Eric Kavanagh: I guess one question I would throw out to you is where do you think the current state of data visualization is at? Maybe the beginning? If yes, is it because of advances in hardware for example, processors are faster, we have more data at our fingertips? Is there is a certain maturation in the industry as a whole for how to manage data and mix and match datasets? What do you think are the main reasons why we are seeing this significant shift right now?
Rich Penkowski: Well you know, I think it's a little bit of all of the above, right. We are at -- in some ways it kind of gets overused, but we really are seeing a perfect storm in the Information Management age, and it's manifesting itself through all of this advancement around visualization. I mean if we just think about the underlying tools and how much they continue to evolve, whether it's in memory databases, whether its Map/Reduce capabilities, our ability technically to process trillions of records and petabytes of data at a relatively reasonable cost, that’s something that wasn’t available to Corporate America even 24-36 months ago.
So we are seeing huge amounts of prospects or progress on that dimension. If we couple that with the fact that we are in an economic environment, where information and the ability to be agile and to interpret trends of behavior of your customer before your competitors can, right, and so this is the first time in a really long time where organizations had to focus so heavily on information insight for competitive advantage.
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So, now we have kind of a burning platform around the economy. We have technology catching up to us, and then we are starting to see a generation of the workforce joining enterprises today who grew up with technology at their fingertips, which are comfortable with and expect to see and interpret data in very different ways than the worker of 10 or 15 years ago.
So you look at all of those factors converging at a single point in time and really with no real end in sight, only more progress around each of those dimensions. I think it's just an exciting time for this. And I believe that visualization will in very short order not be a unique topic that we talk about as an episodic thing that we do around data, it will actually become core to the way organizations use information going forward and portray information going forward.
Eric Kavanagh: Yeah, I think that’s really good point. And maybe before we go to break Mark, do you want to comment on that? Because I think it's a very good observation that we are now getting this first wave, if you will, of people entering the workforce who don’t even know what life was like before the Internet and data visualization technologies like this. What do you think about that?
Mark Madsen: Yeah, I would say that there is definitely a generational shift, but it's not really just young folks using the information and coming in. It’s that all of us have access to tablets and have those controllers, choose your favorite gaming console. It's definitely creating that sort of kind of an expertise, a literacy if you will of how to interact and an expectation.
And there is a concept of, we call it, I think graphicacy is what how Howard Spielman would call it. Graphicacy is a term that refers to the ability to understand and interpret visual information, particularly in the context of graphs, charts, maps, and other graphical representations of data. It encompasses the skills and cognitive processes involved in comprehending visual stimuli, extracting meaning from visual representations, and making inferences or decisions based on visual information. Similar to literacy, which pertains to the ability to read and comprehend written language, graphicacy focuses on the ability to "read" and interpret visual language effectively. This includes understanding the visual elements used in graphs and charts, such as axes, labels, colors, shapes, and patterns, as well as recognizing different types of visual representations (e.g., bar charts, pie charts, scatter plots) and understanding their respective meanings and implications.
Graphicacy is an essential skill in today's data-driven world, where visualizations play a crucial role in communicating complex information and insights effectively. Individuals with strong graphicacy skills are better equipped to analyze and interpret data visualizations, identify trends and patterns, and draw meaningful conclusions from visual representations of data. Moreover, graphicacy is not only about interpreting visual information but also about creating effective visualizations that convey information clearly and accurately to others. This involves selecting appropriate visual representations for the data, designing clear and intuitive visualizations, and effectively communicating insights through visual means. Overall, graphicacy is a valuable skill that enables individuals to navigate and make sense of the increasingly visual nature of information in various domains, including business, science, education, and media. It empowers individuals to leverage the power of visual communication to understand complex concepts, solve problems, and communicate ideas effectively.