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SAS Viya's New Innovations

SAS continues to push boundaries in the realm of data and artificial intelligence with the announcement of fresh updates to its SAS® Viya® platform during the recent SAS Innovate event. These innovations aim to boost speed, enhance productivity, and instill greater trust in the processes of data management and decision-making.

Expanding the AI Ecosystem

As highlighted by Kathy Lange, a research director from IDC, SAS is broadening its strategic landscape by catering to a wider range of user profiles and technological preferences within an organization’s AI infrastructure. With this latest iteration, SAS is optimizing and automating the AI lifecycle, empowering organizations to make more informed business decisions rapidly.

Key Features of SAS Viya Innovations

The latest features introduced in SAS Viya include:

• - SAS Data Maker: This secure synthetic data generator was previewed privately last year and aims to tackle challenges related to privacy and data scarcity. With the help of Hazy's synthetic data software, SAS Data Maker will be publicly available by Q3 2025.

• - SAS Viya Intelligent Decisioning: Now available, this feature allows the creation and implementation of intelligent AI agents which balance AI autonomy with human oversight, ensuring optimized decision-making processes.

• - SAS Managed Cloud Services Viya Essentials: Launched in early 2025, this package offers cloud management services tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises. It lowers barriers to entry by providing a ready-to-use managed service of selected SAS Viya products.

• - SAS Viya Copilot: Collaborating with Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, this AI-based conversational assistant will enhance productivity by assisting developers, data scientists, and business users in their analytical tasks. Currently in private beta testing, it is expected to be widely available by Q3 2025.

• - SAS Viya Workbench: Released in 2024, this cloud-based programming environment facilitates model management and analysis using SAS or Python, and now supports R. It was initially available on AWS Marketplace, with expanded access to Microsoft Azure Marketplace expected.

Driving Productivity and Innovation

SAS aims to shift the conversation around AI and generative AI from hype to actionable solutions. SAS Viya provides a comprehensive platform that enables users to be either full-cycle AI developers or solution buyers, effectively bridging skills gaps and enabling financial returns more quickly. End-users, from data engineers to business analysts, find their needs met within the SAS ecosystem, collaborating seamlessly throughout the data and AI lifecycle.

According to a 2024 productivity study by Futurum Group, SAS Viya users can accelerate the AI lifecycle—collecting data, building models, and making decisions 4.6 times faster than their competitors. The findings underscore the platform's ability to drive innovation and streamline decision-making, ultimately fostering revenue growth.

Enhancing Global Conservation Efforts

SAS Viya’s application goes beyond business efficacy; it also supports global conservation initiatives. Innovative tech startups like Fathom Science leverage the platform to develop digital twins of ocean ecosystems. They created synthetic data mimicking real navigational patterns to predict North Atlantic right whale locations, thus preventing potentially disastrous ship-whale collisions.

Conclusion

The announcement during SAS Innovate reflects SAS's commitment to remain at the forefront of data and AI solutions. By enhancing the functionality and accessibility of SAS Viya, the company aims to empower organizations to overcome current economic challenges while harnessing AI for greater impact. For more information on SAS products, visit sas.com/viya.