ITAM review shares analysis of the Gartner MQ for SAM Service Providers
Gartner’s release of its first Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) signals a significant moment in the evolution of IT Asset Management (ITAM). As the adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS) continues to grow, organizations are facing new challenges in managing costs, visibility, and risk. Gartner’s findings reveal some startling statistics, such as a 55% increase in SaaS costs and the fact that 25% of licenses remain unused, yet most organizations are only tracking about 40% of their apps.
For ITAM teams, these insights are crucial for optimizing their SaaS management strategy. Below are key actions to consider, based on Gartner’s research.
1. Prioritize centralizing SaaS management within ITAM
The growing complexity of SaaS environments makes it increasingly important to centralize SaaS management as part of your broader ITAM strategy. By consolidating SaaS oversight, ITAM teams can improve visibility, reduce redundancy, and make better use of data to manage risks and optimize costs. A centralized approach enables more effective tracking of software usage, licensing, and compliance, leading to better decision-making and overall cost savings.
2. Evaluate a Broad Range of SMP Vendors
While the Gartner Magic Quadrant highlights leading SMP vendors, it’s important not to focus solely on the top-right quadrant. Every organization has unique needs, and it’s essential to evaluate vendors based on their specific offerings that align with your ITAM goals. SMPs now support advanced use cases such as automation, risk management, and even enhancing the employee experience, so it’s worth considering solutions that can address your organization’s particular pain points.
3. Focus on reducing license waste and improving visibility of SaaS applications
One of the most alarming findings from Gartner’s research is that 25% of SaaS licenses go unused. This highlights a major area for improvement for most ITAM teams—optimizing SaaS license utilization. To do this, organizations must not only improve visibility into their SaaS applications but also implement continuous monitoring to track and analyze usage patterns. By reducing license waste, ITAM teams can unlock substantial cost savings while ensuring compliance and better alignment of SaaS resources to business needs.
Gartner’s inaugural Magic Quadrant for SaaS Management Platforms offers valuable insights for ITAM professionals as SaaS continues to dominate the software landscape. Centralizing SaaS management, carefully evaluating SMP vendors, and focusing on reducing license waste are key actions that can help organizations optimize their SaaS environments. By leveraging the research and acting on these recommendations, ITAM teams can play a pivotal role in controlling costs, managing risks, and delivering real value to their organizations.
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