Visio 2002: Out of Office

The opening of the Visio Network Center subscription-based Web site completes the rollout of Visio 2002. This release polishes the product’s user interface and design templates, fixes problems that hindered automated installation, and adds an XML file format to simplify integration with other applications. Originally a drawing application for business users, Visio has evolved into a general modeling tool (one that’s particularly popular in IT) and a graphical front end for custom applications. Its versatility will give Visio an increasingly important supporting role in Microsoft’s product line.

Visio consists of a core set of functions for creating line drawings from basic shapes, and a large, extensible library of design templates for particular drawing tasks, such as building organization charts. Acquired with Visio Corporation in Sept. 1999, Visio currently has 5 million users, most of whom aren’t graphics professionals and many of whom draw diagrams only occasionally for specific business tasks.