SAS NAMED BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE VENDOR OF THE YEAR IN ASIA PACIFIC

SAS leads in Asia Pacific across multiple industries, says consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

Sydney (June 16, 2008) - Frost & Sullivan has named SAS, the leader in Business Analytics, as the 2008 Business Intelligence Vendor of the Year in Asia Pacific. The award, which is conferred as part of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards, marks the fourth time that the company has received this honour in the five-year history of the awards program.

At the awards ceremony on May 23, Frost & Sullivan honoured Asia Pacific’s leading vendors and service providers in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry for outstanding performance in fiscal year 2007.  A total of 29 awards were presented within four categories: enterprise vendors, telecom vendors, service vendors and the best of the best. 

“With a comprehensive suite of business intelligence solutions designed with advanced business analytics and vertical solution capabilities, SAS has established a leading presence in Asia Pacific across multiple industries,” said Kiran Kumar, Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “The company has a R&D focus topped by none other in the industry, backed by strong support capabilities dedicated to serving its diverse client base in the region.”

Kumar adds, “We believe that SAS’ singularity in vision and its ability to continuously deliver innovative business intelligence solutions will ensure its firm-footing in Asia Pacific in years to come.”

SAS’ focus on industry vertical solutions was a key factor in setting SAS apart from other vendors, according to Frost & Sullivan. In addition, SAS, the largest BI vendor in Asia Pacific, managed to grow its revenues by more than 20 percent in 2007.

"This prestigious award once again establishes the industry leadership of SAS in the Asia Pacific region.” said Don Cooper-Williams, Executive Director, Marketing & Alliances, SAS Asia Pacific. “With record growth of revenue, new customers and alliances, SAS has achieved this through our talented people."

Award nominations are made by a team of Frost & Sullivan experts based on market analysis. A team of top analysts and consultants throughout Asia Pacific were involved in the short-listing, evaluation and judging process.

Measurement criteria includes revenue growth, breadth of products and solutions, new customer acquisitions, market share and growth in market share, leadership in product innovation, and business and market strategy.

Commenting on the award, Gordon Clubb, managing director, SAS Australia & New Zealand, said, “This award further confirms SAS’ commitment to the Asia Pacific market.  Increasingly, we are seeing local companies readily adopt business intelligence technology to help develop a strong competitive advantage over industry rivals.”

SAS’ regional customers include Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra, Australian Taxation Office, Bank of New Zealand and Statistics New Zealand.

SAS’ regional partners include Accenture, Deloitte, TATA and Teradata.

ABOUT SAS