From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon Aug 31 2009 - 09:49:20 EDT
Excerpt: "Five countries – Eritrea, Uganda, Albania, Malawi and Moldova
– have currently received SAS Analytics Pro
http://www.sas.com/technologies/analytics/statistics/analytics-pro/index
.html , and are working with onsite Statistics Norway staffers to
develop the information needed to better meet the needs of their
citizens. Depending on the situation, experts from the Norwegian agency
will remain in those countries for years."
August 31, 2009 07:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SAS® Analytics Help Fight Global Poverty
Statistics Norway Provides Developing Nations SAS® Software to Better
Understand Basic Needs, Justify Aid Requests
CARY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Powerful analytic software might seem a low
priority for deeply impoverished nations, where safe water is scarce and
electricity for computers is unreliable at best. But it could make all
the difference in the world.
Under an innovative program managed by Statistics Norway, Norway's
central agency for official statistics, a growing list of underdeveloped
nations receive software from SAS, the leader in business analytics. The
struggling countries will use advanced SAS Analytics to analyze poverty
statistics and census data for the 2010 World Population and Housing
Census. The software will also generate documentation to support aid
requests from agencies such as the World Bank, International Monetary
Fund, United Nations and others.
“Statistics form a crucial base for governments monitoring and managing
economies, an imperative for efficient resource allocation and decision
making in both private and public sectors,” said Dag Roll-Hansen, Senior
Adviser/Sociologist, Division for Development Cooperation at Statistics
Norway. “Statistics reveal differences and changes in living conditions
and are needed to improve the situation of the poor. Statistical
analysis underpins evidence-based, transparent policy making by
establishing a factual basis for open public debate in the media and in
national decision-making bodies.”
“In short, statistics tell us how successful policies are: whether
maternal mortality will decrease through investment in healthcare;
whether more children attend school when there is an increase in trained
teachers; or whether fewer people starve by the implementation of
agricultural projects. Statistics reveal whether our goals are
achievable and if our strategies are on the right track. They are
essential to improving living conditions in underdeveloped nations,”
said Roll-Hansen.
Five countries – Eritrea, Uganda, Albania, Malawi and Moldova – have
currently received SAS Analytics Pro, and are working with onsite
Statistics Norway staffers to develop the information needed to better
meet the needs of their citizens. Depending on the situation, experts
from the Norwegian agency will remain in those countries for years.
Using SAS software, developing nations can identify their populations’
needs and disseminate the information to appropriate government, public,
private and nonbusiness organizations. The SAS package, which operates
on standard desktop computers, offers a number of relevant features,
including large dataset analysis, poverty mapping, national accounts,
audit trails and other capabilities.
About Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå) is the central Norwegian
office for governmental statistics. Through its international
development division, the agency has cooperated with sister
organizations in developing countries for more than 15 years. Statistics
Norway believes that high-quality statistics contribute to economic
growth, poverty reduction, good governance, democracy building and
international comparability.
About SAS
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the
largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through
innovative solutions delivered within an integrated framework, SAS helps
customers at more than 45,000 sites improve performance and deliver
value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving
customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are
registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and
other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product
names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2009 SAS
Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
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Contacts
SAS
Steve Polilli (US), 919-531-2979
steve.polilli@sas.com
or
Wenche Nielsen (Norway), 47 23 08 30 50
wenche.nielsen@nor.sas.com
Visit the SAS Press Center
www.sas.com/presscenter
At A Glance
SAS
Headquarters: Cary, NC
Website: http://www.sas.com
CEO: James(Jim) Goodnight
Employees: 11,000+
Organization: Private
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