The world's top provider of business analysis solutions, SAS Institute Inc, stepped up efforts to increase its presence in China amid bullish expectations for the domestic big data market.

The US-based company, which is one of the largest providers of data processing and business analysis services in the world but has a low-profile in China, will expand its direct sales team and increase its R&D investment in the Chinese market, said Keith Collins, the company's senior vice-president and chief technology officer.

Collins added that the company plans to increase its direct sales force by 30 percent and put more than 20 percent of its revenue into R&D investment this year.