Managing software licenses and cloud subscriptions has become one of the biggest challenges for modern IT teams. As organizations adopt SaaS platforms, scale cloud usage, and support a wide range of enterprise applications, costs can spiral quickly. At the same time, regulators and software vendors are tightening enforcement of licensing terms, exposing businesses to potential penalties for non-compliance.
For many, the root problem is visibility. Without a clear picture of what software is installed, who is using it, and what subscriptions are active across cloud platforms, IT leaders cannot make informed decisions. The result is overspending, underutilization, and unnecessary risk.
Alemba Discovery (powered by Lansweeper) provides a solution. By delivering a single pane of glass across software installations, cloud subscriptions, and license usage, it enables organizations to optimize costs and maintain compliance with confidence.
❌ Unnecessary spend: Many organizations pay for software licenses and cloud subscriptions that are rarely, if ever, used.
❌ Duplicate purchases: Without central oversight, teams often buy overlapping tools, leading to wasted budget.
❌ Unpredictable cloud costs: Pay-as-you-go cloud models make it easy to lose control of monthly bills.
Industry studies suggest that businesses overspend on software and cloud services by 20–30% annually. For enterprises with large estates, this translates into millions of dollars wasted every year.
By using Alemba Discovery to continuously track usage and align it against license and subscription entitlements, organizations can eliminate this waste and reinvest savings into innovation.
Overspending is only half the story. The risks of non-compliance with licensing regulations are equally serious:
Alemba Discovery strengthens governance by providing a definitive inventory of software installations and subscriptions. IT leaders can demonstrate compliance during audits, prove entitlement alignment, and quickly remediate any irregularities.
Alemba Discovery integrates seamlessly with Alemba Service Manager’s CMDB, making license and subscription data actionable. Key capabilities include:
Organizations that leverage Alemba Discovery for license and subscription management unlock significant value:
Cost savings: Eliminate unused licenses and subscriptions, reduce duplicate purchases, and right-size cloud usage.
Improved forecasting: Use accurate consumption data to negotiate better terms and plan budgets more effectively.
Compliance assurance: Reduce risk from audits and regulatory scrutiny with a trusted record of license usage.
Operational efficiency: Automate license tracking and free IT teams from manual audits and reconciliations.
Security: Remove shadow IT applications and unauthorized subscriptions that may introduce vulnerabilities.
Software licensing and cloud subscription control are no longer back-office concerns, they are strategic levers for financial and operational success. With Alemba Discovery, organizations gain the visibility and control required to reduce costs, stay compliant, and protect against risk.
When combined with the power of Alemba Service Manager, this data becomes part of the broader IT service management ecosystem, ensuring every decision, from incident resolution to change approval, is informed by accurate, up-to-date license and subscription information.
Laurence Scott-MacKay is VP of Sales at Alemba. He has been working in ITSM for over 25 years with more than 35 years in the IT industry. Laurence is known for his strategic approach to sales and his ability to lead high-performing teams. He is a passionate believer in the benefits of auto-discovery which he has seen transform organisational performance.
Connect to Laurence on LinkedIn
Q: How does Alemba Discovery help reduce software and cloud costs? A: By identifying unused or underutilized licenses and subscriptions, Alemba Discovery allows organizations to reallocate resources or cancel unnecessary spend.
Q: Can Alemba Discovery help with vendor audits? A: Yes. It provides a clear record of software installations and entitlements, helping organizations demonstrate compliance and avoid penalties.
Q: Does Alemba Discovery track cloud services like Microsoft 365 and Azure? A: Yes. Alemba Discovery extends beyond traditional IT to monitor SaaS and cloud subscriptions across multiple platforms.
Q: How does integration with the CMDB add value? A: License and subscription data in the CMDB supports incident, change, and asset processes, ensuring compliance and cost awareness across ITSM.
Q: What industries benefit most from Alemba Discovery’s compliance features? A: Highly regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government gain particular value from maintaining audit-ready records and eliminating shadow IT.
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