SAS to launch data analytics certification programme in Hong Kong

Seeing the rising demand for analytics talent in the city, SAS Hong Kong has introduced the SAS Global Certification Program which is immediately available to people wishing to validate their skills and knowledge in the analytics technology.The programme offers credentials from foundation tools to advanced analytics, business intelligence and analytics, data management and administration. Attendees from different industries can validate their SAS software knowledge and earn industry recognition, enhancing their credibility as technical professionals and increasing their career opportunities and marketability, especially in business intelligence and analytics.Meanwhile, the new SAS Academy for Data Science will open in Hong Kong in the second half of 2016 with a view to cultivating local talent as big data professionals.Wilson Ho (pictured), general manager of SAS Hong Kong said the company has supported various universities and higher education institutes, such as the University of Hong Kong and the City University of Hong Kong, to cultivate the next generation of analytics talents to fill the data science knowledge gap.Ho also shared the emerging analytics trends and new demands for analytics technology across different industries.With a focus on big data analytics products, SAS has expanded its service with the hotel, securities firms and SME sectors.For instance, Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd has recently adopted the SAS Customer Intelligence Suite to understand its hotel guests’ preferences in order to provide them with an exclusive and personalised guest experience on every visit."In today’s hyper-connected environment, it’s crucial for organisations to be able to create a series of outstanding personalised customer experiences at every touch point across multiple channels." ho added.In addition to enhancing customer experiences, as many people eat, live and breathe social media, Ho said big data enables companies to analyse consumers’ digital footprint so as to make better business decisions, "by using social listening or text analytics, you can understand customer sentiment, and identify or even predict trends to adapt and refine plans in real time."