“Inside Intelligence”: Highlights from SAS 2023 Analysts Event

Inclusive interfaces such as low-code/no-code/yes-code, cloud technology, and new partnerships were the center of discussion for reducing time to value through fast, accurate, and explainable analytics at the SAS 2023 Analysts Event in the United States.

On the 28th of March, 2023, PAC embarked on a journey to visit the analytics legacy company at its core: the SAS headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. The event unpacked the AI-powered solutions and tools in SAS’ portfolio, with precise details about one of its newest offerings, SAS Viya, and its deployment on the Cloud.

Throughout its history, SAS has been a leader in the analytics industry, and data analysts have often used its software for ETL (extract, transform, load). However, as time has passed, newer and more advanced analytics methods have been developed, and SAS has adapted to this changing landscape, as highlighted throughout the event:

• Significant revenue investments have been made in research and development to remain innovative;
• SAS has been transforming its products into cloud-ready and cloud-native to offer intelligent analytics solutions;
• AI (Artificial Intelligence) remains the focused technology behind its enhanced analytics capabilities;
• Extensive partnerships will continue with the spotlight landing on SingleStore to create integrated storage capabilities through SQL-based cloud databases that can be deployed on the cloud, hybrid, or on-premises;
• The financial and public domain continue to have great opportunities for SAS, leveraging its AI-powered solutions, particularly in Europe.

Ethical AI was a popular topic among attendees, including PAC analysts at the SAS event. Experts at SAS emphasized that establishing trust in AI requires a solid foundation based on comprehensive data governance. This is particularly relevant given the upcoming AI Act in the European region. As bias is a common challenge in AI implementation that needs to be addressed from the outset, SAS has integrated bias removal tools into its data processing stage to tackle this issue, enhancing the deployed models' accuracy and reliability.

SAS is dedicated to creating a connection between analytics and AI and has been making significant progress in the advanced analytics market, as seen in its bias removal capability. SAS boasts a comprehensive suite of products and solutions specifically designed for advanced analytics, focusing on core segments such as analytics platform, customer intelligence, data management, fraud, security intelligence, the IoT, and risk management. Their unwavering commitment to these areas demonstrates their readiness to compete and thrive in the advanced analytics landscape.

Nevertheless, SAS's recent announcement to prepare for an IPO has garnered attention, highlighting the company's goal to fully prepare for the IPO by 2024. PAC believes this move could bring significant changes to the organization, potentially for the better, thanks to SAS' solid internal culture. By going public, SAS may access new technological capabilities in cloud and AI, which could expand its market reach in regions such as Europe.