August 2026

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Remembering Lex Jansen: Friend to SAS learners everywhere
One day, two seasons: a side-by-side look at the same Icelandic waterfall, captured just three months apart by Lex Jansen and Chris Hemedinger.

Dear Reader,

The SAS community recently lost one of its most beloved contributors, Lex Jansen. While many users knew lexjansen.com as the go-to resource for conference papers, presentations, and technical knowledge, countless SAS professionals may never have realized that behind it all was a single person whose passion for sharing information helped generations of users learn, solve problems, and grow their expertise.

As Chris Hemedinger writes in his tribute article, Lex "built something so useful, so dependable, and so enduring that it became infrastructure."

This month, we pause to remember Lex's extraordinary contributions to the SAS community and the lasting impact he had on users around the world.

Thank you, Lex. Your legacy will continue to educate, inspire, and connect SAS users for years to come.

Thiago De Souza
Editor, SAS Tech Report

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Tech tips with Chris

AI is making it possible to automate work that we used to do manually: writing code, reviewing results, identifying issues, and iterating toward a better solution. Unlike humans, AI agents don't get fatigued or frustrated by repetitive tasks, but they still need supervision, guardrails, and occasional course correction to stay on track.

Technologies such as MCP servers make this especially powerful by giving AI access to tools, data, and specialized skills that allow it to take action instead of simply providing answers. Even platforms such as SAS 9, built long before today's AI era, can benefit from these workflows by combining proven systems with modern AI-driven automation and assistance. (See Susan Kahler's recent article about how to get started with AI and SAS 9.)

What opportunities do you see for AI-assisted workflows in your work with SAS? And what roadblocks, whether related to governance, trust, integration, skills, or access, need to be addressed before broader adoption becomes possible? Let me know — I'd love to hear how you see this affecting or benefitting you!

Tips & tricks

SAS Data Management Reimagined | June and July 2026 Releases
See what’s new in SAS Viya, from reimagined data management and enhanced decisioning to faster Python scoring and machine learning improvements designed to boost productivity and performance.

2026 SAS Hackathon Registration Closes September 14
Last call! Registration for the 2026 SAS Hackathon closes September 14. Need inspiration? A recent SAS Communities article highlights how participants can turn ideas into impactful solutions using SAS Viya tools in just one month.

Python your way: 6 ways to run Python in SAS Viya
Explore six flexible approaches for running Python in SAS Viya, helping developers choose the right integration method for analytics, machine learning, and production workflows.

Registering the whole pipeline, not just the model
Learn how registering complete analytical pipelines in SAS Viya improves governance, reproducibility, and deployment beyond managing individual models alone.

Building a governed banking workflow with SAS Viya MCP Server and Claude Cowork
See how SAS Viya MCP Server and Claude Cowork can work together to create AI-assisted banking workflows that maintain enterprise governance and oversight.

Using SAS with Microsoft 365 (OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint)
Learn how to access and manage OneDrive files from SAS using Microsoft Graph APIs, including new support for client-secret authentication, device code sign-in, and sensitivity label detection.

A visual introduction to the Genz method for computing multivariate normal probabilities
Discover the Genz method, a widely used numerical technique for accurately computing multivariate normal probabilities in statistical applications.

Constructing orthogonal vectors in SAS
See how orthogonal vectors underpin key concepts in linear algebra, geometry, statistics, and machine learning through practical examples and visual intuition.

Exporting SAS Visual Analytics Reports to PDF Using REST APIs and Python
Learn how to automate the export of SAS Visual Analytics reports to PDF using REST APIs for streamlined reporting and distribution.

Modernization lessons from Posten Bring and Regeneron
Discover how Posten Bring and Regeneron modernized their analytics environments and the key strategies that helped accelerate their cloud and AI journeys.

Use case

Real-time insights keep airport operations running smoothly
Fraport AG uses SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure to automate thousands of analytics processes and deliver real-time passenger, cargo, and airport operations forecasts that keep one of the world's busiest aviation networks running smoothly.

For developers

SAS MCP Server
SAS recently released a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Dozens of articles have been written about SAS and MCP. Check out these articles in the SAS Support Communities.

SAS Bowl LXII, Model Context Protocol (MCP)
The SAS Bowl returns in September to explore Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the new SAS Viya MCP Server, bringing secure, standardized access to SAS analytics for AI assistants and agents.

Upcoming learning events

(Each is one hour and complimentary unless stated otherwise.)

Power AI Agents With SAS AI and Real-Time Analytics Using Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Join this webinar on Tuesday, September 1 at 11:00 AM ET to discover how AI agents can move beyond dashboards to trigger real-time predictions, visualizations and workflows using Model Context Protocol (MCP).

SAS® Viya® Copilot in Visual Analytics
Join this webinar on Thursday, September 10 at 11:00 AM ET to see how SAS Viya Copilot can help you build reports faster, generate smarter insights and simplify complex Visual Analytics tasks.

Is a Logistic Regression Model Still Useful for Business Applications?
Join this webinar on Tuesday, September 15 at 11:00 AM ET to learn how logistic regression models can still deliver valuable business predictions and support practical decision-making.

Welcome to SAS® Viya®
Join this webinar on Thursday, September 17 at 10:00 AM ET to explore SAS Viya and learn how to get the most value from your data and AI investments.

Beyond Campaigns: How Marketing Decisioning Drives Real-Time Customer Engagement
Join this webinar on Thursday, September 24 at 9:00 AM ET to discover how intelligent, always-on decisioning can help you deliver more relevant customer experiences across every touchpoint.