Tableau Software Inc. is trying to make it easier for workers to analyze location data with its latest release, Tableau 2019.2, which is being made generally available today.

The data analytics software provider said the “next-generation mapping capabilities” in its new release are designed to enhance the way users analyze location data. The platform now incorporates vector maps powered by Mapbox Inc., which provide much greater detail and enable users to perform analysis with more contextual background layers, the company said.

Vector maps are more useful because they offer greater detail and a smoother browsing experience compared to traditional image-based mapping products, Tableau said. For example, when users need to zoom in on something or pan across a map, that map is automatically scaled in order to avoid disrupting the flow of their analysis.

In addition, the integration with Mapbox means users can add more background layers to their maps, including things such as terrain, bodies of water and building footprints. The integration enables users to add more context to their geospatial data, the company said.

One example of how the new mapping capabilities in Tableau can be helpful comes from PATH, a global nonprofit health organization, which uses the software to monitor reported cases of malaria more easily. With Tableau’s new mapping tools, it said, it can map where new cases of the disease occur with much greater accuracy.

“As visualization tools, maps engender a sense of both place and scale,” said Jeff Bernson, PATH’s vice president of technology, analytics and market innovation. “They also instigate exploration and discovery so decision makers can see where diseases are emerging and make comparisons to where they have available resources such as health facilities, drugs, diagnostics or community health workers.”

Holger Mueller, principal analyst and vice president of Constellation Research Inc., agreed that maps are essential for helping people to make sense of what’s happening in the real world. “So it’s key for players like Tableau to make analysis of map-based data easier,” he said.

The new mapping capabilities are just one part of Tableau’s new release. Another new feature, called “Parameter Actions,” allows users to change the parameters of analytics features such as calculations, filters and reference lines by selecting specific data points on a visualization. The idea is to help users perform more complex interactive analytics such as “point-in-time and comparative analysis,” the company said.

In addition, the company is updating its Ask Data feature, which was introduced in its last software release to allow users to query their data in a natural voice. The feature has been expanded so users can now create calculations simply by asking Tableau to do so. They can also ask Tableau to perform “more powerful actions” than before, such as adding or replacing data elements.

“With every release, we are working to simplify and enhance the analytics experience so that even more people can easily ask and answer questions of their data,” Francois Ajenstat, chief product officer at Tableau, said in a statement.

Image: Tableau