Johannesburg, 07 Aug 2017
Why would you ask Universities of Africa prefer IBM SPSS software? In the world of user-friendly, yet powerful statistical software there is fierce competition to win the hearts of the intellects. In the race to satisfy not only statisticians, but data scientists also, in both academia and industry, a number of statistical programs have been born, and their growth is staggering. IBM SPSS Statistics, a long-time favourite, has won the peoples vote followed in hot pursuit by SAS and R. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various programs which influence software decisions for enterprises and government organisations.
IBM SPSS Statistics
There are numerous advantages to choosing IBM SPSS Statistics. Firstly, it doesn't create a high barrier for beginners, whilst still offering a range of complexities for the more advanced user. For the beginner the software offers quick and easy deployment without the need for coding knowledge, allowing them to focus on the statistical analysis resulting from the built in functionality. Unlike some statistical packages that rely heavily on syntax to run, IBM SPSS Statistics is comparatively user friendly with a logical interface and drop down menus. However, as the user becomes more advanced the software offers more advanced options where the user can build his or her own statistical models using IBM SPSS Statistics syntax, R or Python. So essentially, anything that one can do in R or Python can be done within IBM SPSS Statistics too.
IBM SPSS Statistics has the drawback of price, however the cost is justified by the unparalleled support by an experienced technical team at OLSPS Analytics, should you opt to obtain your licence through them. The basic version of IBM SPSS Statistics doesn't come with the user friendly dashboard and so the data visualization capabilities in IBM SPSS Statistics can be limiting. However, this can be addressed by purchasing the software through OLSPS Analytics who offers value added packages, such as built in visualisation dashboards.
Reasons Statisticians choose statistical computing and graphics language R
R is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The biggest plus for R is that it is absolutely free. It is a software environment where the user would need to get to grips on coding, however there is a lot of community based forums that offer free, online help. Furthermore, R is transparent as all the algorithms used in R procedures are open to public. R coding is generally very concise; a few lines in R can equate to a few hundred in SAS (not always the case). The last big advantage of R is that it has some great integrated graphic tools and online reporting is made easy with the help of the shiny package.
The main drawback of R is that is has been designed for the techies out there. R can only become powerful once the user is comfortable with the script, syntax, and commands within R. Those who are more comfortable with GUI based software should rather opt for other software, such as IBM SPSS Statistics.
Reasons Universities preferred to use SAS and SPSS
SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics have similar functionality, however SAS is the more cumbersome option that has a longer learning curve, and is generally more suited for business intelligence solutions. Most universities worldwide incorporate both software programs within their undergraduate programs. Typically students would first be exposed to IBM SPSS Statistics due to its user friendly interface, after which SAS is brought into the classroom. The two programs were originally designed for different purposes, and so a user's field of research may influence their software choice. IBM SPSS Statistics was originally developed for social science and has an amazing capability to deal with nonparametric designs. On the other hand, SAS is more suitable for controlled, experimental designs.
SAS has its strong points too though. As a code based program it is one of the more easy software packages to get to grips with. It's easy to debug the code as it will throw an error message which is usually comprehensible. Lastly, SAS is easily integrated into data warehouse environments.
The main drawback to SAS is the price tag. SAS is one of the most expensive analytical tools which does damper its' attractiveness. Furthermore, should the user require further functionality, such as Time Series Forecasting, Text Mining and Machine Learning algorithms they would need to purchase additional SAS modules.
Further discussion around IBM SPSS Statistics and its' support
Universities tend to opt for IBM SPSS Statistics for a number of reasons, but especially because of its ease of use and scalability. The user friendly interface of IBM SPSS Statistics allows beginners to focus on the science rather than on software functionality. To address the pricing issue, OLSPS Analytics has recently entered into a contract with IBM. The agreement allows OLSPS Analytics to sell the software to universities within Africa at an unbeatable price.
OLSPS Analytics, formerly the legacy provider of IBM SPSS Statistics in South Africa, has many years of expertise and experience working with the IBM SPSS Software suite, which translates into a very strong technical support team. When licences are purchased through OLSPS Analytics a support package is included at no extra cost. Users get technical support during office hours (8am-5pm GMT+2, Monday to Friday), by email or telephone.
Over and above that, the company made IBM SPSS software for academics in Africa more user friendly than ever before. OLSPS Analytics boasts a highly qualified team of data scientists who have over the years continuously been developing a multitude of value add features to the software, all which come free when licences are purchased from OLSPS Analytics. These additional capabilities within the IBM SPSS Statistics software includes: R Integrations and package installer, Med-Couple Mean, Hodrick-Prescott filtering for Econometrics, IBM SPSS Statistics Data Library, and the "Statistics consultant" (currently in development) integrated functionality to enable the generation of interpretive reports from user output.
Furthermore, our team of highly skilled trainers offer free on-site training with every licence purchased. The training team would typically travel to the university and host a workshop to ensure the software is installed correctly, and upskill all concerned parties.
In conclusion, with the years of experience, value add features, a strong training team, and unbeatable prices it is clear why IBM SPSS Statistics provided by OLSPS Analytics is the preferred statistical software for all African universities.
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