July 14, 2009 SPSS has announced the latest release of its flagship statistical software, PASW Statistics 18, a predictive analytics solution on a shared platform for business users, analysts and statistical programmers.
The products new features add to users ability to automate operations and increase analysis and reporting capabilities. PASW Statistics 18 incorporates PASW Direct Marketing, Automated Data Preparation and the ability to use of open source languages R and Python to create personal analytics, according to an SPSS statement. The enhancements include PASW bootstrapping for sampling, non-parametric testing for non-normal data and an interactive visualization tool for exploring results.
Common use cases for PASW include marketing effectiveness, administrative research, human resources and planning, medical and scientific research, planning and forecasting and ad hoc decision making.
IDC analyst Dan Vesset was quoted in the SPSS release to say robust tools that are easy to use are a requirement for empowering the organization with decision-making ability. Statistical technology such as PASW 18, Vesset says, enable businesses to improve processes and surpass the competition.
In an Information Management article, IBM Distinguished Engineer Don Campbell highlighted the combination of statistical and predictive analytics as one of 10 Red Hot Trends in business intelligence. More companies are looking toward building a predictive organization by combining statistical and predictive analytics with current and historical data analysis, and communicating the results across the organization using a common platform, Campbell wrote. Businesses benefit most when they understand what has happened and what will happen.