The Internet of Things. Don’t you just love that phrase? It means connection and transformation. And that things that could never be connected before (and some things that never needed to be) can now be connected.
The Digital Universe of Opportunities is a new report from EMC, the hardware and storage company, and IDC, the IT research company, with the help of the digital agency Cyclone Interactive.
The report is filled with all sorts of interesting information. For example, did you know that “…in 2013, there were almost as many bits in the Digital Universe as stars in the physical universe.” And we all know how hard it is to count the stars!
Another fun fact: 20 billion things (7% of connectable things) are connected today. By 2020, that number will be 32 billion (or 15% of connectable things).
I really like how this report is laid out. Now…loyal readers know that for offline content, I really like text with a just some visuals and graphics thrown in to make it readable. (So, for example, you will not be surprised to learn that I do not consume graphic novels.)
For online content, however, I’m much more forgiving of those who create graphic-heavy content. In part because lots of text is still hard to handle comfortably online. And in part because there are some really good graphic artists out there making this kind of content fun.
This report is an example of graphics done right. Clearly, whoever wrote this (and yes, it was written) started with an outline and a story to tell. The story unfolds over the span of the 17 pages–from summary, to statistics to show the scope of the situation, to what it means for companies, to how they can take advantage of the Internet of Things. The graphics and layout help tell the story–they were clearly a consideration from day one.
The data, graphics, and writing teams all pulled together to create an impressive document. Thanks!
Further Analysis
- Size
At 17 pages, it is long enough to share some serious data, and short enough to want to read. - Format
I read this offline as a PDF. For some reason, I couldn’t view it online as I believe it was intended. Not sure why not, but it still worked offline as a PDF. That’s the sign of good planning–to help the audience access the content no matter what. - Salesy quotient
Very low. Other than small brand graphic on each page, there are no sales pitches and basically no information about EMC or IDC at all in the document. - Educational quotient
High
It’s all educational!
Do you like this content? Do you like this approach to telling this story? What do you think about a graphic document like this?