SAS Institute Delivers Information Anywhere Through Wireless Devices - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, April 17, 2000

SAS Institute, the leader in integrated data warehousing and decision support, Wednesday announced North American delivery of support for wireless devices.

Now, customers can use cell phones and other pocket-sized devices, such as Palm Pilots, to access, explore and act on information in the SAS Intelligent Warehouse. SAS software supports wireless applications using Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and extended support for HTML. The new technology, which SAS introduced in European markets last year, frees decision-makers to access valuable intelligence from any location at any time. The Institute also previewed highlights of the upcoming Release 8e of SAS software, which further expands SAS e-intelligence capabilities.

"Organizations that are succeeding in the Internet economy have turned to SAS for innovative data warehousing and decision-support solutions," said Jim Davis, director of product strategy at SAS. "Wireless access helps companies get ahead and stay ahead of competition. SAS software delivers information anywhere and frees decision-makers from their desktop PCs. They can conduct strategic business from the airport, golf course or virtually anywhere."

With this technology, the valuable information in an organization's data warehouse is more accessible to field sales support and others who spend much of their time away from the office. SAS Institute's AppDev Studio software supports many styles of Web-client information delivery applications development. The applications are deployed via SAS/IntrNet software, a component of AppDev Studio. Customers use AppDev Studio to develop wireless applications that run on cell phones and personal digital assistants.

"New marketing and sales channels and deep customer segmentation demand greater breadth and depth of information in our environment today," said Jeff LeSueur, senior director of database marketing at BMG Direct. "Information and creativity are the key elements behind BMG Direct's marketing success. Delays in accessing critical metrics could lead to delays in time to market or, worse, uninformed decisions. Accessing key metrics in our SAS Intelligent Warehouse - anytime, anywhere -will facilitate more rapid and better-informed business decisions."

Wireless support with award-winning data warehousing and data mining With this announcement, SAS is delivering on its promise to pull data from operational systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, legacy databases and Web logs; add intelligence to it; and push that information out to users in their choice of format, whatever their location. Enterprise Integration Technologies, announced at SUGI 1999, channels the power of SAS' award-winning data warehousing, business intelligence and decision-support functionality to nearly unlimited information-delivery capabilities. Through these Enterprise Integration Technologies, businesses can integrate information across processes, deliver it on any platform and feed intelligence back into operational processes.

Feeding intelligence into operational systems Use of Enterprise Integration Technologies can mean the difference between delighting customers and frustrating them. For example, call center staff can pull up information on the profitability and needs of a particular customer in real time and improve customer service by routing the call appropriately. Enterprise Integration Technologies enable feedback into operational systems through support for IBM's MQSeries and MSMQ messaging platforms.

Information anywhere through publish and subscribe SAS software includes an "information-anywhere" platform which comprises new interfaces, added support for standards, and new publish-and-subscribe capabilities that allow users to determine the information they see, how often they receive updates, and in what format. Expanded standards support, Enterprise Integration Technologies, and the information-anywhere platform underpin the SAS Solution for e-Intelligence and are key to SAS Institute's leading initiatives such as its customer relationship management solutions.

Availability Version 8 of SAS software is now available and is distributed through SAS Institute's direct sales channels. Pricing varies depending on configuration. Customers are encouraged to contact their local SAS office for details.

SAS Institute, the world's largest privately held software company, is the leader in decision support and data warehousing, providing integrated enterprise information-delivery and e-business solutions. Founded in 1976, SAS markets packaged business solutions for vertical industry and departmental applications, as well as an integrated suite of software tools and consulting services. These allow departments and agencies to transform the wide variety of data within their organizations into information that business users and researchers need to make better decisions. SAS software and services are used at more than 33,000 business, government and university sites in 115 countries. SAS Institute's 1999 revenues topped $1 billion. FMI: http://www.sas.com.