CARY, NC, July 22, 2008 -– SAS, the leader in business intelligence and predictive analytics, is helping retailers squeeze more profits out of valuable display space with the latest version of its space planning software, SAS® Space Planning 5.11. The software, which combines better overall, store-specific layouts with convenient placement of the most desired products, helps deliver dramatic improvements to financial performance. A new 3-D graphics engine enhances a store planner’s efforts to create the ideal customer shopping experience in each specific store.

“Effective retail space planning is the lynchpin between assortment planning and execution,” said Alexi Sarnevitz, Senior Director of Retail Strategy for SAS. “Accurate product space allocations enhance results by reducing stockouts, driving inventory productivity and reducing operating costs.”

SAS Space Planning 5.11 enables and integrates two processes: macro planning of category space assignments and micro space planning of shelf assortments. The integration helps ensure optimal store space allocations at all hierarchy levels from department to individual shelf facings. When deployed with sister product SAS Space Optimizer, this scalable solution allows planners to automatically generate ideal store-specific planograms. A planogram is a diagram of fixtures and products illustrating how and where to display products to increase sales.

Important enhancements built into SAS Space Planning 5.11 include:

* New 3-D graphics engine that enables more realistic planogram views.

* Enhanced vertical blocking of related product groups to help retailers deliver a more convenient shopping experience

* Improved automation to facilitate more efficient assortment changes

* Enhanced reporting from a new report generator and improved planogram content formatting For more information about SAS Place Planning 5.11, visit www.sas.com/industry/retail/merchandise/spaceplanning/factsheet.pdf or contact Sandy Defelice at 617-513-3710 or Sandy.Defelice@sas.com.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business intelligence and analytical software and services. Customers at more than 44,000 sites use SAS software to improve performance through insight from data, resulting in faster, more accurate business decisions; more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; compliance with governmental regulations; research breakthroughs; and better products and processes. Only SAS offers leading data integration, storage, analytics and business intelligence applications within a comprehensive enterprise intelligence platform. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know® .