This was made possible because the platform allows developers to quickly configure user interfaces and create custom workflows, and take advantage of prebuilt components, according to Nucleus' report.

In addition, Force.com applications are deployed into Salesforce.com's existing production environment, meaning programmers don't have to make decisions about databases, application servers and other aspects of the development stack, and can save time otherwise spent on testing, Nucleus .

Of course, some developers may prefer greater flexibility and choice of components. In addition, like any development platform, once a company has invested time and effort in Force.com there would be costs involved in making a switch down the road, the Nucleus report noted.

Also Monday, Salesforce.com said its previously announced Force.com Sites service is now generally available. Customers can use Salesforce.com development tools to create Web sites for e-commerce, customer service and other purposes that run on the vendor's infrastructure and perhaps expose data from Force.com applications.

Customers who create sites under the Force.com Free Edition get up to 250,000 page views per month at no charge. Enterprise Edition users get 500,000 complimentary monthly views, and Unlimited Edition subscribers receive 1,000,000. Additional 1,000,000-page view blocks can be purchased for $1,000 per month.