Download Microsoft Pivot, New Perspectives on Information

Microsoft Live Labs Pivot is a project designed to deliver new perspectives on information streamlining the filtering of large, saturated volumes of data, which make analysis extremely difficult. With analysis being obfuscated by sheer size alone, huge amounts of data also prevent drawing valid conclusions based on the information collected. This is where Live Labs Pivot comes in, as the project brings to the table revolutionary data visualization capabilities which simplifies analysis and streamlines the process of making accurate and informed decisions based on the info available, irrespective of its actual quantity.

“We’re at a really interesting point in the history of the Internet,” says Gary Flake, Microsoft technical fellow and director of Live Labs. “Pivot was not possible to build five years ago. But it is possible to build today.” At the bottom of this article, users will find an embedded video featuring Flake, demonstrating a few usage scenarios for Pivot.

A critical aspect of the new project is the seamless transition from a general perspective over a data collection, to just a subset of information, and furthermore to a single item, but also back again. It is the dynamics of Pivot’s interpretation, organizing, sorting and categorization of data which makes this an extremely powerful tool.

Specifically, users now have the flexibility necessary to evaluate data from every possible angle, having not just an overall perspective over the info, but also being able to drill down in accordance to specific connections, correlations, exceptions and tendencies. Microsoft claims that Pivot brings information to life, and the company is right. But if the info is a living and breathing organism, then Pivot is the CT machine which allows a new level of “X-ray” vision beneath the shell.

“With Pivot you can interact with data in a way that is powerful, informative and fun,” Flake added. “With Pivot you can swim through the data, taking little twists and turns. If you are looking at all the information at once, the proverbial forest, you can click on any one item or filter and smoothly zoom into the trees without any interruption.”

Microsoft Live Labs Pivot is available for download here.