SAS marks 50 years with focus on trusted AI growth

SAS is marking its 50th anniversary as the software company seeks to strengthen its position in today's AI market.

Its history dates to academic research in the 1960s before incorporation in 1976. SAS now works with more than 50,000 customers in over 150 countries, including most of the Fortune 100, across sectors including government, healthcare, financial services and science.

Founded on statistical analysis software, SAS has spent the past five decades expanding into data management, analytics and AI. It has remained debt-free throughout that time while maintaining a customer-focused culture shaped by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jim Goodnight.

In remarks tied to the anniversary, Goodnight linked the company's founding principles to its current AI strategy.

"From the very beginning, our goal was simple: help people make better decisions they can trust," said Jim Goodnight, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SAS. "Technology has changed dramatically over the last 50 years, but our commitment to trust, accountability and respect for people has not. Those principles will continue to guide SAS as we help customers thrive in the next era of data and AI."

The anniversary comes as software suppliers and their customers face growing scrutiny over how AI tools are built, deployed and governed. SAS's current approach centres on its Viya platform and an industry-based model designed to help organisations develop and manage AI systems with transparency and human oversight.

Bryan Harris, the company's Chief Technology Officer, said governance would be central to the next stage of AI adoption.

"The next era of innovation will belong to companies that can combine powerful AI with governance, transparency and accountability," said Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer, SAS. "That's exactly where SAS is focused."

Culture and loyalty

Alongside its technology story, SAS is using the anniversary to highlight its long-standing emphasis on workplace culture. For years, the company has been associated with employee benefits such as subsidised onsite childcare, health and wellness services, and training programmes, reflecting Goodnight's long-held view that how staff are treated is closely tied to customer retention and profitability.

That model drew comment from Jeffrey Pfeffer, author and professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, who has written a case study on the company's workplace culture.

"Jim Goodnight saw the essential fundamental truth that if you took care of your employees, they would take care of the customers, the customers would come back, and you would be profitable. SAS didn't follow workplace culture trends - it defined them," said Jeffrey Pfeffer, Author and Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Stanford University Graduate School of Business. "SAS has a sound foundation because they have always considered the realities of human well-being, and we need more humanity."

Industry analysts said the company's durability is unusual in a sector where many software groups have faded, merged or changed direction several times. SAS has remained privately held and maintained a loyal user base over a long period, which may matter as customers weigh suppliers for sensitive AI and data work.

"Few technology companies can credibly claim 50 years of continuous relevance," said Andy Hayler, CEO, The Information Difference. "SAS has maintained that relevance by consistently evolving its technology while keeping an unusually loyal customer base. This is a quality that is particularly relevant as organisations scale their AI initiatives, which depend heavily on trusted data."

Education roots

The company's academic origins remain central to its identity. SAS works with more than 300 colleges and universities worldwide and highlighted its role in establishing the first Master of Science in Analytics degree at North Carolina State University in 2007, a programme that later became a model for similar courses elsewhere.

It also continues to provide free and low-cost software, digital learning and training resources as part of a broader effort to support data and AI literacy. That educational focus reflects the company's roots in university research and its effort to help build the workforce needed for wider adoption of analytics and AI tools.

Documentary release

As part of the anniversary, SAS has released a documentary tracing its development from a university project into a global software company. The film includes contributions from employees, academics and industry specialists, and examines both the growth of the analytics sector and the role of trust as AI becomes more embedded in business and society.

Goodnight returned to that theme in a further comment on the company's direction.

"The world is entering a new era of data and AI. Our mission remains the same as it was in the beginning," said Goodnight. "Help people make better decisions they can trust."