A Defining Moment

Do you ever step back from your job and try to look at it from the outside in? You know, really look at what you do and consider how it impacts others? Well, as the editors of sas com, we try to do that on a regular basis – and it’s always a constructive practice.

In this case, we realized that we’ve been so busy showcasing customer successes, covering our big events, talking to technology experts about the benefits of business intelligence that we also need to step back, look at the big picture and then share that vision with you, our readers.

Let’s call this epiphany our defining moment. A moment to define – or actually, to redefine – business intelligence. After all, how else can we talk about SAS®9's ability to take you beyond BI?

Let’s start with what it’s not. It’s not what many of our competitors are offering – a tactical approach to query-and-reporting tools that looks at historical data.

SAS business intelligence, on the other hand, applies advanced, predictive analytics to real business problems and processes. And it empowers organizations to be proactive (rather than reactive) and predict future behaviors of key organizational activities.

But don’t just take our word for it. Analyst group IDC recently released a report that includes SAS as one of the world’s top three business intelligence vendors. Forrester calls SAS a Strong Performer in business intelligence. And Bloor Research validates SAS®9 platform’s promise to deliver true business intelligence.

See some of the most recent awards and honors bestowed upon SAS software, our people and even our company. For specific examples of how SAS helps drive business, see our features. And for insights and opinions, read our columns section.

We hope that sas com is a source of innovative approaches for you as you redefine your evolving organization.

Diana M. Levey
sas com Editor-in-Chief

Matthew Barnason
sas com International Editor