Salesforce Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Tableau

In 2003, Tableau set out to pioneer self-service analytics with an intuitive analytics platform that would empower people of any skill level to work with data. Our customers grew with us to form the strongest analytics community in the world. And today, that mission to help people see and understand data grows stronger.

I’m excited to announce that Tableau has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Salesforce in an acquisition that combines the #1 CRM with the #1 analytics platform. By joining forces we will accelerate our ability to accomplish our mission. Together, Salesforce and Tableau share a deep commitment to empowering their respective communities and enabling people of every skill level to transform their businesses, their careers, and their lives through technology.

I’d like to share the email I sent to our incredible Tableau team to usher in this new chapter in our history.

One of the most amazing aspects of Tableau is how focused the company is on its mission — helping people see and understand data. It is so inspiring to see thousands of Tabloids making this vision a reality daily.

Today we are embarking on a new chapter that will dramatically accelerate our ability to achieve that mission. We are incredibly excited to announce that we have entered into a definitive deal for Tableau to be acquired by Salesforce in one of the most historic combinations in the history of the software industry.

As you well know, we are a special company with incredible customers who are doing amazing things with our products. In a short 16 years, we have gone from a start-up in a bedroom to a billion dollar public company. We have been able to serve millions of people in more than 86,000 organizations around the world. We have been heads down building and delivering the analytics capabilities that are so critical to all of those customers. And with a bright future ahead of us, as we’ve powered through the subscription transition, built an enterprise business, and strengthened so many parts of the company. However, it was precisely because of our many strengths and momentum that we were attractive to Salesforce.

As our two companies began joint discussions, the possibilities of what we might do together became more and more intriguing. They have leading capabilities across many CRM areas including sales, marketing, service, application integration, AI for analytics and more. They have a vast number of field personnel selling to and servicing customers. They have incredible reach into the fabric of so many customers, all of whom need rich analytics capabilities and visual interfaces. They have a leading brand and generate huge awareness through massive events such as Dreamforce. They have a passionate and engaged global community called Trailblazers. On behalf of our customers, we began to dream about we might accomplish if we could combine our ability to help people see and understand data with their ability to help people engage and understand customers.

In addition, we were quickly struck by the cultural similarities between the companies. A desire to change the world through data and digital transformation. A customer-centered view of the world. A focus on empowered employees. And a dedication to service and giving back to our local and global communities by bringing all of our corporate resources to bear.

For all of the reasons above, our founders, Board of Directors, and management team all came to believe that the best way, the most exciting way forward for Tableau, was to join forces with Salesforce. We all believe that the growth potential is enormous and that customers will love what we can bring them together. We also think that there will be a ton of interesting and fun opportunities for our teams and employees, as we figure out how to make the best use of all of the new tools in our toolboxes.

Our mission remains the same. We have much work left to do to help people see and understand data – and to make the world a better place in the process. Now we will be able to dramatically accelerate our ability to pursue that mission and become the defining company that ushers in the era of analytics ubiquity: Accelerated Ubiquity! I am more excited than ever about the adventure ahead and hope all of you will be too.

Onward,
Adam

Additional Information and Where to Find It: The exchange offer referenced in this communication has not yet commenced. This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares, nor is it a substitute for any offer materials that Tableau Software, Inc. (the “Company”), salesforce.com, inc. (“salesforce”) or its acquisition subsidiary, Sausalito Acquisition Corp. (the “Purchaser”) will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). At the time the exchange offer is commenced, salesforce and the Purchaser will file a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, salesforce will file a registration statement on Form S-4 and the Company will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the exchange offer. THE EXCHANGE OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO EXCHANGE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER EXCHANGE OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY’S SECURITIES SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING EXCHANGING THEIR SECURITIES. The Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, the Offer to Exchange, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other exchange offer documents will be made available to all of the Company’s stockholders at no expense to them. The exchange offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will be made available for free on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by salesforce will be available free of charge under the Financials heading of the Investor Relations section of salesforce’s website at www.salesforce.com/investor. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Company will be available free of charge under the SEC filings heading of the Investors section of the Company’s website.

Forward-Looking Statements: This communication contains forward-looking information related to the Company and the acquisition of the Company by salesforce that involves substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among other things, statements about the potential benefits of the proposed transaction, the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company, and the anticipated timing of closing of the proposed transaction. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the ability of the Company to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, including due to complexities resulting from the adoption of new accounting pronouncements and associated system implementations; salesforce’s ability to successfully integrate the Company’s operations; salesforce’s ability to implement its plan, forecasts and other expectations with respect to the Company’s business after the completion of the transaction and realize expected synergies; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction, including having a sufficient number of the Company’s shares being validly tendered into the exchange offer to meet the minimum condition; the Company’s ability to secure regulatory approvals on the terms expected in a timely manner or at all; the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the proposed transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the negative side effects of the announcement or the consummation of the proposed transaction on the market price of the Company’s common stock or on the Company’s operating results; significant transaction costs; unknown liabilities; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed transaction; competitive factors, including new market entrants and changes in the competitive environment, pricing changes, sales cycle time and increased competition; customer demand for the Company’s products and services and customer response to the Company’s subscription offerings; ability to attract, integrate and retain qualified personnel; the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights and develop its brand; the ability to develop new services and product features; other business effects, including the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions, including expenditure trends for business analytics and productivity tools; future exchange and interest rates; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies, including those related to the provision of services on the Internet, those related to accessing the Internet and those addressing data privacy and import and export controls; future business combinations or disposals; and the uncertainties inherent in research and development.

Further information on these and other risk and uncertainties relating to the Company can be found in its reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in other filings the Company makes with the SEC from time to time and available at www.sec.gov. These documents are available under the SEC filings heading of the Investors section of the Company’s website.

The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.