Introduction
The evolution of software usage in businesses has been driven by advancements in IT, changing business needs, and user expectations. The shift to cloud-based software services, especially the SaaS model, accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
However, this rapid adoption has introduced challenges, including the proliferation of shadow IT, making it difficult for companies to track and manage applications. To address these issues, SaaS Management platforms emerged, providing tools for application inventory, user provisioning, cost optimization, security, compliance, and more. With complete visibility and control, businesses can optimize their SaaS applications effectively.
Report Overview
This KuppingerCole Executive View report examines the adoption of the software as a service (SaaS) model and the accompanying management challenges. It includes a technical review of Zluri for SaaS Management and Identity Governance & Administration, which provides task automation capabilities and takes a data-led approach to SaaS visibility, spend management, cost optimization, contract and license management, access requests and reviews, segregation of duties, and compliance management.
Key Features and Capabilities
SaaS Management
The SaaS Management module addresses three main use cases: discovering and managing all SaaS applications, including shadow IT, optimizing SaaS usage to cut costs and improve efficiency, and automating manual tasks to save time.
It offers application discovery and management, spend management, cost optimization, and workflow automation. Additional features include insights into application usage, user management, license renewals, vendor management, compliance, and enhanced SaaS stack security.
SaaS application discovery:
Application discovery is crucial for SaaS management, and Zluri excels with its AuthKnox discovery engine and extensive integrations, providing 100% visibility of SaaS applications. Zluri identifies and manages 250,000 SaaS applications, with in-depth integrations for over 800 applications and custom integrations available.
AuthKnox collects data from various sources, ensuring accurate, real-time visibility in a centralized dashboard. This comprehensive data aids in SaaS optimization and security, mitigating risks of shadow IT and non-compliance with regulations. Zluri's compliance and security engines ensure proper deprovisioning and adherence to IT governance, reducing vulnerabilities and unauthorized access.
SaaS Optimization:
SaaS management solutions like Zluri optimize cost by identifying unused licenses, under-utilized applications, and redundant software, potentially saving companies up to 30% on SaaS costs. Zluri facilitates vendor management with centralized contract storage, renewal tracking, and AI-driven contract uploads. It provides accurate usage data for informed decision-making on renewals and license adjustments.
Continuous optimization policies and discrepancy alerts further enhance cost management. Additionally, Zluri enables cost allocation to specific departments, promotes transparent budgeting, and streamlines the SaaS procurement process across organizations.
Automation:
Due to the global shortage of IT and IT security skills, many organizations seek to automate manual tasks. Zluri's platform claims to automate 50% of SaaS application management, with some customers automating up to 80% of IT operations. This automation improves efficiency, reduces administrative burden, and minimizes errors.
Zluri automates tasks like application inventory tracking, license management, and employee lifecycle management, including provisioning and deprovisioning. It also automates SaaS optimization tasks, such as canceling unused or duplicated subscriptions.
Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)
Access governance for SaaS applications is challenging, as are traditional methods and cloud-first systems. The Zluri Platform, using its AuthKnox discovery engine, offers comprehensive data-led insights, enabling complete user lifecycle management and granular access control. It automates access requests and reviews, enforces least privilege principles, ensures regulatory compliance, and highlights potential risks through AI-driven insights.
Lifecycle Management:
The Zluri IGA module streamlines lifecycle management with granular control over onboarding, access requests, reviews, and deprovisioning. It collects detailed entitlement data from various sources, supporting role-based access control and automating tasks like onboarding by providing appropriate access as soon as employees are added to the HR system.
The module also ensures secure, thorough user deprovisioning, including single-click offboarding to remove access from all applications and perform specific actions within individual SaaS apps using deprovisioning playbooks.
Access Requests:
The Zluri IGA module streamlines access requests by providing contextual information for accurate decisions. It allows for creating multi-step approval workflows and auto-provisioning applications with appropriate access levels.
Featuring an app catalog with over 225,000 applications, the module supports access requests through Slack. It automates provisioning post-approval, simplifying access management for changing roles, new projects, business growth, and new applications.
Access Reviews:
Access reviews for SaaS applications are challenging due to numerous apps, limited visibility, complex RBAC, and shadow IT. The Zluri IGA module addresses these challenges by providing complete access visibility, identifying risks, and offering detailed information for review decisions. It supports policy-based automated access remediation, enabling reviews to be completed quickly.
Organizations can schedule periodic access reviews with automated reminders, set up multi-level reviews, and ensure regulatory compliance with regular reviews for high-risk applications. This ensures strict access control and provides auditable evidence for user lifecycle management.
Strengths
Comprehensive cloud-based SaaS offering with a simple licensing model.
SaaS management and SaaS IGA functionality on a single platform.
Provides a single source of truth for all SaaS applications in an organization.
Large SaaS application integration library and wide range of direct integrations.
Accurate data sourced directly from SaaS applications.
Role-based access provides relevant SaaS information to stakeholders, including IT, security, finance, procurement, GRC, and HR.
SaaS optimization delivers direct ROI by identifying redundant, unused, under-utilized, and inappropriate subscriptions.
Automated onboarding/offboarding accelerates user lifecycle and saves hours of
manual effort by IT teams.
With self-service, access requests are streamlined, improving employee experience and removing friction for IT teams,
With direct API integrations, IT can enforce fine-grained access control and avoid SCIM/SSO tax.
Automated access reviews reduce the time to audit readiness from months to weeks.
Multi-level reviews enable a higher standard of security and regulatory compliance.
Ready-to-use compliance reports are generated right after a review is done.
As a cloud-based SaaS application, the solution is flexible and highly scalable.
Offer training and near real-time support via messaging.
There is a low risk of vendor lock-in due to using an open API.
Good availability guarantee of 99.8%
Challenges
Does not cater to the smallest of organizations.
Does not support SoD, but this is on the roadmap.
Lacks PAM capability, but this is also on the roadmap.
Conclusion
Zluri's platform is a comprehensive solution for mid-market enterprises looking to manage their SaaS applications effectively while ensuring robust identity governance. Its combination of SaaS management and IGA functionalities and solid support and training make it a valuable tool for organizations aiming to optimize their software usage, reduce costs, and maintain regulatory compliance. However, smaller organizations may need to look elsewhere until Zluri expands its features to cater to their needs.
