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SAS expands SAS Viya with governed AI assistants and agentic AI capabilities

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New AI assistants and agent infrastructure help business and analytics teams move from experimentation to governed, production-ready intelligence

DALLAS, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SAS INNOVATE — SAS, a global leader in data and AI, today announced expansions to SAS® Viya® that advance the platform’s agentic AI features, introducing new AI assistants, agent infrastructure and acceleration tools. Together, these updates build on SAS Viya’s existing AI foundation, helping organizations move from isolated generative AI use cases to governed, production-ready intelligence at scale.

New agentic AI features in SAS Viya help transform isolated Gen AI use cases to governed, production-ready intelligence.

New SAS Viya features include:

SAS Viya Copilot, a family of AI assistants embedded across the analytics life cycle.SAS Viya Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, using the open MCP standard to expose SAS Viya analytics and decisioning capabilities as tools for AI agents.SAS Agentic AI Accelerator, a curated framework for building, governing and deploying AI agents within SAS Viya.

SAS leadership emphasized the importance of human judgment in scaling agentic AI responsibly.

“The role of human expertise in operationalizing agentic AI is not diminished by automation; it’s elevated,” said Jared Peterson, Senior Vice President, Global Engineering at SAS. “With SAS Viya, organizations can pair copilots and agents with human judgment, trusted data and enterprise governance, so AI doesn’t just generate outputs but drives responsible, real-world decisions.”

Embedded – not bolted on – Copilot for data and AI tasks

SAS Viya Copilot is a governed, conversational AI assistant embedded directly into the SAS Viya platform, designed to work alongside human experts inside production-grade analytics workflows. It helps organizations analyze data, build models and make decisions across the analytic life cycle while maintaining enterprise-grade security and oversight.

SAS Viya Copilot integrates Microsoft Foundry to operate inside analytics workflows rather than as a standalone chat interface. It helps data scientists, developers and business analysts generate, explain and act on insights using natural language across both coding environments and interactive visual interfaces.

Current SAS Viya Copilot capabilities include:

General Q&A across core Viya applications, including data discovery, model pipeline development, model management, decision intelligence, and environment management.Code acceleration with AI-generated SAS and Python code, documentation and explanations.Model pipeline guidance with intelligent recommendations, next steps and explainability.Conversational dashboarding with AI-driven data enrichment, natural language dashboard creation and automated insights.Visual investigation with AI-assisted search and AI-powered case and alert narratives.

Over time, SAS Viya Copilot data and AI capabilities will extend across data management, model management and AI infrastructure, enabling consistent AI assistance from data ingestion to deployment.

Unlike many horizontal AI assistants that rely primarily on pretrained LLM knowledge or generic tools, SAS Viya Copilot is designed to execute domain-aware analytics tasks grounded in industry data models, terminology and best practices.

Industry Copilot capabilities available today include:

SAS Asset and Liability Management (ALM) Copilot, which guides analysts through scenario configuration, execution and interpretation for financial risk workflows, translating natural-language inputs into governed analytic models.SAS Health Clinical Data Discovery Copilot, which accelerates clinical data discovery and analysis by guiding users through data exploration, cohort creation and quality investigation using natural language.

SAS plans to expand Viya Copilot for additional industries in 2026, including financial crime prevention in banking, and intelligent planning and supply chain optimization for manufacturing.

From copilots to agents across the SAS Viya platform

While SAS Viya Copilot improves how people interact with analytics, agents allow those capabilities to compound by connecting insights, decisions and actions across systems at scale.

Beyond embedded AI assistants, SAS Viya provides the infrastructure and tools organizations need to build, connect and govern AI agents at scale. These capabilities – available to current Viya users through GitHub – are designed to help transform isolated GenAI use cases into enterprise-ready agentic AI that works across systems, teams and business processes.

SAS Viya Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server provides a standardized way to expose SAS analytics, models and decisioning capabilities to external AI agents. By using SAS Viya MCP, organizations can embed SAS’ trusted analytics, governance and domain intelligence into their own agents from the LLM interface of their choice, such as Claude, without duplicating logic or bypassing enterprise controls.

SAS Agentic AI Accelerator enables teams across all skill levels (no-code, low-code and developers) to design and operationalize AI agents with governance and trust. The accelerator provides a curated collection of code, components, interfaces and best practices to help teams build, govern, and deploy AI agents within SAS Viya, moving from experimentation to production in a repeatable, governed way.

