On December 19th, we launched an upgraded version of our Data Center (www.gapdatacenter.com). The launch was actually Release #5 of the 3rd version of the Data Center, so for you gapDataCenter super fans out there, this would be episode DCv3 R5.
DCv3 R5 keeps all of the great features of our old data center, but adds a number of new applications that makes the experience of gathering and sharing our valuable information more effective and fun than ever before. I’ll walk you through a just a couple of our new applications.
Our Headlines tab functions as a landing page for our clients, where they can quickly find the latest information on the categories they follow. The previous data center showed a default list of product categories that were displayed in alphabetical order. While our clients loved the Headlines page, many complained that the categories that were most important to them were not at the top. Say for example, you wanted to see reports on the Television Industry, but had to scroll through B&W Laser Printers, Brazil Supplies, and Digital Cameras to get to the TV category bubble.
DCv3 R5 allows our clients to customize their Headlines page. You can arrange category bubbles in the order you like, expand / collapse category bubbles to conserve space, and you can un-follow a category to remove it from your Headline page. Here is an instructional video starring me!
One of the most popular introductions from our previous data center is our use of a shopping cart to collect, share, and download reports. Feedback was very positive, so positive in fact that the single shopping cart used in the old data center was not enough for most of our clients! Our clients want the ability to manage several shopping carts at the same time and share those carts with specific groups or date archived for later retrieval.
With the new DCv3 R5, we have given our clients the ability to create as many shopping carts as they want. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, SEVEN….make as many as you want. Each cart is also given its own unique URL, so instead of emailing your co-workers a massive ZIP file, just copy and share the link so they can download your cart directly to their machine.
Here is another video (starring me!) that talks about our shopping cart system.
One more innovation is our digital archive of print advertisement circulars. Through DCv3 R5, our clients are given a modern image browser that allows them to quickly navigate through retail advertising circulars. Pages can be blown up to their largest size and you can download an entire circular with a single-click, or select individual pages to share with your co-workers.
These are just a few of the new innovations gap intelligence has delivered with DCv3 R5. You won’t believe it, but development on DCv3 R6 is already on the way for February 2012. The next refresh of the data center is set for June 2012 with the launch of DCv4 – a platform that we believe will change the way our clients communicate with each other. gap intelligence intends to combine our timely market intelligence information with social networking. DCv4 will be a platform for our clients to quickly find, share, and discuss market information with each other on a secure platform. Imagine your US headquarters being able to discuss product features directly with your manufacturing teams in Asia.
All of our data center innovations come from the great feedback that we receive from you. Please keep your questions, comments, and suggestions coming to dcv3@gapintelligence.com. We are excited to show you what is next.
