Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:38:23 -0600
Reply-To: ViAnn Beadle <vab88011@gmail.com>
Sender: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: ViAnn Beadle <vab88011@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: PASW: Where is SPSS going?
In-Reply-To: <7.0.1.0.2.20090804111414.0678b2d0@mindspring.com>
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Predictive Analytics typically provides techniques which provide predictions
about people's behavior. The techniques are suited to massive datasets and
relatively messy data (think data mining). Among them are classification
trees or logistic regression used to build scoring models for things like
propensity to buy, propensity to default on a loan, propensity to commit tax
fraud; and association models for market basket analysis which determine
offers for cross-selling, book suggestions in Amazon, Netflix
recommendations, etc.
An important component of any software suite in this area is a scoring
engine and all the glue required to provide a real-time score. A typical
fully integrated solution will cost more than a $M.
Plug "predictive analytics" into a Google search. You'll get about 800,000
hits. Also look at the kdnuggets web site for more information.
-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Richard Ristow
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 10:21 AM
To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: PASW: Where is SPSS going?
So it's now "predictive analytic software"
From SPSS's promotional descriptions, 'predictive analytics' sounds
like some is specialized predictive techniques; from the
descriptions, I can't see what these are.
Does anybody on the list do what SPSS, Inc., refers to as predictive
analytic projects? What problems are encompassed under this
description, and what techniques? If you do predictive analytic, what
are the steps in such a project - needs? data? models? presentation?
Now, I worry, and perhaps many of us worry, about this change in
SPSS's self-description. For these thirty years or so, I've used
SPSS, and taught it, as powerful and flexible, for data preparation
and analysis for a wide range of statistical problems. That's what
the membership and traffic on this list feels like.
I'm sympathetic with SPSS, Inc. It's much easier to market a product
if you say, 'It does this thing, and this is what that thing will do
for you', than to say, 'this is a very flexible product for a whole
lot of things.' Some of the analysts, and anybody consulting on
statistical problems, wants the latter; but most managers don't.
But, if SPSS, Inc., is emphasizing one class of its applications, its
other features will eventually be neglected. That's just about a law.
So, should the rest of us, most of us on the list, make definite
plans to migrate from SPSS? How quickly? Would it be easier for SPSS,
Inc., if we did?
-With regards and concern,
Richard
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