Asia Pacific Semi-annual Business Intelligence Tracker, 1H08, ranked SAS No.1 in the BI tools market in Malaysia, with over 33 per cent market share in the first half of 2008--more than twice that of the nearest competitor, said IDC Malaysia market analyst Roger Ling.

Ling said the BI tools market, which is made up of two market segments: end-user query, reporting and analysis (QRA), and advanced analytics, had experienced significant growth.

In addition, he said in the past year, the advanced analytics segment of the BI tools market grew faster than the QRA segment, indicating growing awareness of the value of analytics in BI for critical competitive advantage. Ling added that SAS has over 65 per cent market share in the advanced analytics segment.

Recent growth reflects an increasing need for software that provides faster access to broader information. "BI tools are finally entering the mass market," said Ling. "It's a prelude to the next market cycle that will lead to pervasive business intelligence."

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