LOCKHEED MARTIN SLS AND SAS INSTITUTE JUDGED BEST IN INTRANETS PLUS DATA WAREHOUSING & BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

SAS Institute Inc., a market leader in integrated data warehousing and decision support, has announced that a panel of 21 industry-wide judges has identified Lockheed Martin Astronautics Space Launch Systems (SLS) number one in Intranet Development. The application is a data warehouse project used to achieve manufacturing schedule dependability and project management for building Titan rockets.

The SAS(R) software-based Warehouse on the Web (WOW) application is a data warehouse that is distributed via the Lockheed Martin intranet. The award was presented in New York by PC Week magazine and Technology Managers Forum International.

According to Eric Lundquist, PC Week editor-in-chief, Lockheed Martin SLS was selected because it achieved fantastic results. "Lockheed Martin estimated nine months to convert from their previous system; the process actually took only three! Also, their `What-if scenarios' were reduced from 40 days to two hours. The SAS software application allows Lockheed Martin to say, `yes we can make those schedules,' and, `yes we can be within our budgets,' based on the information they now can easily access."

In summing up the benefits, Art Rerecich, Project Group Leader for the Decision Support Systems division, Lockheed Martin Astronautics SLS, says, "We use the SAS software application to make data from diverse operational systems available in a consistent fashion and to provide an integrated solution for the entire process of data warehousing -- one that encompasses everything from back-end access, to legacy systems, to front-end decision support and business intelligence capabilities."

Jim Davis, SAS Institute program manager for data warehousing, said, "Lockheed Martin uses SAS software as a data warehouse-driven decision-support solution that uncovers critical, often hidden business trends. This capability is a major driving factor behind the growth of SAS Institute. With customer impact like this, it's understandable why SAS Institute is the leader in integrated data warehousing and decision support."

Sponsored by PC WEEK and Technology Managers Forum International, the Best Practice Awards Program recognizes quality achievements in technology management that provide a competitive advantage to the business environment. The term "Best Practice" denotes a standard of excellence that has been achieved within an organization and refers to a process that can be quantified, adapted and repeated. In 1998, awards were given in seven categories: Website: Best Vehicle for Conducting Commerce; Return on Investment: Best Rate of Payoff and Speed of ROI; Technology Innovation; Business Process Improvement; Intranet Development: Best Use of Web Technologies to Link Business Systems; Year 2000; and Help Desk.

Established in 1994, Technology Managers Forum International is a professional association of technology managers working in large organizations. Its mission is to encourage and support the professionalism of its members and give collective voice to corporate buying concerns. Technology Managers Forum conducts professional development seminars; publishes position papers; holds two conferences a year; and sponsors a Corporate Advisory Board program for technology providers.

For more information on SAS Institute, see http://www.sas.com/