Intelligent Enterprise

SAS has released version 4 of its customer intelligence platform Marketing Automation, the first application built on top of SAS 9, released in late March.

The new version of the program includes a redesigned interface, and adds role-based capabilities. It allows for the creation of custom interfaces for each different role in the marketing automation process, such as analytic modelers, campaign managers and marketing executives.

The embedded analytics make it easier for business users to create targeted customer intelligence, according to company officials. Because Marketing Automation 4 is part of the SAS Customer Intelligence suite, it more easily integrates with other SAS applications that extend the marketing process, such as SAS Interaction Management and SAS Marketing Optimization. It also integrates with industry-specific marketing applications for banking, insurance, retail and telecommunications. Because it is built on an open platform, it can more easily integrate with other vendor's applications as well.

The analytic engine in Marketing Automation 4 can be fine-tuned to incorporate customers' understanding about their customers' behaviors, can include a firm's best practices, and can tie into existing CRM systems. Improved data capabilities allow marketers to define data in business terms so that they do not require IT staff to set up applications or configure databases.

The new software also includes new features to make it easier to comply with privacy regulations and legislation, and to allow chief privacy officers to create and enforce enterprise-wide privacy compliance rules.