Is Salesforce the big tech company that figured out healthcare?

Salesforce was just another tech company trying to make it in the healthcare business in 2015 when it launched a health cloud product with a handful of customers and little fanfare.

“There was cynicism. We have seen so many companies come in and say the things that Salesforce said,” said Alexander Lennox-Miller, healthcare IT analyst at CB Insights, a New York-based market intelligence firm. “The fact that they’ve stuck around for the long haul has made the difference. They’ve gotten to understand the nuances of this space.”

While other tech giants have faltered trying to figure out what they’re trying to do in healthcare, Salesforce has quietly become a big player in the space. Experts...