Panopticon Software

Panopticon Software
Type Private
Industry Computer software
Founded Stockholm, Sweden (1999)
Founder(s) Willem De Geer, Markus Skyttner, Ludvig Sandman, Sam Giertz
Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden
Number of locations 4 (Stockholm, London, New York, Boston)
Area served North America, Europe
Products Panopticon EX Enterprise Application, Panopticon Developer SDK for Java, .NET & Microsoft WPF
Employees 24
Website Panopticon.com

Panopticon Software is a multi-national Data Visualization software company specializing in monitoring and analysis of real-time data. The firm is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with additional offices in New York City, London, Boston and partner agreements for other markets around the world. The company's name is derived from the Greek: 'pan' for all, 'optic' for sight.

Panopticon Software is a key player in the data visualization sector along with for example Qliktech, Tableau Software and Spotfire.[1] Its Swedish origins are shared with GapMinder, Qliktech and Spotfire, making Sweden a centre for Information Visualization research and development.

It has historically specialised in selling Treemapping and Heatmap visualisation software and development tools to clients within the financial services and telecommunications industries. It uses a variety of other visual analysis tools in its products, including Scatter Plots, Dot Plots, Pie Charts, Line Graphs, and Bullet Graph visualizations. The company's products are sometimes deployed as Executive Dashboards that allow managers to interact, explore, monitor and analyze rapidly-changing and/or large data sets. Panopticon tools are also often embedded in other enterprise applications using the company's SDK which is available for Java, Microsoft .NET and the Windows Presentation Foundation. The Panopticon products are optimized for use with real-time data sources, CEP engines and relational databases.[2][3] and is a regular exhibitor at financial industry events such as SIFMA, and SIA.[4][5][6]

Contents

History

The company was founded in 1999 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Emerging Markets brokerage named Brunswick Direct before being spun off as a separate entity in 2002.[7] It later was acquired by the UK based Hamsard Group (Hamsard is now known as Cantono Plc), and became a subsidiary of the Group. [8] In March 2007 its competitor Spotfire undertook negotiations with Hamsard Group, to take full owership of Panopticon.[9] This potential deal was not completed,[10] Spotfire pulling out of negotiations, and itself subsequently being purchased by Tibco.[11] In May 2007 the company was sold back to its founders as part of a management buyout.[12]

In December 2007 the company elected a new board, including Carl Palmstierna, a former partner with Goldman Sachs and John Wattin, previously Chairman of MySQL AB.[13]

In December 2007, the company appointed Peter Simpson as Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Peter had previously held senior positions with Instant Information and HSBC.[14]

In May 2009 the company appointed Chris Elsmore as SVP Partners and Channels Worldwide. Chris had previously been in charge of SAP/Business Object's partner program.[15]

Pre-attentive processing

The visualizations that Panopticon offers within its products attempt to utilize the human capacity for Visual Search and Pre-Attentive Processing to enhance comprehension of large multi-element datasets in less than 250 milliseconds.[16]

Pre-Attentive Processing is a term from the area of human cognitive psychology and refers to the ability of the low-level human visual system to rapidly identify certain basic visual properties. Examples of visual features that can be detected in this way include hue, intensity, enclosure, orientation, size, and motion.[17][18]

Technology overview

Panopticon's technology relies on in-memory OLAP cubes which are displayed through a series of visualizations including treemaps. This allows the user to load data, select variables and hierarchical structures, and navigate through the resultant visualization, filtering, zooming and drilling (sometimes called slicing and dicing), to identify outliers, correlations and trends.

Its streaming OLAP implementation takes an in-memory OLAP cube and allows data to be streamed through it. This combination makes the company's products attractive to industry verticals that require live streaming data, such as financial market data utility grid monitoring and telecommunications network traffic analysis. This is very different than the vast majority of OLAP implementations in which cubes are rebuilt periodically for new batches of data.[19][20]

This support for streaming data with its products has allowed financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase,[21] Citigroup,[22] and Fortis (finance)[23] to implement the Panopticon Products within their real-time trading and risk applications. Euromoney has stated that it provides the trader community with a way of quickly digesting information.[24]

Product overview

Panopticon has two platform independent product lines. Its enterprise application and SDKs in Java language, .NET Framework and Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation.

