SBOM management and generation: How Sonatype leads in software supply chain visibility
5 minute read time
As software supply chain threats become more complex, organizations need more than just vulnerability scanning — they need complete visibility into the components that make up their applications.
That's where software bills of materials (SBOMs) come into play.
From ingestion and analysis to generation, export, and sharing, Sonatype offers some of the best SBOM software on the market. This leadership was validated in the Forrester Wave™: Software Composition Analysis, Q4 2024, where Sonatype earned the highest possible scores for SBOM-related capabilities.
Let's explore why SBOMs matter, how Sonatype supports SBOM workflows across the SDLC, and why our tools are at the forefront of SBOM management software and software composition analysis (SCA) solutions.
The growing need for SBOMs
Today, up to 90% of application codebases consist of open source components. That means most of your software's risk does not come from code your team writes — it comes from your software dependencies.
When software supply chain attacks hit, knowing exactly what's inside your applications is essential for fast and accurate response.
An SBOM provides that transparency. It's a detailed inventory of all open source and third-party components in your software, complete with metadata such as version, license, and origin.
But simply generating an SBOM is not enough. To be truly useful, SBOMs must be:
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Generated automatically as part of normal development and build processes
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Analyzed for risk using threat intelligence and policy rules
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Exported and shared in standard formats for use across teams and external stakeholders
That's where Sonatype's SBOM capabilities stand apart.
Sonatype's leadership in SBOM generation and management
Backed by our open source expertise and modern SCA tools, Sonatype delivers SBOM features that are tightly integrated with development workflows and built for real-world regulatory and operational demands.
Our tools support:
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SBOM generation in NTIA-compliant formats (like CycloneDX and SPDX)
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Automated SBOM ingestion and risk analysis
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SBOM sharing across teams and vendors
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Ongoing SBOM monitoring for new vulnerabilities
With these capabilities, organizations can move beyond point-in-time compliance and toward continuous software supply chain security.
Integrated across the software development life cycle (SDLC)
SBOM capabilities in Sonatype Lifecycle and Sonatype SBOM Manager are designed to work across the SDLC, without adding friction.
With Sonatype, you can:
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Generate SBOMs automatically at build time, with no extra steps
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Ingest and analyze third-party SBOMs from suppliers to evaluate component risk
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Export SBOMs in machine-readable formats to meet contractual or regulatory needs
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Monitor changes to SBOM contents over time for proactive risk mitigation
These capabilities ensure that SBOMs are not just documents, but living assets used to drive better security decisions throughout the SDLC.
Built for evolving compliance and regulation
With new regulations such as the U.S. Executive Order on Cybersecurity, the EU Cyber Resilience Act, and NIS2, SBOMs are becoming a required element of secure software delivery.
Sonatype's SBOM tools are purpose-built to help organizations meet these requirements by providing:
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Regulation-specific SBOM templates
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Audit-ready exports
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Proven alignment with secure development practices
Our leadership in SBOM management helps teams demonstrate compliance and reduce the overhead of manual documentation.
Key features that set Sonatype apart
Sonatype's SBOM capabilities go far beyond basic generation. They are part of a comprehensive, policy-driven platform built for modern DevSecOps teams.
Key differentiators include:
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Automated policy enforcement to flag risky components within SBOMs
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Continuous SBOM health monitoring
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Support for multiple SBOM formats and sharing standards
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Seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines and IDEs
With advanced vulnerability intelligence and SCA tools, Sonatype enables organizations to use SBOMs as a foundation for secure software development.
Driving value beyond compliance
While regulatory alignment is important, the true value of SBOMs lies in the operational benefits they deliver:
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Faster incident response when a new vulnerability is disclosed
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Increased confidence in software component integrity
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Improved collaboration between security, engineering, and legal teams
By managing SBOMs as active artifacts, not static documents, Sonatype helps teams turn transparency into a competitive advantage.
See why Sonatype was named a Leader
Sonatype's top scores for SBOM generation, SBOM management, and SBOM analysis were just one reason we were named a Leader in the Forrester Wave™: Software Composition Analysis, Q4 2024.
To see how our platform compares to other SCA providers, and why we rank among the best SCA tools for secure software development, download the full Forrester Wave report.
Aaron is a technical writer on Sonatype's Marketing team. He works at a crossroads of technical writing, developer advocacy, software development, and open source. He aims to get developers and non-technical collaborators to work well together via experimentation, feedback, and iteration so they ...
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