Interactive Mapping Brings Information to LifeWritten by Joe Miller
What is Interactive Mapping?Interactive mapping is a visual display medium which allows graphing, mapping, and even conversion to PDF of any type of information. This technology is used by national government agencies, airlines, chambers of commerce, ski resorts, and countless corporations to make information accessible and interactive to whomever they present information. Phone and credit card companies use interactive mapping to show billing information. Companies use it in reporting, forecasting, sales and marketing, and display retirement plan information to its employees, using Dashboard, PopChart, Optimap, and Highwire features for interactive and simple information presentation and utilization, even on a pocket PC. What can Interactive Mapping Do for You?Interactive mapping involves so much more that just maps. Dashboard, Popchart, Optimap, and Highwire provide interactive information in virtually any format: charts, graphs, pie charts, tables, etc. In addition to examples given above, here are additional ways to use interactive mapping. Retail stores can track revenue, returns, and customer information across geographical demographics. Manufacturers can track processing times along supply chain. Electric companies can track overall usage in geographic regions. The CIA World Factbook collects and presents geographical, population, and even cell phone usage across world with interactive mapping.
| | Interactive Charts are Reinventing Visual DataWritten by Joe Miller
Interactive charts have revolutionized way visual data is displayed. Think back to elementary school geography class, sitting drowsily in your desk as teacher pulls down her roll-up world maps and charts to review 50 states and their capitals. Visual improvements have been made over past few years to improve those maps and charts. Most maps and charts now are divided into topographical, population, climate, economic resources, physical, political, and road maps, color coded for viewer’s convenience. There are probably even more, but that has been extent of interactive charts for several years.But imagine combining all of those maps and charts into one report, and all a user has to do is drag mouse over a state or a country and all of information you would have to display several maps to show is centralized in one display of interactive charts. It is called interactive charts, because it works in partnership with user to provide all of information for which he or she may be searching. Interactive charts are not simply tools that can be used to display geographical information to elementary school children. Interactive charts represent a new way of providing complex information in a simple and effective visual display, interacting with all groups of people in every type of setting. Several months ago, I was researching city of Cochin, in India for travel. As I pulled up interactive charts, I dragged my mouse across areas of maps and charts and was presented with specific information about area. Later, as I was booking plane tickets, interactive charts of interior of plane allowed me to choose my coveted window seat. I could not help but think of possibilities. Having been involved in many marketing presentations, I know first-hand difficulties of presenting a complex set of information about demographics, tendencies, and research results without interactive charts. I found use of graphs, maps, and charts very helpful, but when it came to presenting a comparison of information in various categories I was stuck. “These graphs are complex enough” I thought. “How can I possibly combine all of this information?” I wish I would have known then about software used to create interactive charts of India or airplane.
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