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The landscape of business IT is rapidly evolving from traditional infrastructure, all located in a centralized data center, to a hybrid model where cloud-based technologies enhance and accelerate business operations. This change goes beyond hardware assets; it includes the software providing core operational functionality. SaaS (software-as-a-service) has rapidly grown in business operations, with organizations averaging 371 different SaaS applications.

Navigating the evolution of enterprise technology in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, enterprise technology is undergoing a significant transformation. Gone are the days when IT decisions were solely the responsibility of the IT department. Instead, business units are increasingly taking the lead on technology initiatives, ushering in an era of what is now termed Business-Led IT.

In today’s cloud-first world, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications have become the backbone of modern business operations, offering flexibility, scalability, and convenience. However, as organizations increasingly rely on SaaS apps to drive productivity and collaboration, managing identities and access permissions across these diverse platforms becomes a critical challenge. As cloud adoption and digital transformation have accelerated over the last few years, so has application sprawl, with the average company having a whopping 254 SaaS apps (with enterprises averaging 364 apps). This has increased from 110 SaaS apps in 2021. SaaS is projected to make up 85% of the software organizations use by 2025 compared to 70% in 2023, according to The State of SaaS 2023 study. 

SaaS (Software as a Service) is rapidly evolving into a core component of manty organizations due to its ease of implementation, scalability, and low cost of entry, exploding the market size to $273.55 billion. However, managing security within these SaaS environments is complex and challenging, as these platforms hold vast amounts of sensitive data and are accessed from numerous devices and locations.

SaaS is increasingly becoming an integral facet of the IT landscape, with organizations averaging 371 different SaaS applications. This growth has happened suddenly for many organizations, with many internal teams configuring their own SaaS solutions and bypassing traditional procurement routes that help bring IT and security into the conversation. The explosive growth has resulted in a hard-to-manage SaaS sprawl. A focus on identity as the gateway to SaaS and the use of an identity-first security approach for SaaS security is a pragmatic way to regain control over the overgrowth of SaaS apps.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work in the cybersecurity industry for many years, collaborating with some of the top vendors and industry experts. More than a decade ago, I recognized the need to enhance workforce protection against web-borne threats. In 2013, I co-founded Fireglass, a browser isolation startup, alongside some of the most talented individuals I know.