SPSS SmartScore for Predicting Customer Behavior

Companies can now be one step ahead of their customers, thanks to new technology from data mining specialist, SPSS. The company has just announced SmartScore, a software package that allows companies to score customers according to their propensity to buy a specific product. It works by analysing existing models of customer behavior, and predicting how the individual might behave, based upon the real-time actions of similar customers. The package is XML-based, allowing customised interactions across all channels, including the Web.

"Companies are under increasing pressure to know and adapt their interactions with customers as new information comes in every day," said Chi Tang, marketing manager at SPSS. "Whatever the point of contact, whether it is via the high street, on the phone, over the Internet - or more importantly, through a combination of channels - companies need to understand what their customers are likely to do. A real time solution like SmartScore is ideal for this."

Additional examples of how SmartScore can be used include:

• Online promotional offerings - SmartScore can be used to deliver real-time promotional offers geared toward the distinct characteristics of Web site visitors
• Fraud detection - to help protect against fraud, companies can use SmartScore to compare potential new customers or existing customers against profiles of prior cases of abuse
• Risk prevention - SmartScore can be used to instantly identify risk, such as credit, insurance or health risk, based on actual, historical customer or patient data

SmartScore is a collection of Java class files that offer an A-PI (Application Programming Interface) to parse scoring models, accept a case record and provide a score result. SmartScore APIs support the following development languages: JAVA, VisualBasic (OCX), C++ and C.

SmartScore system requirements include Windows 9x, NT, 10MB hard disk space, 64MB RAM and Sun Java Virtual Machine v1.2X

About SPSS

SPSS is a world-wide provider of solutions for discovering what customers want and predicting what they will do. The company is at the intersection of the business intelligence and customer relationship management markets. It uses its analytical expertise and technology in data mining, business performance measurement, and market intelligence to enable its customers to interact with their customers more profitably.

SPSS was ranked No. 70 on Forbes 1999 list of the '200 best small companies' and designated the 22nd most profitable company on the Nasdaq Exchange by Equities magazine.

Founded in 1968, the company has more than 40 offices, over 900 employees and 1999 revenues of $141 million. Headquartered in Chicago, SPSS has offices and distributors around the world. For more information, visit www.spss.com.

Contact Chi Tang, SPSS +44 (0)1483 719 238, chispss.co.uk