Pervasive Software and Aha! Software today jointly announced the beta users program for Strato-Studio, an innovative, cloud-based high-performance analytics services platform available on Amazon EC2. Combining Aha! Software’s Analytics Management System and high-performance parallel data processing from Pervasive DataRush, Strato-Studio serves as the industry’s premier on-demand analytics services platform for data miners and business users.

Powered by Pervasive DataRush and developed on the Aha! analytics services platform, Strato-Studio’s initial service is enhanced and on-demand Monte Carlo simulation. This innovation protects users from encountering the traditional scalability, speed and productivity limitations of Monte Carlo simulations on desktop applications. Strato-Studio empowers business professionals to stage Monte Carlo simulations using a powerful yet simple Excel-based template without having to understand PMML (Predictive Model Markup Language), which ensures errors are discovered prior to running simulations.

“Monte Carlo simulation is the most powerful way for businesses to make smart decisions in a sea of uncertainties," said Dr. John Elder, CEO of Elder Research, Inc. (www.datamininglab.com), the country's largest consultancy for data mining and predictive analytics. "Strato-Studio's triangular distributions are easy to use to get a handle on even complex systems, and its PMML Generator makes implementation straightforward. We're excited about applying it to our own resource planning models, as well as in client consulting engagements."

“As a data mining professional, I regularly apply regression techniques using data mining methodologies to build models which score files containing millions of customers and prospects to estimate or predict their propensity to buy, expected level of expenditure, probability of retention, etc. Strato-Studio’s Monte Carlo simulation can be easily used on my predictions to simulate the actual range of business outcomes which can be expected, for example, transforming standard error of predictions into statistics that can be easily used and understood,” said Mark Yuhn, President of Integrant Analytics. “In the past, simulation using large commercial files has been difficult, cumbersome, and even infeasible. With its cloud computing scalability and PMML-based language, Strato-Studio will bring a whole new value proposition to Monte Carlo simulation: providing actionable business outcomes for business users.”

Running predictive models on Strato-Studio allows for greatly enhanced productivity as users can specify and run robust iterations on ultra-large data sets without slowing down their other work. The on-demand approach permits rapid, iterative regression model validation for data miners, enabling them to deliver more value to their business users. The Monte Carlo simulations can be used for a wide range of better business outcomes including allowing business users to calculate risk and ROI with a much higher confidence.

In addition to high reliability, the on-demand Monte Carlo simulation gives both professional data miners and business users the competitive advantage of conducting complex risk assessments and scenario-based simulations rapidly and extremely affordably without the need for cost- or time-consuming infrastructure investments.

“We’re energized about Strato-Studio,” said Mark Teflian, CEO of Aha! Software. “Currently an overwhelming majority of business users do not use analytics in their day to day jobs nor in meaningful ways. Strato-Studio will not only bring predictive modeling and analytics to them, but will also close the gap with the data miners and the predictive models that serve them.”

“We’re thrilled about providing the first of what we anticipate will be a number of compelling joint offerings with our valued partner, Aha! Software,” said John Farr, President and CEO of Pervasive Software. “Strato-Studio is a great example of how Pervasive is partnering to enable whole new classes of cloud-based analytics, bringing the power of Pervasive DataRush to mainstream audiences.”

Strato-Studio’s on-demand Monte Carlo simulation is currently being offered and used by selected beta program users. It will be made generally available later this year. For information on the beta program please contact info@strato-studio.com.