Big things are happening in the ITAM space - and they are happening quickly. Major vendors are snapping up specialist platforms at a rapid pace.
Blog - May 2025: Market shift alert: ITAM teams, get strategic or get left behind. Consolidation is coming - are you ready to transform?
IBM’s acquisition of Apptio. Flexera acquisition of Snow. These aren’t one-offs; they’re part of a much bigger shift.
The market is consolidating. And that means fewer tools on the shelf, but a lot more pressure on ITAM teams to make the right choices - ones that can scale, adapt, and stand the test of time.
Let’s take a look at what’s going on, and more importantly, what you should be doing about it.
Why is this happening?
The short answer: efficiency and control.
Large tech players are looking for ways to offer end-to-end visibility - across cloud, on-prem, software, hardware, cost, compliance... the lot. Rather than build it all from scratch, they’re buying best-in-class tools and rolling them into their platforms.
From a customer’s point of view, the idea is attractive: fewer vendors, tighter integrations, unified dashboards. But what sounds like simplicity on paper can introduce some very real challenges in practice.
The catch? One-Size-Fits-None!
Here’s the problem: many of the niche tools being acquired built their reputations on doing one thing exceptionally well. They were agile, hyper-focused, and laser-aligned with specific ITAM use cases. Once they are absorbed into a bigger platform, those sharp edges often get smoothed out - or worse, lost entirely. And you might lose flexibility!
You might find that features you rely on are suddenly “on the roadmap” or only available at the highest licensing tier. Integration timelines can slip. Support quality might change. And once you are locked into a single ecosystem, switching becomes a painful exercise in red tape and cost justification.
This is a reality that more and more ITAM teams are facing.
So, what should you do about it?
Now’s the time to be strategic. Not reactive. Here are three guiding principles:
- Think beyond features - look at fit
Don’t chase features. Choose platforms that align with where your organisation is heading. Not just today, but also in 3-5 years from now. - Stay flexible where it matters
Prioritize tools that are open, API-driven, and modular. You don’t want to be at the mercy of a roadmap you can’t influence. - Build vendor partnerships, not dependencies
Treat your vendors as strategic partners, not just suppliers. Make sure your voice is heard when roadmaps are discussed. If they won’t work with you, they probably won’t work for you long term.
The bigger picture: ITAM is growing up
The old days of piecing together disconnected point solutions are coming to an end. ITAM is becoming more strategic - more central to the way organisations manage risk, cost, and sustainability.
That means ITAM professionals need to evolve too. They’re not just tool users anymore. They are service designers, data storytellers, change agents.
And in a market that’s consolidating fast, the ability to make smart, future-proof decisions has never been more important.
Get ahead of the change!
Consolidation is inevitable. The market will keep moving. Vendors will keep acquiring. Change isn’t just coming - it’s already here. The smart move isn’t to resist it - it’s to get ahead of it.
The question is: will your ITAM strategy keep up?
Choose platforms that grow with you. Stay curious. Stay critical. And above all, make sure your team is seen not just as a function - but as a force for strategic impact.