Metro Atlanta YMCA Uses Birst to Enhance Support for Local Kids, Families, and Communities

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - September 16, 2009) - Birst, a leading provider of on-demand solutions for business intelligence (BI) and analytics, today announced that the Metro Atlanta YMCA is using Birst to better serve local communities. The YMCA, a non-profit organization focused on building strong kids, families, and communities, is leveraging the advanced analysis provided by Birst to increase the alignment of member programs and marketing activities with the needs of its members.

"Before Birst, we spent more time trying to compile accurate data than interpreting the data," said Betsy Lenahan, Chief Marketing Officer, Metro Atlanta YMCA. "We selected Birst because it's an easy-to-use, affordable solution that requires minimal IT support, and still provides information and analysis we can act on." Prior to choosing Birst, Lenahan evaluated other BI solutions, including Cognos. "Cognos is still sitting in the package in the back. We felt the time and expense of the data mapping would slow us down and cost too much."

Founded in 1858, the Metro Atlanta YMCA today serves over ten thousand children and thousands of families through its twenty-eight branches. As part of its mission to support local communities, the YMCA is constantly striving to develop and promote meaningful programs that meet members' needs. Before deploying Birst, the organization developed a wide variety of programs and promoted them broadly, hoping that members would find a match. Using Birst, the YMCA is now better able to target its marketing and outreach efforts by analyzing information regarding member demographics, tenure, and frequency of involvement. The YMCA's new, multi-level member support and engagement marketing program leverages this analysis to increase marketing effectiveness and ensure that member programs match the needs of member households.

"Birst has changed the entire capabilities of our organization," continued Lenahan. "Before, we were populating our database with information but we couldn't use it to help us better serve our members. Now we're able to anticipate what would interest members. We're focused proactively on our members and how we can support them in every stage of life."

"I'm thrilled that we have the opportunity to help the YMCA strengthen families and their communities," said Brad Peters, CEO of Birst. "As an affordable, powerful solution that minimizes the impact on busy IT departments, Birst is a perfect fit for organizations working hard to maximize the impact of their resources in these lean economic times."

About Metro Atlanta YMCA

A charitable organization, the Metro Atlanta YMCA is an association of people who come together with the vision of building strong kids, strong families, strong communities. The YMCA is open to people of all abilities, ages, beliefs, cultures, faiths, and incomes. Financial assistance is available based on need. Call 404-588-YMCA (9622) or visit www.ymcapass.com.

About Birst

Birst™ is the leading provider of on-demand business intelligence solutions. Birst brings the benefits of fact-based decision-making to a much broader audience by making it affordable, fast, and easy to use. Birst is designed to support users of all sizes -- from individuals to groups and entire companies, so that everyone can benefit from greater insight into their business.

More information is available at www.birst.com

Contact Information: For more information, contact: Kimberly Weber Atomic PR birst(at)atomicpr.com (415) 402-0230