StatSoft

StatSoft was a software company focused on statistics, data analysis, data mining, predictive analytics, data visualization, quality control, and related enterprise services. It was established in 1984 by a partnership of university professors and scientists and initially developed menu-driven statistical software for early microcomputer platforms, including the Apple II, CP/M systems, Commodore computers, and MS-DOS machines. This early emphasis on accessible, procedure-based statistical computing helped define the company’s product identity as analytical software that could be used by researchers, engineers, business analysts, and institutional users without requiring extensive programming. The company’s principal product family was Statistica, a broad analytics portfolio that combined statistical procedures, graphical analysis, data-management functions, data mining, machine learning, predictive modeling, and quality-control tools. Over time, StatSoft expanded beyond a stand-alone desktop application into enterprise deployment. Statistica Enterprise supported connections to organizational data repositories, reusable analysis and reporting templates, interactive filtering, and administrative controls for security and permissions. Web-based applications made Statistica functionality available through browsers, while professional services supported integration, customization, deployment, validation, training, and statistical consulting. StatSoft continued to modernize the platform as computing architectures changed. Statistica 9, released in May 2009, introduced native 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Statistica 12 followed in May 2013 and represented the company’s mature product suite before its acquisition. The platform included a wide range of predictive and machine-learning methods, such as support vector machines, clustering, classification and regression trees, generalized additive models, neural-network ensembles, gradient-boosted trees, random forests, association rules, nearest-neighbor methods, independent component analysis, automatic feature selection, MARSplines, and CHAID trees. Statistica was used by corporations, government agencies, and universities in multiple countries. StatSoft also pursued initiatives intended to broaden access to analytics software. In October 2012, it announced that companies in Greece, Portugal, and Spain could use Statistica Enterprise software, including its Big Data Analytics Platform, without charge. The initiative was presented as a response to economic difficulties in those countries and as a way to support productivity and competitiveness. Dell acquired StatSoft on March 24, 2014, as part of an effort to strengthen its big-data and analytics portfolio. Paul Lewicki was StatSoft’s chief executive at the time of the transaction. In June 2016, Dell sold the Dell Software Group, which included StatSoft, to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management. The asset subsequently moved within the Quest Software portfolio, and on May 15, 2017, Quest Software sold Statistica to TIBCO Software. These transactions ended StatSoft’s existence as an independent company, while the Statistica technology and associated educational materials continued under successor owners. TIBCO later continued to make the former StatSoft Electronic Statistics Textbook available under the name Data Science Textbook.

StatSoft began in 1984 as a partnership of university professors and scientists working on statistical-computing software. Its first products were designed for the microcomputer environment of the period and presented statistical procedures through menu-driven interfaces. They ran on systems such as the Apple II, CP/M, Commodore platforms, and MS-DOS. This design approach made statistical methods more approachable for users who needed analytical results but were not necessarily specialist programmers. The company’s software evolved into the Statistica product family. Statistica combined general statistical analysis with graphics, data management, predictive modeling, data mining, machine learning, and quality-control capabilities. The product was offered both as a desktop application and as a platform for organizational deployment. The desktop edition stored spreadsheets, configurations, and macros locally and provided a broad collection of statistical, graphical, and data-management procedures. Enterprise capabilities connected the software to data repositories and supported reusable analysis and report templates, interactive data filtering, and management of user permissions and security. StatSoft broadened the platform through web delivery and implementation services. Its web-based applications made Statistica functions available through a browser. Professional-services activities included software integration and customization, development of web applications using Statistica Enterprise Server technology, installation of general-purpose web-server environments, and deployment of data-mining applications tailored to particular data warehouses or analytical problems. The company also provided statistical consulting, training courses, and technical services for software validation. Validation work could cover requirements documentation, validation planning, installation qualification, operational qualification, and performance qualification. Product development continued as operating systems and hardware architectures changed. Statistica 9, released in May 2009, offered native 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Statistica 12 was released in May 2013 and was the company’s principal suite shortly before the Dell transaction. Its data-mining and predictive-analytics functions included support-vector machines, expectation-maximization and k-means clustering, classification and regression trees, generalized additive models, independent component analysis, stochastic gradient-boosted trees, neural-network ensembles, automatic feature selection, MARSplines, CHAID trees, nearest-neighbor methods, association rules, and random forests. In October 2012, StatSoft launched an assistance initiative for businesses in Greece, Portugal, and Spain. It made Statistica Enterprise and its Big Data Analytics Platform available without charge to eligible companies in those countries, describing the measure as a contribution to productivity, competitiveness, and recovery during a period of economic crisis. Chief executive Paul Lewicki also issued an appeal encouraging other U.S. software companies to participate in similar support. Dell acquired StatSoft on March 24, 2014, seeking to strengthen its big-data offering. Following the acquisition, StatSoft became part of Dell’s software activities rather than continuing as an independent company. On June 20, 2016, Dell sold the Dell Software Group, including StatSoft, to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management. The business later operated within the Quest Software portfolio. On May 15, 2017, Quest Software sold Statistica to TIBCO Software. The acquisition history means that StatSoft is best understood as the former independent developer and brand associated with Statistica, while parts of its technology, product identity, and educational resources continued under successor companies. TIBCO continued to provide the former StatSoft Electronic Statistics Textbook, renamed the Data Science Textbook.

