USU named a notable vendor in Forrester’s SaaS and software asset management landscape

USU was listed among Forrester’s “Notable Vendors” in a new Q3 2026 report on SaaS and software asset management. The recognition highlights rising demand for continuous control over software, cloud, SaaS and AI consumption as organizations face more fragmented spending, compliance and renewal decisions.

Why it matters: - Forrester’s latest SaaS and Software Asset Management Solutions Landscape points to a market shift from one-time license tracking to continuous governance of software, SaaS, cloud and AI usage. - The change matters because spending, entitlements, compliance risk and renewal decisions are spreading across more teams and tools inside organizations. - USU’s inclusion puts its software and SaaS management offerings in a market category that is becoming more important as AI-based consumption and cloud licensing grow.

What happened: - USU was listed among “Notable Vendors” in Forrester Research’s The SaaS And Software Asset Management Solutions Landscape, Q3 2026 report. - The report covers 21 vendors and examines the established SSAM market by geographic focus, deployment models and use case focus areas. - The full report is available on USU’s website.

The details: - The report says SaaS, cloud-based licensing models, AI consumption and decentralized purchasing are making software management more complex. - Organizations increasingly need to consolidate fragmented data to support cost, compliance and lifecycle decisions. - Forrester identifies continuous financial accountability as a key market trend. - SaaS subscriptions, cloud-based software and AI services require ongoing monitoring and optimization across the contract lifecycle. - AI pricing models based on tokens, API calls or agent activity add another layer of cost complexity. - Software Asset Management, SaaS Management, IT Asset Management, FinOps, procurement and Service Management are converging. - Automation and AI-assisted analytics can reduce manual effort. - Johannes Biesing, USU’s VP Product Management, said software and SaaS management is becoming a continuous discipline tied to technology usage, costs, contracts and compliance. - Biesing said USU’s inclusion underscores the relevance of its integrated approach and its focus on transparency, control and informed decisions across the software lifecycle. - Forrester’s five core SSAM use cases are entitlement and license compliance, SaaS/cloud governance and risk control, software inventory and discovery, software lifecycle and request fulfillment, and spending, cost and optimization management. - Forrester asked vendors to choose the top use cases clients select them for, then identified extended use cases that show differentiation. - USU was shown in the report for selecting three extended use cases as top reasons clients work with it: audit readiness and risk management, contract intelligence and license interpretation, and renewal and commercial negotiation support. - USU IT Asset Management covers software assets and entitlements across on-premises, cloud and SaaS environments. - USU IT Asset Management includes license compliance, audit preparation, cost optimization, and contract and renewal management. - USU SaaS Management adds SaaS usage discovery and analysis. - Forrester says it does not endorse any company, product, brand or service in its research. - Forrester also says its opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change.

Between the lines: - The report positions SSAM as a broader operating discipline, not just a compliance function. - USU’s emphasis on audit readiness, contract intelligence and renewal negotiation suggests the company is aiming at the higher-value parts of software spend management. - The convergence of asset management, FinOps and procurement points to a more cross-functional buying process for enterprises.

What’s next: - Organizations are likely to keep expanding governance tools that can track software, SaaS and AI usage in one place. - Vendors that can connect discovery, compliance, contract intelligence and optimization may gain an edge as procurement and IT teams look for fewer silos. - USU is expected to continue positioning its platform around visibility, cost control and lifecycle management in hybrid IT environments.

The bottom line: - The Forrester listing gives USU outside validation in a market where continuous control over software and AI consumption is becoming more strategic for enterprises.