SAS unveils SAS Data Maker as Snowflake Native App

SAS, renowned for its expertise in data and artificial intelligence (AI), has unveiled the SAS Data Maker as a Snowflake Native App within the Snowflake Marketplace. This announcement was made during the Snowflake Data Cloud Summit 2024, signifying a pivotal partnership aimed at enhancing data generation capabilities for joint customers.

The SAS Data Maker is currently in its private preview phase. Positioned as a Snowflake Native App, it integrates seamlessly within customers' Snowflake environments. This enables the generation of synthetic data that mirrors real-world data, powered by SAS's advanced AI models. Such data provides valuable insights and forecasting capabilities, particularly when facing scenarios where real-world data may be scarce or difficult to obtain.

Shadi Shahin, Vice President of Product Strategy at SAS, explained the advantages of synthetic data generation. "SAS Data Maker uses our cutting-edge AI models to create statistically accurate data points that augment existing data. This capability is especially useful in highly regulated sectors like healthcare, finance, and fraud detection, where detecting rare scenarios and capturing diverse situations is critical," Shahin noted.

This collaboration is part of broader efforts by SAS and Snowflake to mobilise global data through Snowflake's Data Cloud. The SAS Data Maker aims to enhance data quality and productivity by producing synthetic data complete with automated visual and statistical evaluation metrics, thereby safeguarding sensitive data. This automation helps customers innovate more rapidly by reducing the need for manual data collection and the associated costs of acquiring third-party data sets.

Prasanna Krishnan, Head of Collaboration and Horizon at Snowflake, emphasised the significance of the Snowflake Native App Framework. "Partners like SAS can now bring complex applications directly to customers, running securely within their Snowflake accounts. This integration means that customers can benefit more quickly and securely from precise synthetic data generation capabilities," Krishnan said.

A practical application of this technology is already being explored by AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company. Brian Dummann, Chief Data Officer at AstraZeneca, highlighted the potential of synthetic data to revolutionise drug discovery and development. "Synthetic data can improve our ability to make informed decisions, which can accelerate drug development and benefit patients globally. We look forward to leveraging SAS Data Maker in the Snowflake Marketplace to streamline access to synthetic data for our scientists," Dummann stated.

The combination of Snowflake's Native App Framework and Snowpark Container Services, now available in public preview, allows developers to build sophisticated applications that run on various hardware configurations, including GPUs. These applications can be distributed and monetised within the Snowflake Marketplace, enabling deployment within customer accounts without the necessity of data movement. This integration further solidifies the partnership between SAS and Snowflake, providing a versatile and scalable solution for businesses navigating the complexities of data management and AI-driven insights.

This development marks a significant step forward in the realm of synthetic data generation, offering robust tools to businesses aiming to enhance their data-driven decision-making processes. The collaboration between SAS and Snowflake continues to innovate, providing their joint customers with state-of-the-art solutions to adapt to evolving business and regulatory landscapes.