previously he was Vice President of Field Marketing, Operations, and International Marketing at Salesforce.com.