CA Technologies is applying the core principles of BYOD to the cloud in a bid to help organizations tame the use of unauthorized apps, without hindering employee productivity. The software giant last week announced CA Service Management, a platform-independent service hub that addresses cloud services sprawl (also known as shadow IT).

Cloud services sprawl is driven by the need for business agility but it often creates financial and security risks that companies have no means to identify, let alone control. “Modern business applications need to deliver a level of user experience and excitement which drives greater value for the organization as a whole,” noted Lokesh Jindal, General Manager of CA’s IT Business Management unit. “IT organizations must meet these expectations to drive adoption and value from their IT investments.”

The CA Service Management platform aims to provide the features users have come to expect in the cloud era, without cutting the CIO out of the loop. The platform replaces bureaucratic sign-off procedures with a self-service solution hub that enables employees to access software and support resources on-demand, across multiple platforms (including iOS and Android). It also packs collaboration features designed to further reduce dependence on the IT department, which frees up additional person-hours.

Giving admins more visibility into their environments

CA Technologies acquired API management firm Layer 7 Technologies for $55 million in April last year. Layer 7’s technology has enabled CA Technologies to put a unique twist on enterprise cloud governance. But the company faces stiff competition from smaller and more nimble rivals such as the recently-funded Netskope, which leverages analytics to give admins more visibility into their environments.

While Layer 7’s technology could potentially be used in the delivery of services, it is not directly incorporated into CA Service Management, according to CA Technologies. Rather, the new CA Service Management platform delivers a wide range of functionality (including “advanced high availability”) to give admins more visibility into their environments.

Suzanne Kattau contributed to this story.