SAS Retrieval Agent Manager (RAM) is a no-code solution built on the retrieval augmented generation (RAG) framework that streamlines the process of transforming raw unstructured data into context-aware AI responses. While currently only available as a standalone product, SAS plans to integrate RAM capabilities into SAS Viya, further enabling agents and assistants to ground responses in enterprise context for accurate, trusted decisioning.

Together, these updates position SAS Viya as a governed, enterprise-ready platform for agentic AI, supporting AI assistants and intelligent agents that work together to compound value and turn trusted insights into real-world decisions at scale.

Learn more about SAS Agentic AI solutions.

Today’s announcement was made at SAS Innovate, the company’s global data and AI conference, as SAS celebrates 50 years of innovation. This year’s event is proudly supported by our partner sponsors, including Microsoft, Intel and AWS.

About SAS

SAS is a global leader in data and AI, helping organizations make confident decisions with AI they can trust. For decades, SAS has set the standard for delivering software that drives meaningful impact, incorporating deep industry expertise, transparency and governance. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2026 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contact:
Jennifer James
Jennifer.james@sas.com
919-531-0858

 

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MFour Data Research Names Nikhil Nair Senior Vice President of Data Science & Governance

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Former Amazon, Uber and Adobe analytics leader joins MFour to advance its connected first-party data and AI strategy

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MFour Data Research today announced that Nikhil Nair has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Data Science & Governance. Nikhil brings more than 15 years of executive data leadership across global technology companies building and leading global data, analytics and business intelligence organizations.

Most recently, Nikhil served as Head of Analytics and BI at Amazon, where he led the analytics vision and roadmap for Ring’s subscriptions and product business. During his tenure, he helped build the data infrastructure and reporting used across sales, product, marketing and operations as the subscriptions business grew from $800 million to more than $2 billion. He was also instrumental in building LLM-powered insights agents that improved operational efficiency within the organization by 70%.

Previously, Nikhil served as Global Head of Analytics and Insights at Uber, where he directed a worldwide team within the community operations division. He also spent over eight years at Adobe in various data science and analytics leadership roles, culminating in scaling a direct-to-consumer business from an initial test to a $45M ARR engine. Nikhil holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech.

As Senior Vice President of Data Science & Governance, Nikhil will help advance MFour’s data strategy and support the continued growth of the company’s first-party consumer data and AI capabilities. That includes DANI™, MFour’s AI assistant for connecting behavioral data with survey responses to help clients understand the full consumer journey.

“We’ve already built a strong foundation by connecting first-party behavioral and survey data to a single opted-in consumer identity,” said Chris St. Hilaire, Founder and CEO of MFour Data Research. “The next phase is about continuing to scale that intelligence and make it even more actionable for clients. Nikhil has spent his career building the teams and systems that make that possible, and he’ll be a key part of how we continue advancing DANI and Full Journey Intelligence.”

Nikhil joins MFour as the company continues to expand the first-party behavioral and survey data available through MFour Studio™. At the same time, MFour is scaling how AI turns those connected signals into actionable intelligence for clients.

“I’ve built my career around connecting data to real business decisions and creating analytics systems that people can actually use,” said Nikhil. “What stood out to me about MFour is the combination of first-party consumer data, deterministic identity and AI. As we enter into an era where the initial hype around AI is slowing within enterprises, there is a tremendous opportunity to make complex consumer journeys easier to understand and act on, and I’m excited to help scale that vision.”

About MFour Data Research

MFour Data Research, founded in 2011, provides validated, opt-in consumer behavior and survey data powered by its Surveys On The Go® app and Fair Trade Data® model. The company’s 13M+ consumer panel generates nine deterministic data streams — ChatGPT conversations, location, app usage, web browsing, receipts, demographics, attitudes, survey responses and behavior-triggered surveys — all connected to a single identity.

Through MFour Studio™, organizations can access these behavioral and survey signals to understand consumer journeys and measure outcomes, with DANI™ (Data Analytics Navigation Instructor), MFour’s AI assistant, providing on-demand analysis across 4 billion monthly buyer signals. MFour is trusted by Samsung, Google, Amazon Ads, Microsoft, Hulu, Keurig Dr Pepper, Papa Johns and hundreds of other global brands.

