The partnership ensures dedicated resources from the two companies that will enable faster implementation of pan-European projects.  Business & Decision will have access to beta versions of SAS software, as well as SAS' on-line partner resource network.

"We believe that this extension of our existing relationship with the leading business intelligence vendor and the leader in analytical customer relationship management will enable us to satisfy the needs of multi-national customers throughout EMEA," says Ian Huckle, Alliance Manager for EMEA of Business & Decision and CEO of UK operation.

"Business & Decision's heritage is specifically business intelligence and customer relationship management and this puts them in an excellent position to ensure our joint customers gain swift return on investment from SAS solutions," says Matthew Mikell, Director of Channels and Alliances, SAS International.  He also adds, "The partnership furthers the expansion of the SAS practice within Business & Decision, which has become one of the largest BI specialists in Europe."

About SAS:

SAS is the market leader in providing a new generation of business intelligence software and services that create true enterprise intelligence. SAS solutions are used at more than 39,000 sites - including 90 percent of the Fortune 500 - to develop more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; to enable better, more accurate and informed decisions; and to drive organizations forward. SAS is the only vendor that completely integrates leading data warehousing, analytics and traditional BI applications to create intelligence from massive amounts of data. For more than 25 years, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know^®.

Visit us at www.sas.com.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Copyright © 2003 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.

About Business & Decision:

Founded in 1992 and listed on Euronext's "Nouveau Marche" since February 2001 (Isin code: FR000078958), Business & Decision is a European consulting Group specialising in Business Intelligence, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and e-Business.  The Group works with clients to implement systems to improve control over results and operations, increase profits by controlling costs, understand and manage customer profitability (sales force automation, call centres, campaign management, analytical CRM) and Web development (portals, ecommerce, eprocurement, LDAP directories).

Business & Decision's has in excess of 650 employees working on a comprehensive project basis, providing services ranging from consultancy to IT realisation.  The company has a reputation among leading software providers for functional and technological expertise and has formed partnership with the majority of the larger software companies operating within its area of expertise.  Business & Decision currently has more than 550 clients and works with 95% of the companies quoted on the French "CAC40" index.

Visit us at www.businessdecision.com

Editorial Contacts:

SAS

Frances Bell

Tel: 00 49 6221 4160

Email: frances.bell@eur.sas.com

www.sas.com/newsroom

Business & Decision

Thierry Moncoutié

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 21 21 25

Email: tmoncoutie@businessdecision.com

www.businessdecision.com/Index_gb.htm