The 1999 Salesforce.com CRM Web service contributed to the early development of cloud computing.

• A. False
• B. Partially true
• C. True
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (C)

Delivering software over the web as a service is the idea at play here. Salesforce.com offered its CRM as a hosted service in 1999, allowing customers to use the software without installing or maintaining it on their own servers. Users paid a subscription, accessed the system through a web browser, and benefited from centralized updates and maintenance managed by the provider. This model embodies the core advantages of cloud computing: access from anywhere, reduced upfront hardware and software costs, and scalable, multi-tenant hosting that serves many customers on shared infrastructure. By proving that enterprise-grade software could be delivered securely and efficiently over the internet, Salesforce helped pioneer and popularize the SaaS approach that underpins cloud computing today.