Chartis Research Applauds SAS’ Risk Management Solution 

SAS has been named a risk management leader in Chartis Research’s report Credit Risk Management Systems 2007 . The report affirms the superior quality of SAS’ credit risk solution – SAS Credit Risk Management for Banking – and creates new marketing opportunities for the company.

Analysts influence about “40 to 60 percent of all technology purchases,” says Carol Burniston, Analyst Relations Manager for Risk at SAS. That means a lot of potential customers could see this report and consider SAS^® software as a result. Because Chartis is one of the most-respected analyst firms for risk technology, the recognition is doubly significant.

In addition, the report’s influence may carry over into areas beyond credit risk. “A number of the charts that Chartis highlights provide excellent messages about SAS in areas such as Business Intelligence and Data Integration, ” says David Rogers, Global Product Marketing Manager for Risk. “There are even some elements we would look to extend into other aspects of the marketing mix.”

What Makes a Good System?
The Chartis report says that – across the board – SAS is ahead of the pack in analytics and data integration. SAS also exhibits strength in data management, flexibility of analytics, global presence, business intelligence, financial stability and size, the report notes.

More specific to the financial services industry are the report’s analysis of SAS Credit Risk Management for Banking, which it examined for compliance with and innovative response to Basel II regulations and the ability of perform detailed assessments of complex assets.

SAS Credit Risk Management for Banking focuses on credit portfolio risk management, assisting institutions with both regulatory and non-regulatory credit risk management. Its underlying credit risk data model and wide range of risk analysis helps firms consolidate and process credit data from disparate sources and supports faster implementation. Chartis rated the software highly for how well it performs all of these tasks, in addition to its functionality, flexible technology architecture, and scalable sales and marketing strategy.

“This comprehensive research leads Chartis to conclude that SAS Credit Risk Management for Banking is amongst the strongest offerings available in the retail banking sector,” says Helen Townsley, Research Director at Chartis Research.

SAS: Ahead of the Times
SAS has earned acclaim from Chartis before. For the third consecutive year, the analyst firm chose SAS as a leading vendor in its Operational Risk Management Systems 2007 report. Chartis’ Credit Risk Management Systems 2007 report is an update of a report on the same subject in 2006, which also praised SAS. Yet Chartis does not restrict its analysis to risk technology vendor execution. Chartis also analyzes business trends to discern which technology, solutions and services a risk technology vendor should provide.

The Chartis report predicts that the use of integrated credit risk management will increase in 2008 and peak in 2010-2011. Homing in on market and regulatory requirements, implementation challenges and the competitive landscape, Chartis shows that risk management leaders like SAS have capitalized wisely on Basel II. The best vendors have upgraded or extended their offerings to related areas, sustaining growth by leveraging their customer bases to evolve beyond compliance with regulations.

Again, Townsley offers praise: “Chartis considers SAS to be an established leader in the credit risk enterprise software market.”

David Rogers concurs, saying the Chartis report reflects SAS’ strength and provides chances to improve its market share. “Being recognized by Chartis as a leader for credit risk management underscores SAS’ goal of empowering organizations to not only meet Basel II requirements but support institutions to meet strategic goals in enterprise risk management and superior performance management.”