SAS unveiled its updated Visual Analytics solution to the South African market at an event in Sandton last night.
Speaking at the event, Mark Torr, director of SAS Technology Practice, described SAS Visual Analytics as something "very revolutionary" for SAS, adding he believes it will be equally as revolutionary for the companies that use it.
"We at SAS have seen an emerging trend in the market. The emerging trend is around the need to explore and visualise data," said Torr. "The way we look at data, the way we interact with data, is changing pretty much every day."
Speaking about his experience at a recent Gartner BI conference, Torr noted that Gartner has recognised the power and value of analytics. "If we want to improve business, if we want to improve countries, we have to think about how we can better use analytics," he said.
The original SAS Visual Analytics solution was introduced in March 2012, designed to address big data challenges. The new version boasts the same capabilities, but brings the big data solution to businesses regardless of data size.
According to SAS, its Visual Analytics solution combines high-performance analytics in a visual, user-friendly interface, allowing for problem solving and the improvement of business performance, while mitigating risks. The in-memory solution allows for quick exploration of data, allowing users to execute analytic calculations, with results presented visually. The in-memory technology is a key element of this tool, allowing for proactive analytics at an increased speed, Torr said.
SAS Visual Analytics is a unique tool on the market as it combines various BI capabilities with high-performance analytics, according to Torr. "Visual Analytics is an analytic platform that has the capability to service data but also has the capability to do analytics, enabling inter-process communication," he said, describing the solution as a "fundamental computing paradigm shift".
The updated SAS Visual Analytics solution was officially launched in December 2012 and is one of the fastest selling products SAS has ever launched, according to Torr. Global transport companies, credit bureaus and government departments are currently using the solution.
"Over here in Africa, there is a large shortage of analytical technologies and skills. We need to be looking at technology that can help overcome these inhibitors and make it easy for people who are not skilled," said Torr. "As the companies in South Africa and Africa grow, they are going to face big data challenges. Because this solution has the ability to start on very small volumes of data, this kind of technology is a good fit for companies in South Africa and in Africa."
SAS has created an online environment for customers to test the software. Those interested in trying out SAS Visual Analytics can visit the SAS Web site.
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