SAS and ESRI Link Software; SAS(R) Bridge for ESRI to Allow More Efficient Data Analysis

CARY, N.C., Nov. 20, 2002 -- SAS, the leader in business intelligence, and ESRI, the leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, will release the SAS(R) Bridge for ESRI this November to enable more rapid information flow between ESRI's ArcGIS technology and SAS solutions.

By eliminating the need for rewriting customized programs when source data changes, the bridge will save users valuable time when they need to join SAS data with spatial data from the ArcGIS environment. This solution has many user applications for business and public sector organizations, including the U.S. Census Bureau.

SAS Bridge for ESRI 1.0 establishes a communication link between the two software systems, extending capabilities and increasing the effectiveness of analytical inquiries by linking spatial, numeric and textual data through a single graphical user interface (GUI). The bridge allows the read and write exchange of data between SAS and ArcGIS and exposes SAS metadata, or information about all the organizational data, within the ArcGIS environment. It is also enabled to run SAS programs in the ESRI environment.

"Linking the visualization and spatial analysis capabilities of ArcGIS with SAS' strong analytic and business intelligence will enable more informed business and location-based decisions," said Fiona McNeill, SAS global technology strategist. "For instance, site planners can incorporate their consumer and competitive data with spatial data to identify the most profitable location for a new site."

"SAS' business intelligence and analytic capabilities will extend traditional GIS capabilities to solve more complex business questions," said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president. "Our users who also use SAS software can now perform their analyses without leaving the ArcGIS environment. They will find the transition seamless and the interface easy to use, allowing users to be more efficient."

The U.S. Census Bureau has tested and plans to use the SAS Bridge for ESRI for several geography-based analytical efforts, including income statistics, regional poverty figures and equal employment opportunity reports. In addition, the SAS Bridge for ESRI helps the Census Bureau analyze detailed tabulations about children with regard to school district geography.

"The bridge gives us convenient access to our SAS data from inside the ArcGIS environment," said Richard Denby, the bureau's assistant division chief for Housing and Household Economic Statistics. "We save considerable time, and the bridge encourages on-the-fly analyses that we would not have pursued otherwise. It's nice to have a tool that better integrates our demographic and geographic data."

About ESRI

For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI software is used in all 200 of the largest cities in the United States and in more than 60 percent of counties and municipalities nationwide. Headquartered in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,400 business partners. ESRI's goal is to develop comprehensive tools that enable users to efficiently manage, use, and serve geographic information to make a difference in the world around them. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. ESRI can be found on the Web at http://www.esri.com.

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 39,000 sites -- including 98 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 more than 25 years, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know(R). Visit us at http://www.sas.com.

ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, GIS by ESRI, ArcGIS, http://www.esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

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.