Both products support a number of different data visualizations including:

Awards

Its technology when adopted by financial institutions has led to recognition from financial industry periodicals such as:

Joint ventures and strategic alliances

Panopticon has a strategic partnership with Sybase to develop visual monitoring and analysis systems incorporating the Sybase Aleri CEP engine.[42]

Its technology is also embedded in several other firms' product offerings including: Reuters,[43] Deltek, an enterprise project management solution provider,[44] Advent Software, a financial services solution provider,[45] Kynetix, a solutions provider to asset managers and hedge fund operators,[46] TBricks, an algorithmic trading solutions provider[47] and Polystar, a telecoms solutions provider.[48] Its reseller partners include Bishopsgate Financial,[49] EAE,[50] EmblocSoft,[51] C O M E Computer Systeme GmbH,[52] and Technologies & Finance.[53]

External links

References

  1. ^ Oracle targets CFOs with Hyperion acquisition, http://www.it-analysis.com/business/content.php?cid=9318 
  2. ^ Treemaps for space-constrained visualization of hierarchies, http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap-history/ 
  3. ^ Survey of treemap techniques, http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~kerwin/treemap-survey.html 
  4. ^ SIFMA's Technology Management Conference 2008, http://events.sifma.org/conf_vendors/vendorLookup.aspx?CID=107&VENDORID=330 
  5. ^ 2007 Technology Management Conference and Exhibit, http://events.sifma.org/conferencevendors/vendorLookup.aspx?CID=07TMC&VENDORID=7056 
  6. ^ Panopticon Enterprise .Net To be launched at SIA New York, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2005/Jun/20/Panopticon_Enterprise_.Net_To_be_launched_at_SIA_New_York.html 
  7. ^ About Panopticon, http://www.panopticon.com/company/ 
  8. ^ AIM float to raise £3m for Hamsard, Computerweekly.com, http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2005/05/18/210041/aim-float-to-raise-3m-for-hamsard.htm 
  9. ^ Cantono PLC (CTNO) - Proposed disposal, EGM notice, http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200703071415035170S 
  10. ^ Cantono PLC (CTNO) - - Debt for Equity Conv and EGM, http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200704120801527352U 
  11. ^ TIBCO and Spotfire, http://www.tibco.com/company/spotfire/default.jsp 
  12. ^ Final Results CANTONO PLC, http://www.advfn.com/news_Final-Results_23551865.html 
  13. ^ Carl Palmstierna and John Wattin elected to new Panopticon board of directors, http://www.bobsguide.com/cgi-bin/guide/newsExtras.pl?ID=bg&action=print&seq=23011 
  14. ^ Panopticon Software Management Team, http://www.panopticon.com/company/management.htm 
  15. ^ Business Intelligence Expert Chris Elsmore joins Panopticon, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2009/May/6/Business_Intelligence_Expert_Chris_Elsmore_joins_Panopticon.html 
  16. ^ Panopticon: The Power of Pre-Attentive Processing, http://www.panopticon.com/products/data_visualization_visual_data_analytics_software_tools.htm 
  17. ^ Perception in Visualization by Christopher G. Healey, Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/faculty/healey/PP/index.html 
  18. ^ Wolfe, J. M; Treisman, A.; Horowitz, T. S (2010), "What shall we do with the preattentive processing stage: Use it or lose it?, by Jeremy M Wolfe of Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital, Anne Treisman of Princeton University, Todd S Horowitz of Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital", Journal of Vision (Journal of Vision) 3 (9): 572, doi:10.1167/3.9.572, http://journalofvision.org/3/9/572/ 
  19. ^ Be Your Own Rocket Scientist, BusinessWeek, http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jun2006/pi20060608_043514.htm 
  20. ^ Magma Systems Blog, http://magmasystems.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html 
  21. ^ JPMorgan and Windows Customers Sway Visualization Vendor Toward .NET, http://www.windowsfs.com/special-features/jpmorgan-and-windows-customers-sway-visualization-vendor-toward-net 
  22. ^ Citi Mulls Wider Use of Imaging App, http://db.riskwaters.com/public/showPage.html?validate=0&page=dwt_login&url=%2Fpublic%2FshowPage.html%3Fpage%3D428584 
  23. ^ Analyze This, http://www.watersonline.com/public/showPage.html?page=788666 
  24. ^ Panopticon Closes Deal with Reuters, http://www.euromoney.com/Article/1000597/Category/16/ChannelPage/8959/Panopticon-closes-deals-with-Reuters.html 
  25. ^ Panopticon Releases New Real Time Connection– Supports fast connections to streaming data from Sonic MQ and Reuters, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2007/Jun/19/Panopticon_Releases_New_Real_Time_Connection%e2%80%93_Supports_fast_connections_to_streaming_data_from_Sonic_MQ_and_Reuters_%e2%80%93.html 
  26. ^ Panopticon EX Data Visualization Software For Rapid Deployment, InformationWeek, http://www.informationweek.com/whitepaper/Business-Intelligence/Dashboards/panopticon-ex-data-visualization-software-for-rap-wp1248907260998;jsessionid=S2JGN1AASQ1RDQE1GHOSKH4ATMY32JVN 
