SmartDraw Launches World's First Visual Processor

SAN DIEGO, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- With the launch of SmartDraw VP, the world's first visual processor™, SmartDraw is empowering the 95% of PC users, that today create only written documents, to reap the benefits of communicating visually.

Numerous studies have shown that visual communication is up to six times more effective than words alone, but until now less than 3% of business communication includes visuals like flowcharts, mind maps and other charts.  This is because using traditional graphics software to create them is just too difficult and time consuming for the typical business person. The visual processor solves this problem.

"A visual processor is to visuals what a word processor is to words," said Paul Stannard, CEO of SmartDraw. "Just as anyone can create professionally formatted written documents using a word processor, anyone can just as easily create professional-quality visuals with a visual processor.  This is possible because both the word processor and visual processor automatically format your content. When you add or remove text in your written document, the word processor automatically reformats the text and repaginates. In the same way, when you add or remove shapes in your visual, the visual processor automatically reformats the layout. You can even compose a flowchart using keystrokes, just like a word processor."

SmartDraw VP automates the creation of 70 different types of business visuals including flowcharts, mind maps, Gantt charts, timelines, floor plans, data charts and more. Built-in integration with Microsoft Office® and Adobe PDF allows users to create and then share SmartDraw visuals with a single click.

By enabling everyone in the organization to create visuals quickly and easily, SmartDraw VP allows an enterprise to cut through today's information overload and communicate more effectively by distilling complex information into an easy-to-digest visual form.

Communicating effectively by communicating visually with SmartDraw VP reduces errors, increases agility and lowers costs. In addition, visuals created with SmartDraw VP can help overcome language barriers common in multi-national firms and the global economy.

"The visual processor, and SmartDraw VP, represents a major breakthrough in the evolution of business communication," Stannard said. "After five years of customer research and product development, we have created something completely new. A visual company, with a visual processor on every desktop, proves every day that a picture really is worth a thousand words."

"SmartDraw enables anyone on our team to quickly and easily create the kind of impactful visuals that help us better communicate with clients and operate more efficiently," said Victor Bradley, Leadership Team - Information Systems at BBK Worldwide, which has adopted SmartDraw VP throughout the company for both internal and external communications. "We've realized nearly instant ROI since deploying SmartDraw VP, in large part due to the dramatically reduced workload on our graphic arts department. The software integrates easily with our other desktop applications and is very easy to learn, making it a snap to deploy and use on a daily basis."

"More data will be generated this year than in the previous 5,000 years combined," Stannard said. "To deal with the overload, organizations will be forced to sort, distill and communicate information dramatically better in order to succeed in the future. Visual companies are much more agile and able to take action to communicate and enact strategies that help them stay ahead of the competition. Over the next decade, I believe we'll see the visual processor become a business communication standard as ubiquitous as email is today."

For more information about SmartDraw VP, the world's first visual processor™, or to try it for free, visit www.SmartDraw.com.

About SmartDraw

SmartDraw helps businesses increase their bottom line by improving communication, refining operations, completing projects on time, and successfully implementing their plans through the everyday use of visual communication. Creators of SmartDraw VP, the world's first visual processor™, SmartDraw enables business professionals to easily and automatically create more than 70 types of common business visuals, including flowcharts, project charts, mind maps, org charts, timelines and more.  SmartDraw lets anyone achieve professional-quality results in just minutes. SmartDraw is used by more than half of the Fortune 500, as well as thousands of law firms, police departments, health systems and private enterprises of all sizes. Founded in 1994, SmartDraw is privately-held, with headquarters in San Diego, California. For more information or to download a free trial of SmartDraw, please visit www.SmartDraw.com.

SOURCE SmartDraw