Second, select tools that can process the amount of the data that must be analyzed and from which predictions are needed. Few tools really take advantage of parallel processing technology to access terabytes of data. Different tools require varying levels of analyst resources, skills, and time to implement. Product prices range from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Generally, the less expensive tools are more narrowly focused, and the more expensive tools use a variety of sophisticated techniques.
Some vendors have vertical industry applications.
Once you have chosen several potential tools, evaluate each one against real data. There is no substitute for this step because of the significant and unpredictable differences among different products and technologies. Most companies I talked to continually test more than one technology. Typically, statistical, OLAP, rule induction, and neural network technology are all researched. Neural networks are sometimes the most effective technology, but at other times statistical algorithms outperform the more advanced technology.