SAS, R, or Python Survey 2016: Which Tool Do Analytics Pros Prefer? For many quantitative business professionals, the debate around analytics tools has been known to rival the enthusiasm of political conversations at Thanksgiving dinner. Over the past two years we’ve sent out an immensely popular SAS vs. R survey to our network of quantitative professionals, generating over 1,000 (often very passionate) responses each year. But, last year, we received enough write-in requests to include Python in our survey that we decided to evolve with the times! Want to learn one of these? Visit https://goo.gl/vhAp35 #simplifyanalytics Please follow us on linkedin--https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13214587/

1. SAS, R, or Python Survey 2016
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

2. Overview
SAS, R, or Python Survey 2016: Which Tool Do Analytics
Pros Prefer?
For many quantitative business professionals, the debate around analytics tools has been known to rival
the enthusiasm of political conversations at Thanksgiving dinner. Over the past two years we’ve sent out
an immensely popular SAS vs. R survey to our network of quantitative professionals, generating over
1,000 (often very passionate) responses each year. But, last year, we received enough write-in requests
to include Python in our survey that we decided to evolve with the times!
To keep things simple, we only asked one question – Which do you prefer to use: SAS, R, or Python?
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

3. Market share of the tools
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

4. Results show that support for open source tools has been steadily
climbing over the past three years, with 61.3% of respondents this year
choosing R or Python, and 38.6% choosing SAS.
As per usual, there were a few professionals who responded with
neither/both, or with write-ins for other tools. Who knows, perhaps the
survey will have to evolve again next year? We’ll see!
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

5. SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

6. Market trends
Similar to last year,
Tech/Telecom most heavily
favors open source options R
and Python, which is not too
surprising given the
prevalence of West Coast
supporters. As in 2014 and
2015, SAS continues to have a
stronghold in the Retail/CPG
and Financial Services
industries.
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

7. Trend analysis
Professionals with a
Ph.D. are more likely to
prefer R than SAS, while
Bachelor’s holders are
more likely to prefer
SAS than R. Support for
Python varies slightly,
but is strongest
amongst professionals
with a Ph.D.
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

8. Support for open source
tools R and Python is the
greatest amongst
professionals with 0-5
years’ experience, while
support for SAS is
greatest amongst
professionals with 16+
years’ experience.
As more universities have
moved towards teaching
open source tools like R
and Python in their
programs, there is more
support for these options
from junior professionals.
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

9. Python holds the
majority of support
amongst data
scientists, with SAS
only holding 3%
amongst this group.
This is likely due to its
limitations when
building the custom
tools that many data
scientists use to
manage unstructured
data.
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/

10. Here you can see how tool preferences changed for data scientists and other predictive analytics
professionals since our 2015 survey.
SOURCE- http://www.burtchworks.com/2016/07/13/sas-r-python-survey-2016-tool-analytics-pros-prefer/
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