Heat Mapping in Brick and Mortar

An approach we used widely in our laboratory.   A kind of augmented pictured reality to show changes in context that is very effective.  Good to animate in the time dimension.   Discussion.   In Retailwire:

Could heat mapping be an equalizer for brick & mortar?   by Tom Ryan

E-commerce sites can gain a huge benefit from the ability to track a browser’s every move, thus allowing the retailer to continually tweak targeting on a real-time basis. In the physical retail realm, cameras equipped with heat mapping software are promising to bring similar analytics.

At its most basic, heat mapping uses security camera images to illustrate the hot and dead zones in a store. Generally, red areas indicate spots where many customers have have been present, while green spots signify lower traffic. Retailers are now also incorporating beacons, ceiling sensors, weight-sensing shelves and other emerging technologies to deliver increasingly detailed heat maps.

Understanding where shoppers congregate and linger adds some science to in-store merchandising that has traditionally been done by gut instinct and employee observations. Dead zones can point to problems with traffic flow that may inspire shelf or layout changes.  ... " 

GSMA Telecom MarketPlace

Brought to my attention by Vinimaya, a long time provider of online marketplaces for efficient procurement. Now they are announcing a new service that effectively connects buyers and sellers in Telecom.

Much more here, with some excellent examples and visuals, contact them for a free demo system.

" ... The Research Centre offers innovative tools and data that allow  buyers and sellers to gain valuable insight into products, potential  partners, competitors or even an entire market. 

The Web Visualization Tool enables users to view into the “deep web” by seeing the top 500 search results in a heat map format.  The Message Analysis Tool distills a website or document into an  easy to digest visual format. ... " 

What is the GSMA Marketplace?
The GSMA Marketplace is a new online commerce platform that enables buyers and sellers in the telecommunications industry to connect with each other. Sellers can create customized storefronts and post product  catalogues. Buyers can search for new suppliers or products and can initiate RFPs and RFXs. Both buyers and sellers can use the Research Centre, which allows detailed analysis of markets, potential partners and competitors.

Why GSMA?
As the trade association representing over 800 mobile network operators worldwide, GSMA is a trusted intermediary within the telecoms industry. By running successful events like Mobile World Congress, GSMA has significant experience in connecting buyers and sellers. The GSMA 
Marketplace will leverage the relationships and trust we have developed in the ecosystem to improve the procurement and business development activity of the entire industry.

Who will Participate in the GSMA Marketplace?
The GSMA Marketplace will include mobile network operators, network infrastructure providers, device manufacturers, application and service providers, system integrators and many other companies that buy and sell in the mobile ecosystem. ... " 

GSMA Introductory site and Video.

GSMA Press release on the GSMA Marketplace.

Making a Heatmap

A good piece on constructing your own Heatmap in Flowingdata. Heatmaps are a way to visualize and quickly scan the values and fixed time relationships of many variables. A Good example: The S&P 500 heatmap, a small portion shown at the right. Note how color, size, clustering and clickthrough are effectively used. Good for dashboard-style visualization applications.