CARY, N.C. — SAS, the world's largest privately held software company, set another record for sales in 2005.

While SAS doesn't disclose specifics about profitability, the company said revenues for last year reached $1.68 billion. That is a 10 percent increase over 2004. SAS, entering its 30th year as a company, has reported 29 years of consecutive revenue growth.

"Our customers rely on the SAS 9 Enterprise Intelligence Platform to grow profits and improve customer satisfaction," said Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jim Goodnight of the company's latest product release. "With demand for SAS technologies, solutions and industry expertise never greater, we're better positioned than ever to meet it."

Sales focused on retailers increased 20 percent - the biggest jump by category. SAS said education sales increased 16 percent, insurance by 12 percent, and government by 11 percent. Sales focused on banking increased 10 percent.

SAS also reported a balance in sales with 46 percent of revenues coming from the Americas, 44 percent from Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 10 percent from the Asia Pacific.

Among international markets, sales to India more than doubled and soared 66 percent in Russia.

New clients include: Barclays Bank PLC, BMW of North America LLC, CitiFinancial International, Office Depot International BV, Samsung Life Insurance, Telefonica, Too Inc, China Trust Commercial Bank, and Verizon Communications Inc.

Also, some 3,400 existing SAS customers licensed additional software.