The document discusses two emerging trends in analytics: prescriptive analytics and in-memory computing. Prescriptive analytics automatically synthesizes data from multiple sources to predict outcomes and recommend decisions. It aims to go beyond predictive analytics by continually improving predictions and recommendations as new data is added. In-memory computing stores data in server RAM rather than disks, providing faster analysis times up to 10,000 times faster. SAP's in-memory database HANA is highlighted as an example, enabling real-time analysis of large datasets. Applications discussed include healthcare planning, oil and gas pricing, and telecommunications field service optimization.