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Perplexity's Computer Unleashed for Enterprise
11 Mar
Summary
- AI agent 'Computer' is now available to enterprise customers.
- It orchestrates approximately 20 AI models for complex tasks.
- Integrations include Slack, Snowflake, and Salesforce for seamless workflow.
Perplexity, the AI search company valued at $20 billion, has released its multi-model AI agent, Computer, to enterprise customers. This launch positions the three-year-old startup as a direct competitor in the enterprise software market, challenging established players like Microsoft and Salesforce. The agent, which debuted for consumers just weeks prior, demonstrated viral success by automating complex tasks, prompting significant enterprise interest.
Computer functions as an orchestration engine, coordinating up to 20 AI models from various providers, including Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI. It decomposes user objectives into subtasks, delegates them to specialized agents, and delivers comprehensive work products. The system ensures data security through isolated virtual machines, a critical feature for enterprise adoption.
New enterprise features include direct integration within Slack channels, enabling seamless querying and collaboration. Perplexity also offers business-grade connectors for platforms such as Snowflake, Datadog, Salesforce, SharePoint, and HubSpot, alongside custom connector capabilities. Purpose-built workflow templates for legal, finance, sales, and support are also provided.
The pricing model is usage-based, utilizing an organization-wide credit pool, which differs from traditional per-seat licensing. This approach acknowledges the variable compute costs associated with different tasks, aiming to reflect the return on investment for businesses. Perplexity aims to address trust concerns by highlighting its bottom-up adoption strategy, mirroring the success of companies like Slack and Zoom.
The company emphasizes that Computer fills gaps in existing enterprise software and democratizes access to powerful tools, rather than aiming for outright replacement. Perplexity's strategy involves acting as a middleware layer, connecting and orchestrating various services, which presents a new threat to the traditional enterprise software stack. The company sees its multi-model orchestration as a distinct advantage in the rapidly growing agentic AI market.
