The problem of IT departments involvement in every Business Intelligence process truly is common, therefore the authors of newer and newer solutions do their best to ensure as much as possible can be done by end users themselves. So it is to IBM SPSS Modeler, an interesting benchmark for versatile data and text analytics. While supporting accurate and precise predictive models, IBM SPSS Modeler solution is fully intuitive and - therefore - does not require the IT involvement in model building process. It shortens the time needed and facilitates the usage.

IBM SPSS Modeler key features

• Intuitive interface which turns data mining into a quick and easy process. Thank to well developed interface, you can quickly and effectively reorganize data from multiple sources into hierarchized structures readable and easily understandable in the future.
• Deeper insight followed with more accurate predictions based on data originating from different sources including systems, databases, flat files, and spreadsheets (IBM SPSS Statistics, Microsoft Excel files, and SAS files).
• Wide choice of differentiated analytical options. State of the art algorithms, automated data preparing and visualizing options are enabled.
• Truly usable models and predictions for decision making departments. Call center staff, customer facing staff, and websites - all these can be managed within IBM SPSS Modeler.
• Easy access to all the capabilities from within a unified interface. No matter what capability you need, whether it's predicting, testing or reporting, you have one dashboard which you can perform each action from.
• Full integration with Cognos and Infosphere Warehouse helps not only analyzing the current situation, but also supports making reasonable predictions for the future.

Professional, Premium, and Server

The IBM SPSS Modeler suite can be purchased as Professional or Premium edition. Basically, the difference between them applies to complexity. IBM SPSS Professional contains the tools usable for leveraging structured data (behavior and interaction tracking within CRM system, sales data, demographic). Then, the IBM SPSS Modeler Premium includes everything what Professional version does, followed with some extensions. Basically, the extensions consider the question of transforming unstructured data into structured, text into information. They're data mining benchmark which allows to focus on the most important side of each part of data.

The third is IBM SPSS Modeler Server being sold together with each of the two - Professional and Premium - editions. The Server is responsible for keeping client/server architecture on required high level of performance and scalability. Supports in-database mining, batch processing, and SQL pushback as well.

IBM SPSS Modeler resources

http://www.spss.com/software/modeler/ - a subpage of producer's website, where all "official" information about IBM SPSS Modeler is included. A full overview, detailed features, changes introduced into the newest edition, and system requirements - that's all what one could consider useful, followed there with a few interesting white papers and demos available after a registration, though.

http://www.enherent.com/userfiles/IBM%20SPSS%20Modeler%20Data%20Sheet.pdf - here is a data sheet devoted to the newest stable release of IBM SPSS Modeler software. Beside a few words of introduction, mostly the instances are included, therefore it's quite a good source of knowledge for the ones who want to have everything at one place, without a need for diving into hundreds of pages of superfluous stories.

http://jtonedm.com/2010/05/19/first-look-ibmspss-decision-management-and-modele/ - here's the first impression about fourteenth release of IMB solutions including IBM SPSS Decision Management and IBM SPSS Modeler. Nice and detailed article include also interesting discussion within the comments below and the links to press release and product information as well. A good source of information for the ones who need to know how the product is being developed.