Maxus Systems International Inc. - Data Mining, Information Visualization, Knowledge Management, OLAP

The METAPHOR MIXER Software Suite consists of a set of advanced, easy to use, knowledge discovery tools that interface with data access and analysis modules and have been optimized to work in a networked environment for a shared information paradigm. Decision makers can receive data from multiple sources -- financial data feeds such as Bloomberg and Reuters, Oracle or DB2 relational databases, or OLAP interfaces like Essbase.

METAPHOR MIXER Data Transformation and Configuration Adapters (MM-DTACs) are scalable and designed to seamlessly integrate with existing multidimensional modeling (MDM) and on-line analytic processing (MDX/OLAP) tools.

The software is based on industry standard databases and database connectivity drivers (PERL/DBI, ORACLE, MS-SQL SERVER, ODBC, OLE DB) for maximum compatibility with both in-house legacy systems as well as newer corporate enterprise-wide systems like SAP BIW. Together, the suite enables powerful decision support visualization applications designed specifically to address the complex analyses required to mine the largest databases and affords the decision maker the topsight needed to observe, orient, decide and act more efficiently, and with greater knowledge, than the competition.

METAPHOR MIXER (MM) visualization technology provides decision support for the analysis of abstract data and information. This networked application receives, processes and displays real-time and database information from multiple sources in a 3-D environment called an Information Landscape.

An Information Landscape consists of a categorically defined, 3-D planar surface intersecting a continuous numerical axis. Cells formed by the intersection of this matrix contain the individual data element icons comprising the user-specified categories. Users can represent levels of hierarchical abstraction by defining subcategories of the Border Elements. For example, Countries can be placed into Regions, Products into Categories, or Companies organized by Market Sector further subcategorized by Industry Groups. Any combination of these categories can then be paired together to produce a corresponding Information Landscape. Users can configure an unlimited number of different Border Elements against each another within an Information Landscape.

Individual data elements are represented as geometric icons, whose shape, color, behavior and relative position along the numeric axis reflect user-defined decision support criteria. The visual grammar of an Information Landscape is comprised of the following attributes:

· Border Elements: categories of information (i.e., Industry Groups, Geographic Regions, Market Segments, etc.) define an Information Landscape's 2-D base.

· Numeric Axis: a continuous axis that intersects the baseline of an Information Landscape to provide a third dimension (Height).

· Color of Icons: typically blue to red, which visually reinforce Height along the numeric axis.

· Shape/Size of Icons: triangles, squares and pentagons represent different types of data elements (i.e., small, medium and large cap stocks).

· Images on Icons: corporate logos or other identifying symbols texture-mapped on the geometric icons.

· Behaviors of Icons: spinning, blinking, quaking and sliding visual cues that highlight user-defined criteria.

· Arrow Vectors: atop each icon like the hour hand of a clock, reflect changing conditions and values of data elements.

· Intelligent Agents: voice activated, interactive assistants perform user-defined information gathering tasks.

· Speech Recognition and Video Conferencing: allow users to communicate with the agents and with other users, for collaborative applications.

METAPHOR MIXER provides three ways to navigate Information Landscapes. One method allows users to define pre-set flight paths above, below, around or through the Information Landscape. These flight paths can be saved to a file for use by others to replay annotated journeys through that Information Landscape. Second, users can fly through the Landscape using the a mouse or joystick to control the zoom, azimuth, and tilt perspectives of the viewpoint. This navigational interface models a flight simulator, with a heads-up display to represent the locations, details, and features of the data contained within an Information Landscape. Third, METAPHOR MIXER has a VCR-like ability to play back data events across different time periods, with the stocks, bonds and options moving day-by-day to their respective percent changes. The icons representing these data elements change color, blink, or spin depending on the conditions you apply to a given time interval.

METAPHOR MIXER also embodies a unique method for detecting specific types of information through the use of interactive agents. Agents have been outfitted with voice responses to help convey their actions, and offer two distinct operating modes. In the first mode, the user employs the agent interactively, looking for data elements with certain characteristics via fuzzy logic or other algorithms. In the second mode the agent runs autonomously in the background in combination with the underlying processing engine to search for and alert the user to relevant news headlines, SEC filings, and earnings reports.

Metaphor Mixer