SAS Makes Sense of Data Assets Through Web Services; Addressing Today's Business Challenges Through Service-Oriented Architecture.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2002

SAS, the leader in business intelligence, today announced its continued support for Web Services through upcoming releases of Version 9.0 and Release 9.1 of the SAS(R) System.

Noted by analyst firms as the next technology focus, Web Services will speed the development and deployment of applications reducing time to market and costs. In Version 9.0, SAS will extend its support for Web Services through enhancing the scalability and manageability of the SAS services-oriented architecture that has been in place since SAS V8 was released. Software in Release 9.1 will integrate with Java and .NET to support key Web Services standards, as they mature, such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI), and Web Services Description Language (WSDL). SAS Version 9.0 will be introduced next week at the 27th annual SAS Users Group International conference in Orlando.

Web Services, at their most basic form, are applications that call other routines using Internet protocols. The SAS commitment to supporting Web Services is a testament to its openness strategy. Currently, SAS' services-oriented architecture delivers Web Services through Java and .NET. By leveraging SAS functionality through Web Services, IT departments will be able to speed up the deployment of applications that expedite effective decision making.

"The power of SAS software allows businesses to make informed, accurate decisions that are based not only on historical information, but also on the ability to predict future trends," said Don Hatcher, vice president of technology strategy for SAS. "For example, SAS customers can forecast the most profitable timing for marketing promotions and campaigns. No other vendor can deliver this intelligence capability through leveraging Web Services."

For years, SAS has ensured that its technologies are open and adaptable for any IT environment. In February, SAS became an initial contributing member of the Web Services Interoperability Organization, an industry group dedicated to the development of Web Service applications that adhere to practical and vendor-neutral interoperability standards. SAS representatives also participate on many committees within the standards community, including the metadata-focused OMG Common Warehouse MetaModel Group, portlet-centric JSR-168 and the data interaction-targeted XML for Analysis Council. SAS further demonstrated its commitment to support open standards this week by expanding its role on the XML for Analysis Council from contributing member to that of co-chair.

"The development of viable industry standards is critical for the growth of SAS and other software companies," added Hatcher. "Businesses have positioned standards to drive consistency and to reduce IT costs. By supporting and implementing a wide range of standards and protocols, such as J2EE and COM, SAS' services-oriented architecture is capable of integrating into any IT environment. SAS will continue to support Web Service standards in our future software releases."

About SAS

SAS is the market leader in providing a new generation of business intelligence software and services that create true enterprise intelligence. SAS solutions are used at more than 38,000 sites - including 99 of the top 100 businesses on the Fortune 500 - to develop more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; to enable better, more accurate and informed decisions; and to drive organizations forward. SAS is the only vendor that completely integrates leading data warehousing, analytics and traditional BI applications to create intelligence from massive amounts of data. For 25 years, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know(TM). Visit us at www.sas.com.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries.(R)indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright(c)2002 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.