Glossary

    [resources, glossary, saas-application-inventory]

    saas

    SaaS Application Inventory

    What is a SaaS application inventory?

    SaaS application inventory refers to the comprehensive list of all SaaS applications used within the organization. Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date SaaS application inventory is a critical component of effective SaaS management. It enables organizations to better understand their overall SaaS usage, identify potential security and compliance risks, and optimize their SaaS spend.

    An effective SaaS application inventory includes and is not limited to the following information for each application:

    • User Count: The number of users who have access to each application.
    • Security and Compliance Information: Information about the application's data security and compliance features, such as data encryption, user authentication, and regulatory compliance certifications.
    • Subscription Plan: The type of subscription plan the organization has with the vendor (e.g., monthly, annual, per user).
    • Current spend
    • Upcoming renewal Date

    Obtaining a SaaS application inventory

    To obtain full visibility into the SaaS app environment, organizations leverage dedicated SaaS management solutions. The solutions help discover all SaaS applications, including sanctioned, unsanctioned, shadow, and unmanaged apps, identify SaaS users, uncover security risks, and inform SaaS cost optimization and spend.