1. 2017TIBCO acquires Statistica

   Quest Software sells Statistica to TIBCO Software on May 15, transferring the principal product portfolio to a new owner.

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2. 2016StatSoft moves to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management

   StatSoft is included in Dell Software Group when the group is sold to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management on June 20.

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3. 2014Dell acquires StatSoft

   Dell completes its acquisition of StatSoft on March 24 to bolster its big-data software offering.

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4. 2013Statistica 12 released

   StatSoft releases Statistica 12 in May, offering its mature portfolio of statistical, data-mining, predictive, visualization, and quality-control functions.

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5. 2012European support initiative announced

   StatSoft announces free access to Statistica Enterprise and its Big Data Analytics Platform for companies in Greece, Portugal, and Spain.

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6. 2009Statistica 9 adds native 32-bit and 64-bit versions

   The May 2009 release expands Statistica’s compatibility with contemporary computing architectures by providing native 32-bit and 64-bit editions.

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7. 1984StatSoft is established

   A partnership of university professors and scientists establishes StatSoft and begins developing menu-driven statistical software for early microcomputer platforms.

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An enterprise and desktop analytics provider combining traditional statistical methods, data mining, predictive modeling, visualization, quality control, and deployment services in a single software portfolio.

• Statistica EnterpriseEnterprise analytics platform

  Statistica Enterprise was designed for organizational deployment of analytics. It supported connections to data repositories, reusable analysis and reporting templates, interactive filtering, and administrative management of security and user permissions. The offering helped organizations standardize analytical workflows and distribute statistical and predictive results beyond individual desktop users.

• Statistica DesktopDesktop statistical software

  The desktop edition provided a stand-alone workstation environment for statistical analysis, graphics, data management, spreadsheets, configurations, and macros. It was intended for individual analysts and researchers who needed general-purpose statistical procedures and visualization locally rather than through an enterprise server deployment.

• Statistica Web-based ApplicationsWeb analytics applications

  StatSoft’s web-based applications exposed functionality from its Statistica products through a browser. This supported wider access to analytical workflows and helped organizations deliver models, reports, and data-mining capabilities without requiring every user to install the full desktop application.

• Statistica Data MiningData mining and machine learning

  The data-mining collection included supervised and unsupervised methods such as support vector machines, clustering, classification and regression trees, generalized additive models, neural-network ensembles, boosted trees, random forests, association rules, nearest-neighbor methods, independent component analysis, automatic feature selection, MARSplines, and CHAID trees.

• StatSoft Electronic Statistics TextbookEducational reference

  The Electronic Statistics Textbook was an educational resource explaining statistical concepts and methods. Under TIBCO, the resource continued to be made available and was renamed the Data Science Textbook, extending the educational legacy associated with the StatSoft brand.

• 2012Free Enterprise Software for Struggling European Economies

  Greece · Portugal · Spain

  StatSoft offered Statistica Enterprise software and its Big Data Analytics Platform free of charge to companies in three European countries affected by severe economic difficulties. The initiative was intended to help businesses improve productivity and competitiveness and to contribute to economic recovery.

  Outcome. The initiative was publicly announced and accompanied by an open appeal from CEO Paul Lewicki for other U.S. software companies to adopt similar measures. No independently documented commercial outcome is specified in the available reference material.

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• 2017Sale of Statistica to TIBCO SoftwareM&A

  Statistica remained an analytics product within the acquired software portfolio after the Dell transaction.

  What changed. Quest Software sold Statistica to TIBCO Software on May 15, 2017.

  Aftermath. The StatSoft corporate identity was superseded by successor ownership, while the Statistica technology and related educational materials continued under TIBCO.

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• 2016Sale of Dell Software GroupM&A

  Dell reorganized its software interests after acquiring StatSoft and other software assets.

  What changed. Dell sold Dell Software Group, including StatSoft, to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management on June 20, 2016.

  Aftermath. StatSoft became part of the portfolio subsequently associated with Quest Software.

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• 2014Dell acquisition of StatSoftM&A

  Dell was seeking to strengthen its big-data and analytics offering, while StatSoft had an established portfolio spanning statistics, predictive analytics, data mining, and enterprise deployment.

  What changed. Dell acquired StatSoft on March 24, 2014.

  Aftermath. StatSoft ceased operating as an independent company and became part of Dell’s software activities. The business later moved through Dell Software Group, Quest Software, and ultimately TIBCO Software.

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• 2017Quest Software sells Statistica to TIBCO Software

  Quest Software sold the Statistica business and technology to TIBCO Software, placing the product portfolio under its subsequent owner.

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• 2016Dell sells Dell Software Group to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management

  StatSoft moved with Dell Software Group when Dell sold the group to private-equity firm Francisco Partners and investment firm Elliott Management.

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• 2014Dell acquires StatSoft

  Dell acquired StatSoft to expand its capabilities in big-data analytics and related enterprise software.

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• 2012StatSoft offers Statistica Enterprise to companies in crisis-hit European countries

  StatSoft announced that companies in Greece, Portugal, and Spain could use its Statistica Enterprise software and Big Data Analytics Platform at no cost, framing the initiative as support for productivity and economic recovery.

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1. StatSoft