The Future Looks Bright for SAS® Programmers in the Communications Industry 

Ken King, Senior Marketing Manager at SAS, reviews the Communications Industry Track at SAS Global Forum 2007.

Beginning with Mattison’s keynote and then reinforced by Carlos Andre Pinheiro, Application Design Manager at Brasil Telecom, the key theme was emphasized again and again. As this industry changes, analytics is becoming the key tool for competitive advantage. For those with communications industry knowledge and SAS programming skills, the future is as bright as that Florida sunshine.

In his keynote address, Mattison discussed BI as the most powerful option available to address the business challenges telcos currently face. He described the current situation of BI applications at most telcos as so fragmented that managers are in the dark when making important business decisions.

The business intelligence triple play
Mattison introduced the concept of the “business intelligence triple play,” incorporating intelligence about customers, finance and the network. He presented case studies for each of these three areas and showed how integrating intelligence from all three areas can be the key competitive advantage. This is particularly true as traditional carriers seek new revenue from interactive TV, mobile content and advertising.

I followed Mattison with the SAS response to the keynote. SAS works with telecom customers all over the world to solve the business challenges Mattison identified. Not only can SAS deliver on the BI triple play, but we also have experience helping content and entertainment companies target customers with a high likelihood to buy their offerings. Moreover, SAS delivers the BI quad play by including content intelligence as the fourth essential component in our communications industry framework.

Case study proves the point
In the final presentation of the day, Brasil Telecom’s Pinheiro described the rapid expansion and intense competition of the mobile market in Brazil. To remain competitive, Brasil Telecom has built data mining models to address the entire customer life cycle. Using these models, Brasil Telecom targets its resources to acquire and retain the best customers in an optimized way. The result has been higher profits, increased sales and reduced churn.

Plan now for next year’s forum
If you would like to present a case study on SAS applications in the communications industry at SAS Global Forum 2008, let us know. Next year the conference moves to San Antonio, Texas. The sun should be bright in San Antonio next March, but even if it isn’t, the future will be bright for SAS programmers inside.

Rob Mattison is a globally recognized expert in the application of business intelligence to telco operations.