Tangoe, a leader in IT and telecom expense management, has quietly grown into one of the most influential players in global cloud and FinOps strategy. Tangoe leverages an IT spend database it has built over more than two decades that tracks an astounding $34 billion in IT spend across 206 countries to help enterprises navigate telecom, mobile, cloud, AI, and SaaS costs with a blend of financial discipline and technical insight.
Recently recognized with back-to-back Stratus Awards, Tangoe is proving its ability to move beyond telecom and into the frontlines of cloud transformation. On the Winners’ Circle Podcast, Paolo Sellari, Director of Product Management for Cloud, shared how Tangoe is helping companies achieve 20 to 40 percent reductions in cloud costs, and why cost savings are only the beginning.
From expense management to FinOps discipline
The company’s roots are in telecom and mobile optimization, but the rise of cloud spending created a natural evolution. Tangoe combined its expertise in expense management with a strategic partnership with Densify, layering in deep infrastructure optimization.
“ It is not just about overusing an EC2 instance or resizing storage,” Sellari said. “ We couple hard cost savings with FinOps practices, policies, chargebacks [and] governance, so customers can actually sustain those savings over time.”
This mix of financial rigor and technical visibility positions Tangoe uniquely in a crowded optimization market. With more than 20 certified FinOps practitioners on staff, the company helps organizations rationalize costs while aligning finance, IT, and business leaders around shared accountability.
Shadow IT and the hidden costs of cloud
One of the most surprising insights Sellari shared is how shadow IT continues to drive unplanned costs. Whether through SaaS licenses linked to former employees or abandoned cloud projects still consuming resources, these invisible expenses create significant waste.
“ The second you can remove all of that noise,” Sellari explained, “ you do not just reduce costs. You give leadership clarity. Customers end up making better decisions with less stress.”
This underscores a broader trend. Cloud and AI adoption are accelerating, but governance and visibility lag behind. For many enterprises, the challenge is no longer whether to adopt the latest technology. It is whether they can control and justify its cost.
AI and the next five years
With AI workloads and GPU demand surging, Sellari believes the next frontier of FinOps will focus on managing these high-cost resources. Tangoe is already preparing by pulling in granular usage data from GPU services and monitoring how cloud providers adjust pricing.
“ AI hype is overrated, but the cost is underestimated,” Sellari said. “ We tell customers not to adopt AI just for the sake of it. Implement something that actually helps your business or customer base.”
This pragmatic stance can help organizations avoid the pitfalls of over-investing in shiny new AI projects without a clear ROI.
A case study in agility
Sellari highlighted a recent customer with hundreds of millions of financial records and strict exception rules that previously took weeks each month to reconcile. Tangoe automated the process, embedding custom rules into its BI layer and reducing that workload to just 10 minutes.
The impact went beyond savings. It gave the finance team confidence and agility, turning routine reconciliation into a competitive advantage.
The human side, leadership and family
Despite managing global IT optimization challenges, Sellari also balances life with his young family and love of soccer. Coaching his two boys and playing on a local over-30 team provides grounding outside of cloud and AI debates.
This blend of discipline at work and community in life reflects Tangoe’s philosophy. Process and rigor can enable freedom, clarity, and better decision-making, whether in the enterprise or at home.
Key takeaways
- FinOps maturity is essential: Cost savings come not just from optimization but from embedding financial governance across IT and business units.
- Shadow IT remains costly: Orphaned SaaS licenses, abandoned cloud projects, and poor tagging can drive millions in wasted spend.
- AI costs are underestimated: GPU and AI services are rising quickly in price, and enterprises need clear ROI to avoid runaway expenses.
- Automation delivers agility: Moving exception handling from weeks to minutes transforms finance and IT operations.
- Recognition matters: Industry awards and certifications help companies like Tangoe build credibility in crowded markets.
Suggested links for further reading
- Tangoe (https://www.tangoe.com/)
- Stratus Awards (https://www.bintelligence.com/stratus-awards)
- FinOps Foundation (https://www.finops.org/)
- “FinOps: Cloud Financial Management Explained,” Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1492054627)