SaaS Benefits and Advantages

Did you know the average company is using 80 software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications? In fact, the average company now pays for 20 times more SaaS subscriptions today than it did five years ago. One of the largest SaaS benefits is its convenient nature compared to on-premises software. SaaS apps require no implementation, can be accessed anywhere with an internet browser and require no maintenance by the purchasing organization. While there are many SaaS advantages, there are also some drawbacks—the first being shadow IT.

Shadow IT is the use of IT systems, devices, software, applications and services without explicit IT department approval. Because SaaS apps are so easy to access, employees often sidestep the IT organization and purchase apps without IT’s knowledge. This creates a technology “black hole” in which IT has no visibility into licenses and usage, putting the company at risk of data leaks, compliance violations and more.

The second drawback to SaaS apps is the security threat they pose to organizations. Because SaaS apps can be used from any device, ex-employees could maintain access to important company information after they’ve left the organization. Companies using SaaS apps need a way to effectively off board users to prevent this from happening.

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IT Asset Management

It all starts with knowing what’s in your IT ecosystem. Flexera One discovers even the most elusive assets whether on-prem, SaaS, cloud, containers and more.

How Does SaaS Management Work?

As companies continue to shift to the cloud, it’s crucial IT organizations keep up and maintain visibility into apps. Thus, SaaS management, a key part of a broader IT practice known as SaaS Operations, is required. SaaS management is the practice of managing the day-to-day operations across an organization’s SaaS apps. Good SaaS management means having a complete system of record of all your SaaS apps, licenses, vendors, users and compliance data. The end goal: reduced costs, increased usage and maximized ROI.

Most companies practice SaaS management with a SaaS management platform. These platforms centralize data into one system, allowing IT to manage policies, remediate violations, visualize all assets and users and audit administrator activity across all their apps from one place.  Flexera One allows you to visualize your entire IT estate, including shadow IT, so that you can make better, data-driven decisions.