Full Journey Intelligence. Know What to Do Next.

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PureTalk: NEW CAMPAIGN PLEDGES $250,000 TO AMERICA’S WARRIOR PARTNERSHIP, A NATIONAL NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF VETERANS

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Medal of Honor Recipient shares why veteran support and patriotism should be a priority during America’s 250th anniversary 

COVINGTON, Ga., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —

BACKGROUND:
As America approaches its 250th birthday, a new campaign is putting action behind the celebrations.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/puretalk/9407251-en-puretalk-new-campaign-pledges-americas-warrior-partnership-nonprofit-veterans

PureTalk’s America250 campaign has committed to raising $250,000 in support of America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP), a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of veterans, military families and caregivers. Rooted in a “Deeds, Not Words” philosophy, the effort transforms gratitude into meaningful support for those who have served the country.

The campaign launched with an initial $25,000 donation, with customer contributions matched dollar-for-dollar, and a guarantee that any shortfall will be covered to ensure the full $250,000 reaches AWP. Every dollar raised helps expand veteran support programs in communities across the country.

Clint Romesha and Jim Lorraine share more details about the America250 campaign, why we should all support American-led businesses and the importance of patriotism, unity and service.

For more information, please visit PureTalk.com and roundup your bill at checkout to donate

MORE ABOUT CLINT ROMESHA
Clint Romesha is a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant noted for his heroic actions during the Battle of Kamdesh, a key moment during the War in Afghanistan. On October 3, 2009, Sergeant Romesha took quick and selfless action while under aggressive fire from the Taliban. Despite taking shrapnel wounds to his neck, shoulders, and arms, he carried out a counterattack that not only eliminated Taliban machine guns but allowed for wounded soldiers to be taken to an aid station. In 2013 he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama, making him the fourth living recipient of the honor for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the same year, he was inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.

MORE ABOUT JIM LORRAINE:
Jim Lorraine, the president and CEO of America’s Warrior Partnership, served in the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Nurse with nine combat deployments and retired as the Deputy Command Surgeon for the United States Special Operations Command after 22 years of service. He became the founding director of the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition and served as Special Assistant for Warrior and Family Support to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Produced for: PureTalk

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Walden Media Group named as Approved Agency Partner for WellBiz Brands

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Agency expands partnership across Drybar, Elements Massage, Radiant Waxing, Amazing Lash Studio, and Fitness Together following three years of proven results with Amazing Lash Studio franchisees

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Walden Media Group (WMG®), a growth marketing agency built for fast scaling brands, enterprises, and multi-location businesses, recently announced it has been named an approved marketing vendor for WellBiz Brands, the parent company behind Drybar, Elements Massage, Radiant Waxing, Amazing Lash Studio, and Fitness Together. The designation follows three years of WMG® supporting Amazing Lash Studio franchisees with customer acquisition and local marketing programs, and marks a significant expansion of the relationship across the full WellBiz portfolio.

The approved vendor status comes at a moment of renewed momentum for WellBiz Brands, under the leadership of CEO Amanda Clark and newly appointed CMO Michelle Devore, who are setting an ambitious growth agenda across the portfolio’s franchise network.

“We have greatly enjoyed supporting these franchisees in their customer acquisition efforts over the last few years, and it is truly an ideal partnership to be working alongside great marketers and leaders in the franchise space,” said Zachariah Walden, CEO of Walden Media Group. “These are some of the most exciting brands in the market today, and having the opportunity to bring our go to market and brand expertise to a national level across so many great brands is a privilege.”

As part of its broader platform strategy, WMG® is investing several million dollars into a proprietary advertising technology system designed to give multi-location businesses cleaner attribution modeling and faster, AI enabled booking experiences at the speed users expect when engaging with modern advertising. The investment reflects WMG’s position as a disruptor in a category where many agencies still rely on legacy strategies.

WMG® has scaled its franchise and multi-location partnerships aggressively over the past several years, and the WellBiz Brands designation adds to a growing roster of national franchise relationships across numerous industries.

About Walden Media Group

Walden Media Group is a growth marketing agency built for the complexity of scale, partnering with franchise, enterprise, and international brands to grow faster across every market they operate in.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walden-media-group-named-as-approved-agency-partner-for-wellbiz-brands-302859882.html

SOURCE Walden Media Group

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