Briefs

Information visualization is being heralded as a solution to data overload faced by workers and consumers, and many companies are developing tools such as heat maps, expanding family trees, and animations that render information in less confusing, more navigable ways; this is of critical concern with the amount of stored data swelling, and the growing need to analyze data in real time or close to real time. A new report from International Data (IDC) indicates that information visualization aids will one day be required by all industry professionals, and expects the interactive data visualization tool market to be worth $2.2 billion in four years.

"It's a Vision Thing", Financial Times-IT Review (11/12/03) P. 1; Nuttall, Chris