Although cloud-based software is becoming a key part of any organization’s IT strategy, many are struggling to gain visibility into their SaaS ecosystem and manage these applications, forcing IT teams to think differently about SaaS deployment and reduce shadow computing, according to a new study.
Two recently published studies of SaaS Zluri and Torii application management platforms offer new insight into IT’s challenges in managing cloud-based applications, which include SaaS waste, security, and collaborating with other departments to reduce overhead. phantom computing.
According to Zluri’s “State of SaaS Management 2022” report, most organizations spend up to 10% of their revenue on SaaS applications, but management is not robust, as only 14% have a process for offshoring data. SaaS applications when an employee leaves the organization.
Nearly 6 in 10 either don’t have or are unsure they have a documented shadow IT policy, but nearly 70% have an annual employee turnover rate of between 5% and 15%, posing a risk of important security for an organization. .
Less than half of organizations surveyed by Zluri use a SaaS management platform to provide access to cloud applications, which means that IT departments deploy and provide access to SaaS applications on an individual basis.
IT (68%) and CIO (63%) were identified as the top two choices clearly cited by respondents when asked who they consult before purchasing a new SaaS application.
Likewise, the “SaaS at Work Status Report: Collaboration in a distributed workplace” found that 60% of IT professionals are unable to understand their cloud application ecosystem.
However, Torii found that collaboration between IT and other departments does not happen as often as it should, as only 20% of non-IT teams regularly collaborate with IT and only 5% collaborate on the majority of business-critical tasks.
The report also found that procurement and finance teams are underutilized IT resources, with only 14% of IT managers regularly working with these teams. This can help minimize costs, eliminate underutilized licenses, and help IT better manage their SaaS spend.
Without a complete view of their entire SaaS stack and users, IT struggles to manage security risks, according to the survey, as only 20% work with security and/or compliance enough to help them discover and eliminate the risks of unknown applications.
Torii CEO Uri Haramati calls SaaS “the ultimate team sport” that requires collaboration from IT, procurement, business, finance, and security leaders.
“People operate in silos with limited information, no single source of truth, and woefully inadequate collaboration. The only possible results are wasted money on apps and licenses, wasted time and lost agility,” says Haramati. “In today’s distributed, cloud-based workplaces, enterprises cannot afford substandard SaaS management. As ToriiThe State of SaaS at Work report makes it clear that a new approach to distributed SaaS management, rooted in collaboration, transparency, and empowerment, is urgently needed.
