SAS unveils social network analysis tool

Business analytics firm SAS has unveiled a Social Network Analysis tool that it claims can help companies uncover hidden relationships between individuals and data.

SAS said that the software will allow organisations to monitor negative comments that spread quickly through social web sites, damaging brand names and affecting business.

The tool will help investigators go beyond transaction and customer views to analyse all related activities and relationships within a network, including shared addresses, phone numbers, employment information, account ownership and other transactional data, SAS said.

The firm added that the software will be particularly useful for businesses needing to undercover fraud techniques.

"Once they identify a suspicious individual, investigators need a quick and accurate way to discover that person's networks," said John Brocklebank, SAS Solutions OnDemand vice president. "SAS Social Network Analysis provides this important ability."