"SAS' success in this sector is in no small part the result of a fundamentally analytic orientation that focuses on delivering actionable customer intelligence," says Robert Blumstein, research director, CRM Analytics and Marketing Applications at IDC.

These dimensions include: ad management/placement, lead qualification/distribution, brand management, list management, campaign execution, marketing resource management, campaign planning and management, media and analyst relations, collateral management/distribution, personalization, database marketing, primary research, direct marketing, reactivation, electronic catalog, up-sell and cross-sell programs, event/trade show management, Web activity analysis, focus groups/media testing, Web advertising, and fulfillment status linkage.