What type of data does Salesforce Connect primarily deal with?

Salesforce Connect primarily deals with data stored outside of Salesforce. It serves as a powerful tool that facilitates real-time access and integration to external data sources without requiring that data to be physically imported into the Salesforce environment. This capability allows you to connect to various external databases or applications seamlessly, enabling you to work with that data as if it were native to Salesforce.

This integration is particularly useful for organizations that have substantial data repositories in different systems, such as ERP solutions, databases, or third-party applications. Rather than duplicating data and incurring the risks of data inconsistency or stale information, Salesforce Connect allows for on-demand access to live data. This adds flexibility and ensures that users are always working with the latest information available.

The other options mentioned do not accurately capture the primary functionality of Salesforce Connect. Data stored only in Salesforce is not a focus of Salesforce Connect because its main utility lies in accessing external systems. Similarly, while data from Microsoft Excel files might be integrated into Salesforce through different means, it is not a core feature of Salesforce Connect. Finally, the idea that it exclusively connects to cloud services is too restrictive, as Salesforce Connect can interface with various types of data sources, including on-premises databases or other enterprise applications.