In the world of technology, 2011 is unremarkable in some ways. As with every year, there are hot trends – hype, buzzwords and “must-have” technologies. Some might even assign analytics to the trending category this year.

2011 marks the 35th anniversary of the founding of SAS. For the past 35 years, SAS has pioneered what is now a hot market – a healthy blend of data management, business intelligence and, of course, analytics. To SAS, analytics are not a trend. The application of analytics is how we solve significant business challenges – period.

Throughout 2011 and beyond, SAS will continue to pioneer efforts in the analytics space. How? The plan is to listen. We are listening to our customers and those representing all types of organizations, large and small. We are reaching out to hear how they are using analytics to cope and to compete in today’s market.

Our outreach program is called The SAS Power Series - a 3-pronged initiative comprised of robust research by Bloomberg Businessweek, a wide range of live events offered to all, and an online community to keep you abreast of everything related to analytics.

So consider this an all-call. We want to hear from you, and there are several ways for you to plug-in to The SAS Power Series.

Be Heard!

Help us learn more about your experiences with the real-world application of analytics. Participate in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ongoing survey initiatives throughout the year. Take the current survey now to tell us how analytics are used to aid in decision making at your organization.

Let’s Collaborate!

Schedule time to attend one of our live events. Review the series schedules to find the ideal fit and location for you. At all events, you will join a group of peers to discuss successes and challenges. Some events are facilitated by graphic artists for an interactive and memorable experience that you will not want to miss. Choose from the following options:

1. Executive Forums are ideal for VP and C-levels.
2. Collaborative Forums are ideal for senior managers through directors.
3. Hands-on Workshops are ideal for data and technical professionals through directors.
4. The Applying Business Analytics Webinar Series is perfect if you can’t swing leaving the office. Learn about a new business topic each month.

All Things Analytics

Stay tune to learn more about a new online community, All Analytics, where you'll be able to register to participate and can keep track of the latest happenings around analytics. Participants will be able to:

1. Read expert blogs on the areas of data management, BI and analytics.
2. Get IT and business perspectives on trending topics.
3. Chat with community peers.

You will also be able to track the full schedule of The SAS Power Series activities at this site, so check back here on June 30 for more information about this community when it goes live.

Socialize the Idea

This won’t be the last you hear about The SAS Power Series, particularly if you follow us on our various social channels including Twitter (@sasanalytics, @sassoftware) and Facebook. We also hope you’ll follow and contribute to our latest addition on Twitter, #allanalytics.