IBM announces new predictive analytics software that correlatesand analyzes big data to help clients embed hyper-intelligence intobusiness decisions.  In addition to generating insights oninternal data, the software measures the impact of socialnetworking channels and factors this information intoorganizational decision making.

The software represents a new class of decision-managementcapabilities that changes the way organizations gain, share, andtake action based on information gathered as part of businessprocesses such as marketing, claims processing, and frauddetection.  In these, and other data-rich areas thesoftware will put forward the next best action to front-lineemployees ensuring optimal interactions and outcomes.

Companies across all industries are under pressure to driveimmediate and repeatable results with fewer resources, react moreswiftly to rising customer demands, and gain faster insights onbusiness data.  These pressures are challengingorganizations to strengthen their approach to decision making, andforcing organizations to act not only corporate policy and gutinstinct.  

For example, according to a Columbia Business School CenterGlobal Brand Leadership report, 90 percent of senior corporatemarketers believe that successful brands use customer data to drivemarketing decisions.  Yet 50 percent say that a lack ofsharing customer data within their own organization is a barrier toeffectively measuring their marketing efforts.  Compounding these challenges is the variety of big data which isgrowing at record rates.

According to IDC, the decision management software market isexpected to exceed $10 billion by 2014. "In today's marketplace,when a customer says they're not happy, companies must decide howto react—not later that day, or in an hour, but instantly," saysDeepak Advani, vice president business analytics products andsolutions, IBM.  "With these new technologies, winningorganizations can embed analytics into under-served areas of theirbusiness, empowering all employees to make information baseddecisions."

The new Analytical Decision Management software, part of aseries of IBM Smarter Analytics initiatives, helps clientsapply automated, real-time analytics into any operational data nomatter where it resides, and instantly analyze it to uncover trendsand expose hidden paths to growth.  As a result, insightscan now be automated, socialized, and used for predictive decisionmaking.

In a single platform, IBM has combined the power of businessrules, predictive analytics and optimization techniques throughintuitive interfaces that allow users to focus on specific businessproblems.  The resulting decision can be consumed byexisting pre-packaged or custom-built applications, including manyapplications on the mainframe.

The platform also takes advantage of IBM InfoSphere Streamstechnology where big data can be analyzed and shared in motion,providing real-time decision making in environments where thousandsof decisions can be made every second. IBM is also extending thepowerful analytical functionality with the inclusion of its newestEntity Analytics capabilities.

Businesses can take advantage of Entity Analytics as part of theDecision Management Platform.  This feature is ananalytics engine that enables identification and matching for allentities making systems smarter as more information becomesavailable.  Unlike traditional methods, the IBM EntityAnalytics capabilities are context based and accumulate knowledge,resulting in a more accurate picture, better models, and betteroutcomes.  This ability to understand how the data isrelated delivers higher quality models and helps to ultimatelyproduce smarter decisions.

A new social network analytics feature enables companies to takesentiment analysis a step further by analyzing who the influencersare around any given topic, who exactly is listening, and whypeople should care.  This feature enables decision makersto factor in how customers behave, what they say, and how big theirsphere of influence is in a social network. For example, whichother customers does this person know? Does this person influenceothers in their social network