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184 Part II • Descriptive Analytics

sectiOn 4.4 revieW QuestiOns
1. Why do you think there are large numbers of different types of charts and graphs?
2. What are the main differences among line, bar, and pie charts? When should you
choose to use one over the other?
3. Why would you use a geographic map? What other types of charts can be combined
with a geographic map?
4. Find two more charts that are not covered in this section, and comment on their usability.

4.5 the eMeRgenCe of DAtA VisuAlizAtion
AnD VisuAl AnAlytiCs
As Seth Grimes (2009) has noted, there is a “growing palette” of data visualization
techniques and tools that enable the users of business analytics and business intelligence
systems to better “communicate relationships, add historical context, uncover hidden
correlations and tell persuasive stories that clarify and call to action.” The latest Magic
Quadrant on Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms released by Gartner in February
2013 further emphasizes the importance of visualization in business intelligence. As the
chart shows, most of the solution providers in the Leaders quadrant are either relatively
recently founded information visualization companies (e.g., Tableau Software, QlikTech,
Tibco Spotfire) or are well-established, large analytics companies (e.g., SAS, IBM,
Microsoft, SAP, MicroStrategy) that are increasingly focusing their efforts in information
visualization and visual analytics. Details on the Gartner’s latest Magic Quadrant are given
in Technology Insights 4.1.

technOLOgy insights 4.1 gartner Magic Quadrant for business
intelligence and analytics platforms

Gartner, Inc., the creator of Magic Quadrants, is a leading information technology research and
advisory company. Founded in 1979, Gartner has 5,300 associates, including 1,280 research ana-
lysts and consultants, and numerous clients in 85 countries.
Magic Quadrant is a research method designed and implemented by Gartner to monitor
and evaluate the progress and positions of companies in a specific, technology-based market.
By applying a graphical treatment and a uniform set of evaluation criteria, Magic Quadrant helps
users to understand how technology providers are positioned within a market.
Gartner changed the name of this Magic Quadrant from “Business Intelligence Platforms”
to “Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms” in 2012 to emphasize the growing importance
of analytics capabilities to the information systems that organizations are now building. Gartner
defines the business intelligence and analytics platform market as a software platform that
delivers 15 capabilities across three categories: integration, information delivery, and analysis.
These capabilities enable organizations to build precise systems of classification and measure-
ment to support decision making and improve performance.
Figure 4.5 illustrates the latest Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence and Analytics
platforms. Magic Quadrant places providers in four groups (niche players, challengers,
visionaries, and leaders) along two dimensions: completeness of vision (x-axis) and ability to
execute (y-axis). As the quadrant clearly shows, most of the well-known BI/BA providers are
positioned in the “leaders” category while many of the lesser known, relatively new, emerging
providers are positioned in the “niche players” category.
Right now, most of the activity in the business intelligence and analytics platform market
is from organizations that are trying to mature their visualization capabilities and to move from
descriptive to diagnostic (i.e., predictive and prescriptive) analytics. The vendors in the market
have overwhelmingly concentrated on meeting this user demand. If there were a single market

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