The library of spatial analysis tools in our Snapshot environment continues to expand, making it easier than ever to use AGS data for a wide range of projects and applications. With the release of the AGS 2020B data series, we have added three related capabilities that make it easy to analyze mobile data.

The tag function works with georeferenced data records, allowing you to determine which area a point is located in. For example, you may have a mobile location database and want to summarize the records by census tract. The tag function will quickly append the tract code for each record. All standard Snapshot geography layers are included, but in addition, tagging can occur at the census block level to ensure maximum precision.

The append function allows you to attach any demographic template file to a file with tagged records. Many of the suppliers of mobile data automatically attach block group codes, and this function makes it easy to attach demographics, crime risk, or any other AGS variables to these records. Appending neighborhood demographics to customer records is commonly used in direct response models and customer profiling

The code function is the first of a planned series of Panorama tools and will attach a Panorama code to any tagged record. Both postal and census geography tags are used if present, and coding can occur at the ZIP+4, census block, block group, census tract, and ZIP code levels. This ensures that Panorama coding of each record is undertaken at the most detailed level possible.

Over the coming months, the Panorama toolkit within Snapshot will be expanded to include the creation and use of Panorama target groups and an extensive set of profiling tools.