SAS

By CIO New Zealand staff | Monday, January 11 2010

Analysts are united in reporting that business intelligence and data analytics will continue to be priority investments as companies try to gauge consumer behaviour in a shifting economic climate.

Global HQ: Cary, North Carolina, US
Website: www.sas.com
Global leader: Jim Goodnight, CEO
Local leader: Gordon Clubb, CEO, Australia and New Zealand
Core activity: Business analytics and business intelligence software
Revenue: US$2.3 billion (FY08 ended December 31)
Key customers: Bank of New Zealand, Telecom New Zealand, Accident Compensation Corporation, Loyalty New Zealand, NZ Automobile Association,
Inland Revenue Department,
Employees: 11,111

Analysts are united in reporting that business intelligence and data analytics will continue to be priority investments as companies try to gauge consumer behaviour in a shifting economic climate. SAS, the largest provider of analytical software, looks set to enjoy ongoing growth despite the weak global economy. While other vendors like IBM and Oracle are expanding their BI portfolio, CEO Jim Goodnight points out that SAS has the advantage of an “incredible depth of analytical software” and growing industry knowledge, as it writes new software for specific industries such as finance and health care.

One new product released this year was the social network analysis featured in its fraud framework product. It delves into customer data such as shared addresses and relationships to detect patterns indicating fraud. The social media analysis solution available in the fourth quarter will mine feedback from mainstream and social networking sites, helping companies to gauge customer response and alert them to product defects. Divina Paredes