SAS Selects Fatbrain.com to Expand SW Documentation

SAS Institute, one of the world's largest privately held software companies, has selected Fatbrain.com to expand the market reach for SAS software documentation.

More than 3.5 million SAS customers in 110 countries can now visit the Fatbrain.com Web site to easily find, purchase and receive SAS software documentation in hard copy or digital PDF format.

The move is the latest by SAS Publishing, a new business unit developed within the company's Publications Division, to increase the presence of SAS software titles within the publishing industry. SAS Publishing is also partnering with companies such as John Wiley & Sons and Borders Books and Music Cafe to increase the availability of books published by SAS.

SAS Publishing implemented Fatbrain.com's solution for printing, warehousing, marketing, selling and distributing the company's software documentation. This solution supplements SAS Publishing's in-house, online bookstore accessible at www.sas.com.

"We found that Fatbrain.com's established sales base could broaden our market for SAS publications," said Kathy Council, SAS' vice president for publications. "And with Fatbrain.com's proven secure digital publishing technology we are able to offer our customers their SAS publications in hard copy format or digitally, an important option in today's e-world."

Fatbrain.com provides a one-stop destination for the most up-to-date SAS software documentation titles, recommended readings and related knowledge resources, all of which can be ordered online using Fatbrain.com's e-commerce capability. SAS software documentation can be delivered as a digital PDF file via Fatbrain.com's secure digital publishing technology, or in hard copy format using Fatbrain.com's print-on-demand infrastructure.

In addition, Fatbrain.com announced it has developed a co-branded online information store for SAS that provides a customized, intranet-based method for SAS employees to quickly and easily order professional books and resources specific to their needs. The online information store is expected to save SAS time and money by streamlining the procurement process and integrating seamlessly within existing network infrastructures.

About Fatbrain.com

Fatbrain.com is the leader in managing, marketing and distributing information for businesses. Today, the company's Web-based services reach more than 2.5 million employee desktops at more than 350 of the Fortune 1000 corporations worldwide. Fatbrain.com's easy-to-use, comprehensive solutions deliver valuable corporate information in print and/or digital form. Last year, the company was named the second fastest-growing public company in Silicon Valley. Visit Fatbrain.com on the Web at www.fatbrain.com.

About SAS

SAS Institute, one of the world's largest privately held software companies, is a leader in decision support and data warehousing, providing integrated enterprise information-delivery solutions and e-business solutions. The company markets packaged business solutions for vertical industry and departmental applications, as well as an integrated suite of software tools and consulting services. These allow companies to transform the wide variety of data within their organizations into information that business users and researchers need to make better decisions. SAS software and services are used at more than 33,000 business, government, and university sites in 110 countries. SAS' 1999 revenues totaled $1.02 billion.

About SAS Publishing

SAS Publishing provides a complete selection of books and electronic products to help customers use SAS software to its fullest potential. SAS Publishing meets all the information needs of new and experienced users in an array of delivery methods, including e-books, CD-ROM, hard-copy books, and Web-based training. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, all books and products are developed and reviewed by technical experts. Partnerships with outside authors, other publishers, and distributors ensure that a variety of products are available from a variety of sources to meet the needs of users worldwide.

Contact SAS, John Dornan, 919-677-8000, x5234, John.Dornan@sas.com.