3 Myths Debunked about SaaS Management Platform Software Integrations
Software integrations are not a new concept for anyone in the SaaS industry. In fact, it is often one of the first things that companies pay attention to. And for good reason. When done right, software integrations extend solutions, eliminate data silos, and keep customers like you happy. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that one of the key differentiators when evaluating a SaaS Management platform is the ability to integrate with other applications. Not only to give you visibility into overarching metrics, but so you can dive much deeper into each integrated application. Let’s look at a few misconceptions about integrating with SaaS Management platforms, and what the truth is today.
Myth #1: Direct Software Integrations Are the Only Way to Integrate
It’s true that a direct integration provides the most transparency and deepest insights into feature and license usage. But, they are not the only way to connect your tools. Flexibility is the mark of a future-proof SaaS Management platform. It should continue to provide value by integrating new data sources, while being able to grow alongside an organization’s needs. At the highest level, a software integration is the synchronization of data between two sources. Zylo enables you to integrate your systems with maximum flexibility, centralizing your disparate data sources and building your single source of SaaS truth. To enable flexibility, Zylo allows you to connect data sources via direct and SSO integrations, Usage Connect (manual and automatic file transfers), and API. Regardless of where it lives, Zylo can ingest, filter, analyze, and make your SaaS data actionable. [caption id="attachment_21082" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Zylo's Usage Connect gets your data into the platform when a direct integration is not available or not allowed by your Security team.[/caption]Long story short: Zylo gives you the power to connect your SaaS, your way. Even if there is a direct integration, it is not always the best option for your organization. Here are a few reasons why:
Inconsistency with Third-Party Data
There lacks consistency in what third-party SaaS APIs provide. Apps are all licensed differently, and depending on their API they’ll share different levels of data.Some provide nothing, some just email, some will have last login, and some include an audit of all activity and licenses. Even if there is a direct integration available, the data you need to make licensing decisions may not be available.
Security Concerns
Your security team may have concerns with the access levels required to retrieve the data. Oftentimes, that’s out of your control, so that may prevent you from getting approval for an integration.
Myth #2: Quantity Over Quality
Our advice: Don’t chase logos. It’s important to consider quality over quantity. The appeal of integration with lots of apps is understandable. But, the old saying “more doesn’t always mean better” rings true here. You can’t fake a good integration, and a half-baked one likely won’t solve your needs. At Zylo, we believe that by building quality direct integrations, we’re helping more customers in the long run. Be wary of platforms boasting thousands of integrations, as they likely only scratch the surface for providing actionable data insights. [caption id="attachment_21892" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Zylo's Direct Integrations[/caption]
Myth #3: All Software Integrations Are Created Equal
And with that, we arrive at number three. The bar we hold integrations to at Zylo is: What makes our applications better together? Zylo’s key differentiation, in addition to flexibility, is the quality and depth of the integrations. Our goal is to provide customers with clean, accurate, and actionable data so they can build and drive a data-backed SaaS management strategy. Our direct software integrations provide application-specific and deep feature usage data. This allows you to truly understand how your apps are being used and execute on insights that lead to valuable business outcomes. Actionable insights are all about creating clear takeaways. And that’s exactly what you get when you integrate your tools with Zylo. Zylo removes the guesswork for you by surfacing personalized, real-time recommendations immediately. Then, you can take action and optimize your SaaS investments. For example, Zylo identifies underused licenses and will kick off a workflow to downgrade or deprovision those licenses with the click of a button.
Quality Integrations Drive Data-Backed SaaS Management
Integration is at the heart of SaaS management. From connecting with financial systems for discovery and compliance to your SaaS tools for usage and license data and your HRIS systems for user information (you get the picture). With Zylo’s integrations, you get deeper insights in many areas – from SaaS spend, license adoption, user activity, and more. Ready to learn more about how Zylo can help you manage and optimize your SaaS, your way? Request a demo of Zylo’s SaaS Management Platform.
