UA Announces SAS as Software Provider for Business Analytics Lab

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, a leader in business analytics education, announced an agreement today with SAS, the leader in business analytics software.

SAS officially signed on with the Business Analytics Lab and is donating its SAS Visual Analytics, SAS Visual Statistics and SAS Office Analytics software to the College for use in the lab. UA President Judy Bonner, Dr. J. Michael Hardin, dean of Culverhouse, and SAS representatives gathered for the signing event where attendees were provided a first-hand look at the new video renderings of the workspace for the first-of-its-kind lab in the U.S.

“The University of Alabama has been at the forefront of analytics education for years,” said Armistead Sapp, executive vice president and chief technology officer of SAS. “Employers are desperate for people who can analyze data to solve real business problems. The lab presents a tremendous opportunity for students to gain those valuable skills.”

“Our goal at the College is to ensure that our students have the education and skills they need to succeed in their careers and in Fortune 500 companies,” said Hardin. “SAS is ranked as the top business analytics software vendor by independent consulting groups, so it was a clear choice to partner with them for this cutting-edge lab.”

SAS is the third company to provide resources to UA and the College for the Analytics Lab. Lockheed Martin and Healthcare Business Solutions were the first two partners. Development of the lab is underway in Bidgood Hall and will serve as a research-oriented facility where faculty and students can partner with companies to solve real world problems.

Culverhouse has been a leader in business analytics since 2002 when it was one of the first business schools to offer the specialization. In 2013, a team of students from Culverhouse placed first in the Seventh Annual SAS Analytics and Data Mining Shootout Competition. The six-member graduate student team won the top prize for their research into disease prevention. Their strategy for treatment and costs revealed potential savings of nearly $180 million.

SAS is the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market and serves customers at more than 75,000 sites.

In education, SAS is used at more than 3,000 institutions worldwide for teaching, research and administration. Last year, the company launched SAS Analytics U, a global academic initiative that includes free SAS software, university partnerships and engaging user communities that support the current and next generation of analytics experts.