Visio: What It Is and Why You Should Use It

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VisioWhat It Is and Why You Should Use It

• Jody Jacobs
• CIS 460
• March 18, 2004

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Background

• Visio was released in 1994 by the Shapeware
  Corporation
• Purchased by Microsoft for 1.9 Billion in 2000
• Gone thru many iterations Visio 2000, Visio
  2002, Visio 2003

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What it is

• Visio is a tool designed for creating visual aids
• Visio is a program that is composed of multiple
  icons (aka pictures and shapes)
• Easy enough program that any person with any
  level of artistic ability can use

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Types of Visio Software

• Visio comes in four distinct products
• Visio Standard
• Mainstream business professionals
• 1300 standard and common shapes
• Visio Professional
• Standard Network and computer developers
• Standard shapes 1,300 additional shapes

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Types of Visio Software (cont)

• Visio Technical
• Designed for Professionals in technical and
  highly specialized fields (I.e. civil, mechanical
  engineers
• All shapes of Standard 2, 500 technical shapes
• Visio Enterprise
• Technical Shapes 14,000
• Create LAN and WAN diagrams, databases, and
  software designs

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Cost
Product Cost
Visio 2003 Standard-Full Version 180
Visio 2003 Professional-Full Version 410
Visio 2003 Technical 330
Prices as of 3/2004 according to www.bizrate.com
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Stencils

• Stencils contain the building blocks of a Visio
  diagram
• Stencils group like-shapes together so that end
  users are able to find shapes easier and quicker.

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Templates

• Visio templates are kits for building specific
  types of drawings.
• Templates set up the drawing page and formatting
  style best suited for an end-users drawing.

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Templates (Cont)
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NetViz vs. Visio vs. Powerpoint

• With netViz there is the option to publish to the
  web, so that the information created can be
  viewed by non netViz users, Visio offers no such
  facility.
• Visio can be used for network drawing, but when
  it comes to documenting large amounts of
  information within those drawings netViz is the
  tool to consider.
• It draws flat diagrams, but the hierarchical and
  database information is even more difficult to
  annotate into PowerPoint that it is into Visio.

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Conclusion

• When an end-user wants to graphically show an
  idea, chart, flowchart or any type of idea, the
  best way is to use a graphics program such as
  Visio to get a users point across to another
  end-user.