  27. ^ New Releases of Panopticon Data Visualization Software Support Fast Data Analysis and Short Implementation Cycles, http://www.a-teamgroup.com/article/new-releases-of-panopticon-data-visualization-softwaresupport-fast-data-analysis-and-short-implementation-cycles/ 
  28. ^ Designing and Publishing Information Dashboards with Panopticon EX, http://www.banktech.com/whitepaper/Customer-Insight-Business-Intelligence/Analytics/designing-and-publishing-information-dashboards-w-wp1248391518672;jsessionid=YDDYVWU1JN0TNQE1GHPCKH4ATMY32JVN 
  29. ^ Panopticon Releases World's First Visual Data Analytics SDK for Microsoft WPF Environments, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2009/Dec/1/Panopticon_Releases_World's_First_Visual_Data_Analytics_SDK_for_Microsoft_WPF_Environments.html 
  30. ^ Treemap Data Visualizations make it Easy to Spot Anomalies & Outliers, http://www.panopticon.com/products/treemap_tree_mapping_visual_data_analysis_data_visualization.htm 
  31. ^ Heat Map Data Visualizations Make it Easy to Analyze Large Databases, http://www.panopticon.com/products/heatmap_heatmaps_heatmapping_heat_map_data_visualization.htm 
  32. ^ Heat Matrix Data Visualizations Help You Analyze Trends and See Correlations, http://www.panopticon.com/products/heat_matrix_data_visualization.htm 
  33. ^ See how components contribute to totals with Stack Graphs, http://www.panopticon.com/products/stack_graph_visual_data_analytics_tool.htm 
  34. ^ Visualize and compare Trends with Bar Graphs, http://www.panopticon.com/products/bar_graph_bar_chart_information_visualization_software.htm 
  35. ^ Visualize Multiple Datasets and Compare Trends with Horizon Graphs, http://www.panopticon.com/products/horizon_graph_visual_data_analysis_software.htm 
  36. ^ Find Outliers Easily with Scatter Plots, http://www.panopticon.com/products/scatter_plot_data_visualization_software.htm 
  37. ^ Visualize Change Over Time Using Line Graphs, http://www.panopticon.com/products/line_graph_data_visualization.htm 
  38. ^ The Dot Plot is an effective alternative to the Bar Graph data visualization in cases where the data contains groupings with similar values, http://www.panopticon.com/products/dot_plot_bubble_chart_dotplot_data_visualization.htm 
  39. ^ Bullet Graphs were developed by information visualization expert Stephen Few to replace speedometers and gauges in executive BI Dashboards, http://www.panopticon.com/products/bullet_graph_bullet_chart_data_visualization_software.htm 
  40. ^ Panopticon’s Visual Business Intelligence wins The Banker awards, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2006/Jun/16/Panopticon%e2%80%99s_Visual_Business_Intelligence_wins_The_Banker_awards.html 
  41. ^ Award Winning Implementations, http://www.panopticon.com/company/awards.htm 
  42. ^ Panopticon Software Partners with Sybase To Provide Visual Data Monitoring and Analysis Dashboards, http://www.streetinsider.com/Mergers+and+Acquisitions/Panopticon+Software+Partners+with+Sybase+To+Provide+Visual+Data+Monitoring+and+Analysis+Dashboards/5657719.html 
  43. ^ Panopticon Signs Enterprise Wide Contract With Reuters, http://www.pressemeldinger.no/read.asp?RecNo=7117 
  44. ^ Deltek and Panopticon Forge Partnership, http://www.deltek.com/company/pressroom/showfullstory.asp?show=348&YR=2006 
  45. ^ Advent Software Signs OEM Agreement with Panopticon, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2008/Jan/29/Advent_Software_Signs_OEM_Agreement_with_Panopticon.html 
  46. ^ Kynetix signs reseller agreement with Panopticon, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2004/Nov/3/Kynetix_signs_reseller_agreement_with_Panopticon.html 
  47. ^ Tbricks Launches Next Dimension Automated Trading System, http://www.a-teamgroup.com/article/tbricks-launches-next-dimension-automated-trading-system/ 
  48. ^ Polystar OSIX and Panopticon form strategic alliance focusing on the telecom market - Operators worldwide can now benefit from Panopticon’s visualisation tools, http://www.polystar.com/Company/Newsroom/News-archive/3856/ 
  49. ^ Bishopsgate Financial Announces Partnership with Panopticon, http://www.securitiesindustry.com/news/-25333-1.html 
  50. ^ Panopticon Software Expands Partner Network, http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/13004 
  51. ^ On-Going Expansion of Reseller Network Makes Panopticon Data Visualization Software Available to Customers in Russia, Brazil, Sweden and China, http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2009/Nov/17/On-Going_Expansion_of_Reseller_Network_Makes_Panopticon_Data_Visualization_Software_Available_to_Customers_in_Russia,_Brazil,_Sweden_and_China.html 
  52. ^ Panopticon Software and c o m e Computer Systeme GmbH Partner, http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/9532 
  53. ^ Panopticon Appoints Technologies + Finance as New Partner for Treemap and Heatmap Data Visualization Software, http://www.panopticon.com/news/pr_techfin_appointed_panopticon_reseller_23oct08.htm