Marc Benioff says 35 states are now using Salesforce's contact tracing technology for coronavirus
Dozens of states have adopted Salesforce 's new platform designed to help organizations reopen and operate amid the coronavirus pandemic, CEO Marc Benioff told CNBC's Jim Cramer Thursday.

Work.com, which was launched with inspiration from the governor of Rhode Island, is now being used by 35 states in the U.S., Benioff said. The contact tracing platform was launched in early May to help businesses survey workforces and organize employees into shifts in order to improve workplace health as society continues to grapple with the Covid-19 crisis.

"This is a time where every company needs to reassess its relevance to maintain its market share and innovation and right now for Salesforce that's a major focus on Work.com, our new platform that allows companies to reopen safely," Benioff said in a "Mad Money" interview.

Benioff called the platform a "critical technology" because "when people do get sick you have to be able to talk to them" and mitigate the spread of the disease, he added.

Texas, where the number of coronavirus cases is on an alarming rise, is also using Salesforce tracking technology. The Lone Star State was among the first states to reopening their economies from a months-long lockdown intended to slow the spread of the disease.

But Texas, along with several other states, has emerged as a hotspot in the U.S. after seeing record high daily positive tests and growing hospitalizations. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced that he would put the state's reopening plans on pause.

When asked what advice he has for state leaders to combat transmissions, Benioff said safety precautions are the best approach.

"I think Gov. Abbott is, you know, in the middle of his first pandemic, just like I'm in the middle of my first pandemic," Benioff said. "We're doing the contact tracing for the state of Texas. We're helping him build out his network to help his contact tracers find people who have potentially been infected and get them to quarantine. That is an incredibly important part of what is happening. The second thing is we've got to have masks."

Salesforce shares rose 1.50% to $188.34 during Thursday's market trading. The stock is up 15.80% year to date.