This year, Las Vegas played host to SAS Explore, an incredible gathering of developers, data scientists, engineers, programmers and more.
In true Las Vegas fashion, the opening session brought all the glitz, immersing attendees in everything SAS offers. With a particular focus on SAS enthusiasts and users, day one featured exciting announcements, live demos, engaging breakout sessions and captivating keynote speakers.
Jared Peterson, Senior Vice President of Research and Development, welcomed SAS users from around the world and gave them a sneak peek into all they can look forward to over the three-day event. New products, tools and improvements are just a few things users can expect to learn about hands-on while at SAS Explore.
"You are going to see things that didn’t exist nine months ago," Petersen told the crowd. "We are innovating in ways that might surprise you.”
What’s new for SAS users?
Petersen welcomed Chief Technology Officer Bryan Harris to discuss who SAS is today and our values. Harris outlined the three big things users need to be on the lookout for, two of which are new SAS products:
- Viya Workbench: A lightweight development environment that allows users to code quickly in a cloud-native and secure way. Viya Workbench will be available in Q1 2024 and is primarily for developers and data scientists looking to code quickly.
- SAS App Factory: Also launching in Q1 2024. App Factory is a rapid application development environment to build fit-for-purpose, AI-driven applications to simplify the integration of models into applications.
- Generative AI (GAI): Arguably the hottest topic within the technology sector right now and for good reason. Harris broke down the delivery of AI capabilities into two groups: creators and consumers. For creators, SAS will use GAI to enhance productivity gains across the AI and analytics lifecycle. For consumers, SAS will use GAI to deliver value with industry solutions.
"SAS will be the leader in generating tangible business value with generative AI, so you can be more productive and ultimately innovate faster," Harris said.
SAS’ vision for Generative AI
Moving forward, SAS is determined to provide correct and transparent answers with supporting information regarding our products and when using AI. Today’s environment demands that organizations are outcome-driven and SAS plans to be just that.
The Viya ecosystem constantly evolves to meet needs and promote coding, collaboration and creation through tools like Viya Workbench and SAS App Factory.
Laughing at the "smart" revolution
Comedian Don McMillan hilariously ended the opening day session with his wit and take on the proliferation of "smart" everything. From smartphones that are smarter than their owners to smart homes that seem to outwit their occupants, McMillan's humor dove into the digital age of modern technology.
He blended clever wordplay and spot-on observations, pointing out the comedy of everyday life where even our underwear and appliances are in on the "smart" trend.
Keeping the curiosity going
As the day one opening session closed, attendees were off to the Innovation Hub, where they experienced more than 40 booths with swag, food and games and more than 70 demo stations to get down and dirty with SAS products.
Attendees also had the opportunity to sit in on their choice from more than 170 breakout sessions.
