SPSS Releases New Version of SPSS Data Entry

Success in today's information-driven world requires accurate, timely data. SPSS Data Entry 3.0, the latest version of the survey design and data collection software from SPSS Inc, can help organizations quickly and securely gather the information they need. SPSS Data Entry 3.0 features a new architecture which delivers faster processing times, better Web performance, increased security and multi-platform availability. The software is currently shipping worldwide.

SPSS Data Entry's new design makes it a fully Web- and network-enabled survey software package. On the Web, all of the processing work is performed on the server, which allows surveys to download to a browser much more quickly. Respondents do not need to download a Java applet before filling out either a simple survey or one with sophisticated validation and "skip and fill" rules, saving even more time. Additionally, SPSS Data Entry can now share the workload of large surveys across multiple servers, speeding up processing time and making more efficient use of IT resources. "SPSS Data Entry 3.0 is the latest step in SPSS' strategy to offer Web-friendly versions of our products," said Marcus Hearne, SPSS marketing manager. "Following in the footsteps of software such as SmartViewer Web Server, SigmaPlot and WhatIf? Web Server, SPSS Data Entry takes full advantage of the scope and speed of the Web to quickly develop and deploy high-quality surveys."

"SPSS Data Entry integrates seamlessly with SPSS, our flagship data analysis software and SmartViewer Web Server, our deployment product, to create a complete data collection, analysis and report distribution solution," said Hearne. "SPSS Data Entry's rules and variable settings clean and prepare survey data so that it is immediately ready for analysis in SPSS. For researchers who want to be updated regularly, this means that SPSS' scheduled reports can generate automatic summaries of survey results."

Additional new features of SPSS Data Entry 3.0 include:

• Improved HTML export capabilities -- SPSS Data Entry Builder offers more control over the design of surveys to be deployed on the Web. The "Preview HTML" command enables users to preview a survey in a Web browser so they see exactly what respondents will see.
• SSL security for online surveys -- SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server can deploy secure online surveys when coupled with a third-party SSL encryption certificate. While an SSL certificate is not included with SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server, the software is fully compatible with SSL security technology.
• Prevention of online ballot stuffing -- SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server can place a cookie on respondents' machines which will prevent multiple survey submissions. This option can be disabled in instances where authorized users will be completing multiple surveys (for example, remote entry of completed paper surveys).
• Multiple platform support -- SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server is currently available for Windows NT/2000 servers. Solaris, Linux, HP-UX and AIX server versions are expected in the second quarter of 2001. The SPSS Data Entry family of products, which includes everything needed to administer a survey from design to deployment to data entry, consists of SPSS Data Entry Builder, SPSS Data Entry Station and SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server. SPSS Data Entry Builder enables users to create custom survey forms, enter data and check for accuracy through the use of rules. These rules -- such as validation, skip and fill and checking -- ensure the accuracy of data and can be used in Web-based forms and surveys.

Once created, questionnaires can be printed and filled out by hand, answered online in a browser or completed on-screen by operators using SPSS Data Entry Station. SPSS Data Entry Station gives organizations that administer large numbers of paper- or phone-based surveys a low-cost data entry tool and is useful for respondents who are connected to a network but not to the Internet.

SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server stores all data, no matter how it is collected, in a central location where it is immediately ready for analysis with SPSS Base. Special filters called extensions can customize how cases are handled when they are received by SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server. For example, extensions can check cases for a specific condition and route them to different data sources based on the test condition.

Additional information about SPSS Data Entry can be found at www.spss.com/dataentry or by calling 800-543-2185.

Minimum System Requirements SPSS Data Entry Builder and SPSS Data Entry Station:

• Pentium-class processor
• Microsoft Windows 95/98/2000/NT 4.0
• 16 MB RAM
• 25 MB hard drive space (more is recommended for large questionnaires)
• 256 color graphics support SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server:
• Pentium-class 400Mhz processor
• Windows NT Server 4.0
• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM recommended)
• 25 MB hard drive space (more is recommended for large questionnaires)
• 256 color graphics support

Web browser support

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Netscape Navigator 4.0

Pricing

North American commercial list prices for perpetual licenses are $1,999 for SPSS Data Entry Builder, $299 for SPSS Data Entry Station and $9,999 for SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server. Academic, upgrade and multiple unit pricing is available. SPSS Data Entry Builder and SPSS Data Entry Station can be purchased online at www.spss.com/store; SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server can be purchased by calling 800-543-2185.

About SPSS Inc

SPSS Inc enables organizations to develop more profitable customer relationships by providing analytical solutions that discover what customers want and predict what they will do. The company delivers analytical solutions at the intersection of customer relationship management and business intelligence. SPSS analytical solutions integrate and analyze market, customer and operational data in key vertical markets worldwide including: telecommunications, health care, banking, finance, insurance, manufacturing, retail, consumer packaged goods, market research and the public sector.

Headquartered in Chicago, SPSS has more than 40 offices, over 1,300 employees and 2000 pro forma revenues of $198 million. The company also has received the following honors: No. 77 on Forbes 2000 list of the "200 Best Small Companies" and No. 12 on the 2000 DM Review 100; placed No. 16 on the 2000 Soft·letter 100, a ranking of the top 100 personal computer software companies in the United States; and No. 115 in the 2000 Software 500, a ranking of the world's largest software vendors by Software Magazine; listed on Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" for 2000. For more information, visit www.spss.com.