“Before we start focusing on acquiring new types of customers we need to protect the base,” he told Research today, speaking from the company’s annual European conference in Rome. “Priority two is leveraging the IBM sales channels and services organisations to branch out into other customers where we didn’t have access before.”

The firm will be looking to tap expertise from across IBM to enhance its data mining and predictive analytics products, he said.

Advani declined to comment on how SPSS’s headcount has changed since the acquisition, but said the firm is focusing on increasing its R&D and pre-sales staff with a view to targeting new customers.