A Modern, Cost-Effective Alternative to SAS

For the last 45+ years, SAS Institute has “pushed boundaries and redefined what's possible in the world of analytics” with their proprietary platform. But what was once innovative may not be keeping pace with the current rate of technical innovation, especially in light of recent announcements for product end of support.

Announcements like these are received with mixed emotions. On one hand there is the understanding that moving away from a trusted system can be daunting but on the other hand if low-risk, higher value alternative solutions are available and can ensure that your data and operations are seamlessly migrated with minimal disruption, then maybe now is the time to consider alternatives.

Why consider alternatives to SAS?

SAS has long been a staple in the world of analytics, but as technology evolves, so do the tools and platforms that support it. Many organizations are discovering that SAS's proprietary licenses, combined with the costs of maintaining and managing these systems, can be prohibitively expensive. Additionally, some of the software may not be keeping pace with the latest advancements, making it difficult to stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Bottom line, now is a great inflection point to understand that while you have relied on SAS for critical data analysis and business operations, there are modern alternatives available that can offer you:

• Superior performance: modern, cloud-based solutions are designed to handle large volumes of data more efficiently, enabling faster processing times and real-time analytics
• Cost savings: by eliminating the need for expensive proprietary licenses and reducing maintenance costs, your organization can achieve significant savings, freeing up resources for other strategic initiatives
• Future-proof operations: embrace the future of analytics with tools that are continuously updated and supported by a global community of developers and experts

Open-source and intelligent cloud solutions instead of proprietary lockdown or somewhere in between

We now live in a world where innovation happens in real-time and those that can leverage those innovations lead their respective market segments. By leveraging open-source platforms, you can benefit from a community-driven approach that ensures continuous improvement and innovation. Modern open-source solutions are not only more affordable but also offer greater scalability, enhanced security, and a lower total cost of ownership.

A low-code/no-code environment specifically designed to streamline data manipulation and processing tasks also empowers users to handle data operations in a user-friendly, trouble-free environment, allowing for faster and more efficient workflows. With these types of solution, your team can achieve the same, if not better, data processing capabilities without the steep learning curve or high costs associated with traditional SAS products.

As you can imagine, SAS would like you to remain locked to their proprietary solution, so are offering up Viya and the migration alternative. If you are considering a move to SAS Viya, then you should also consider an open and honest assessment of the challenges you might encounter with this platform. It is important to note that over 80% of SAS processing is focused on data manipulation. While SAS Viya offers an updated interface and capabilities, it still involves a significant investment in licensing and infrastructure and also has a number of documented limitations on content migration.

By evaluating platforms that are designed to offer a seamless transition from SAS 9.4, you will gain the benefit of a gateway to open-source technologies and a more modern approach to data analytics. You can also decide on a hybrid approach that involves Viya plus a new open-source intelligent cloud approach. Ultimately you should choose a migration strategy that can integrate into your existing workflows, allowing you to maintain operational continuity while modernizing your analytics capabilities.

Flexible migration options

The good news is that you don’t have to “eat the elephant with one bite.” There are several approaches for consideration depending on your level of risk tolerance balanced with your desire for realized benefits and competitive advantage. A few to consider include:

• Subset Migration: Start small by migrating a specific part of your workflow to an open-source, no-code intelligent cloud-based solution. This allows you to test the waters, gain confidence in the new system, and see immediate benefits without a full-scale commitment.
• Future Work Enablement: Select a new project or data analytics task for initial open-source, no-code intelligent cloud enablement, gradually increasing their role in your operations. This approach ensures that your future work is aligned with modern, open-source technology.
• Complete Migration: For those ready to fully embrace the future of data analytics, take advantage of comprehensive services to migrate all your operations from SAS 9.4 to an open-source, no-code intelligent cloud-based solution. Working with an experienced partner will ensure a seamless transition, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.

A modern, cost-effective SAS alternative

UBIX delivers a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and reinforcement learning solution which has captured the attention of decision makers who desire to make sense of data in ways that were never thought possible and explore the benefits of modernizing their analytics infrastructure. UBIX, along with our partners Kyndryl and Qualex Consulting Services delivers on the promise of an open-source intelligent cloud-based solution as a modern, cost-effective SAS alternative.

Open source, no-code solutions like UBIX can also coexist with SAS Viya, providing a flexible branch that allows you to continue transitioning away from SAS over time. This coexistence enables organizations to gradually migrate their workflows, testing and adapting as needed, while still leveraging the investments made in SAS Viya. Additionally, UBIX can consume native SAS datasets directly, making the integration seamless and ensuring that your existing data assets are fully utilized.

If you would like an easy way to come up to speed, then we would like to offer you a free eBook titled “5 Steps to AI Business Transformation Success” to help better understand the nuances of emerging AI concepts and technologies and offer a set of best practices for consideration to ensure digital transformation and business-led AI success. Or if you can spare 22 minutes for a mini–AI Readiness Workshop, you can contact one of our AI experts today.