IBM, SAS join to help automakers comply with TREAD Act regulations

Linda Rosencrance   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Business Intelligence Stories  

Driving BI Value with Data Integration: Overcoming the Thorniest Challenges Advance your BlackBerry(R) solution management know-how this July Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Survey: Business Intelligence Maturity and the Quest for Better Performance BI @ The Speed of Business Computerworld Custom Publishing: Bright City Lights Computerworld Technology Briefing: An open-source path to optimal virtualization Learn-Fast Guide: It's All About You Learn-Fast Guide: Get Up to Speed on Green IT Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

April 03, 2003 (Computerworld) -- IBM and business intelligence software company SAS Institute Inc. have developed a suite of software and services designed to help the auto industry better comply with new government requirements that went into effect this week, the companies said in a statement.
Under the November 2000 TREAD (Transportation Recall, Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation) Act, automakers and their suppliers must report all safety-related information -- including consumer deaths and complaints, warranty and legal claims and production data -- to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The new requirements, inspired by a rash of deadly SUV accidents caused by defective Firestone tires in 2000, went into effect April 1. The first quarterly report is due to NHTSA on Aug. 31.
Larry Stolle, IBM's global business development executive for the automotive industry, said IBM and Cary, N.C.-based SAS have the most comprehensive early-warning and warranty-analysis tool available to the auto industry.
According to Stolle, the amount of data that manufacturers are supposed to collect and analyze is daunting, and many don't have the capacity to do it. Large manufacturers will have to crunch terabytes of data to understand how to report the information they have and how to use it to improve products in the future.
Stolle said the early-warning and warranty-analysis package offered by SAS and IBM will help automakers integrate data from a wide range of sources, including service activities, customer surveys, call center contacts, production information, public records, part/product sales data and warranty information.
The tool combines SAS applications for analyzing structured data such as statistics on warranty claims with IBM software and services, including data integration tools, to analyze unstructured data such as handwritten reports, Stolle said.
He said one OEM, which he declined to name, is already using the product to pull information from 60 databases. The data is then analyzed and transformed into a final report it will submit to the NHTSA.
The product, which could cost several million dollars depending on a customer's preferences, will also help automakers harness the data to improve product design in the future, Stolle said.
Although individual automakers declined to comment on their compliance with the TREAD Act, Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Washington-based Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said it is too soon to assess how the industry is faring.
Kevin Prouty, an analyst at AMR Research Inc. in Boston, said IBM and SAS have built a template that allows a business to take all of its existing data and comply with the TREAD Act. "What IBM and SAS have done is unusual because they have gone out and become domain experts on the TREAD Act and how -- if you have all this warranty data and product data -- you comply with the TREAD Act," he said.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

"Enterprise search continues to lag behind commerical search because companies lack a "findability" strategy, says one researcher...." Read more... "It's IT Blogwatch: in which we all wonder how much we get paid and Glassdoor.com helps us out. Not to..." Read more... Read more Business Intelligence posts or See all Blogs

Microsoft promises four patches next week Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks More top stories...

Microsoft trumpets security additions in upcoming IE8 Apple cuts price of high-end SSD MacBook Air by $500 Ultrathin showdown: Apple MacBook Air vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 vs. Toshiba Portege R500

This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop. Here's how. Bill Gates moves on Is Microsoft's Golden Age over? What are Gates' most memorable quotes? Find out in Computerworld's complete coverage of the end of the Bill Gates era at Microsoft. Five things you should never tell your boss There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear. Also don't miss the flipside, Five things you should always tell your boss. Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what's broke and keeps what's right With its latest version, Mozilla's browser continues to raise the bar for what Web browsers should be. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone See your link here

Speeding the time to intelligence Get this Computerworld report free for a limited time, compliments of SAS. Time To Intelligence -- a concept defining how long it takes to get accurate and timely information into the hands of workers who need it most. Do it slower than your competitors and your company is toast. Do it faster, you scorch them. Business Intelligence is the key to optimizing Time To Intelligence, and success there is a combination of people, policies, and technology. Download this executive briefing  Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Download this webcast, free, compilments of Webroot Software Go to the webcast  Rapid application development, rapid results Download this special report now! (Source: Intersystems) All too many businesses suffer from IT infrastructures that are a hodge-podge of disconnected databases and applications. What's needed is the ability rapidly develop connected applications under a unified service-oriented architecture. InterSystems Ensemble integration environment and Cache database are effective tools in answering this need, delivering a rapid ROI. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Deploying Virtualized NetWare on Linux Whitepaper Toward More Flexible, Next-Generation Collaboration Solutions Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility View more whitepapers

• Microsoft promises four patches next week
• Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner
• Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks
• More top stories 

SAS Business and Analytics Zone No matter where your organization is on the path toward evolving your IT infrastructure, SAS can adapt to your situation to meet your long-term enterprise intelligence needs. We can help you drive intelligence evolution to the next level, while leveraging and extending the value of your existing IT investments. Learn more in the Business and Analytics Zone See All Zones

Intercept Spam & Viruses With MessageLabs MessageLabs is offering a complimentary 30 day trial of its managed Anti-virus and Anti-spam security solutions. MessageLabs guarantees complete protection against all know and unknown email threats. By providing 24 hour support, your business can increase productivity and decrease risk. Register for a complimentary trial and receive a free datasheet. Download this white paper now!

Since You Asked A weekly storage column from storage analyst, Steve Duplessie of the Enterprise Strategy Group Click here to read the latest column by Steve Duplessie