Observed Signal · Mar 9, 2026 · Policy Update · Source: https://martech.org/feed/ · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Salesforce and HubSpot Revamp Partner Programs for AI Revolution
Salesforce and HubSpot announced major changes to their partner programs aimed at improving partner quality and aligning partners with AI-driven product strategies. Salesforce replaced its long-standing four-tier consulting partner structure with a two-tier model (Select and Summit), cut roughly 170 badges down to 28 core competencies, and now ranks partners as Accredited or Expert to support implementations of its Agentforce platform. HubSpot introduced a $400 monthly membership fee for solutions partners (waived for active platform users) to encourage deeper product engagement with its Breeze AI ecosystem. Analysts and partners interpret the moves as part of a broader industry shift toward smaller, more specialized partner rosters—what some call “the great thinning”—as SaaS vendors try to remain central in AI transformation projects amid competition from hyperscalers and AI providers.
Major partner-program policy changes from two leading CRM/MarTech platforms affect partner economics, certification standards, and alignment with AI agent strategies—this influences partner selection, enterprise AI deployments, and competition with hyperscalers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Salesforce overhauled its consulting partner program (announced March 2026), moving from a four-tier system (Base, Ridge, Crest, Summit) to two tiers: Select and Summit.
- Salesforce reduced partner credentials from about 170 badges to 28 core competencies and now classifies partners as Accredited or Expert.
- HubSpot introduced a $400 monthly membership fee for solutions partners, with the fee waived for partners who actively use the platform.
- Both companies are aligning partner requirements with their AI agent platforms (Salesforce Agentforce and HubSpot Breeze) and prioritizing deeper technical specialization among partners.
- Analysts describe the changes as part of a wider industry trend toward consolidating partner ecosystems—termed “the great thinning.”
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Salesforce Launches Agentforce: AI Revolutionizes Enterprise Solutions
Salesforce’s Agentforce is an enterprise agentic-AI platform introduced at Dreamforce 2024 that combines low-code agent building tools (Agent Builder, Model Builder, Prompt Builder) with Salesforce data products (Data 360 / Customer 360) and integrations (Heroku, MuleSoft, Slack, Tableau). Salesforce has iterated Agentforce via releases (Agentforce 3, Agentforce 360) adding observability (Command Center), MCP support, industry vertical packs (Retail, Financial Services, Field Service, HR, Manufacturing, Revenue, Public Sector, IT Service), and new pricing options (conversational pricing, Flex Credits, Flex Agreement, PUPM). Notable product additions include Intent-Aware Search for Agentforce Commerce (March 2026) powered by Cimulate and an Agentforce Contact Center (March 2026). Salesforce has pursued partner and security integrations (Agentforce Partner Network, CrowdStrike) and made acquisitions to bolster agentic automation and analytics (Apromore, Spindle AI, and agreement to acquire Cimulate). Salesforce reports thousands of paid deals and internal usage of Agentforce in support.
HubSpot Rebuilds Platform Around AI Agents
At Unbound26, HubSpot announced a major platform overhaul centered on AI agents, featuring 'Growth Context' to unify company, team, and customer data. The redesigned Breeze Assistant can now coordinate specialized agents to complete complex tasks like campaign planning and content creation. A new Smart CRM automatically captures calls, emails, and meetings, while 'Context Home' identifies data gaps. Marketing Studio surfaces issues and triggers AI-driven workflows, and sales tools like Prospecting Agent and Revenue Hub automate outreach and quoting. HubSpot also added integrations with ChatGPT Ads and Microsoft Advertising, claiming to be the first CRM to integrate with ChatGPT Ads. The changes aim to shift users from managing individual agents to specifying outcomes, with the platform coordinating the rest.
Salesforce Expands Agentforce With a New Portfolio of AI Agents Built for High-Value Work
Salesforce announced a new portfolio of AI agents built for high-value work, expanding its Agentforce platform. The announcement was made at Dreamforce 2026, alongside other major announcements including the Claudeforce partnership with Anthropic and the completion of the Fin acquisition.
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