SAS has recently created the SAS Data Management Ecosystem Partner program.  These complementary technology partners will help fill a gap where a SAS product or solution does not provide a specific connectivity or functionality for our customers.

As you collect requirements from customers consider how a SAS Data Management Ecosystem Partner might help provide connectivity to a niche or non-SAS Access specific source.  SAS Partners can benefit through:

• Streamlined data collection by removing unnecessary landing of data.
• A more complete environment that specifically addresses each source of the customers data.
• Preventing objections to the proposed solution by not having perceived technology gaps.
• Collecting more complete metadata and lineage to help customers document a successful solution or implementation.

The SAS Data Management Growth Initiative signed up three ecosystem partners in the area of third party data access, Cdata Software, Progress Software and Simba Technologies.  By using these technologies in conjunction with SAS/Access it gives SAS customers additional reach into an array of data sources for which SAS does not have specific SAS/Access capabilities such as cloud and niche applications that are important to our customers.  Two additional ecosystem partners, MemSQL and Yellowbrick, were also signed to support these emerging storage technologies where our customers were asking for support on how to access through SAS.   These ecosystem relationships may also serve as a first step for tighter future integration with SAS.  The program also allows for cross promotion of  SAS working with these technologies and demonstrate them integrating with SAS.

New Ecosystem Partners will continue to be added and can be found in the SAS partner directory under Data Management. If you have questions about SAS Ecosystem Partners, email Rob.Kulasenski@sas.com.