ArcGIS Explorer, ESRI ...?

The original question is ArcGIS Explorer, ESRI's Google Earth? But I don't think it is appropriate. Explorer is an ancient concept. The new feature is ESRI's map service. You can overwrite your own map data and add your own functions (?) as a plug-in (?). In fact, we are more concerned with the publishing capability of Web Services on the server side (called arcweb services) and the development capability of such services, that is, whether this service can be used to develop our own products, whether the data can be updated or only displayed.

A good concept requires a good product. Pay attention to ing.

Below is the original blog of David Maguire (ESRI director of products http://gismatters.blogspot.com.

ArcGIS Explorer-how it works

ArcGIS Explorer is. net desktop application based on a new lightweight ArcObjects library. the application is downloaded once from the server and installed on the local machine. it's best not to focus too much on the Desktop client because the server is the most important part of the system.

upon start up the client automatically makes a web services connection to a set of ESRI arcweb services globe services. the Web services are powered by ArcGIS Server 9.2. A new set of Explorer services has been added to the server core so that anyone (with ArcGIS Server) will be able to create and publish a service. it will also be possible to view ArcIMS and ogc wms services. as you navigate around the globe, page views are streamed into ss the Web to the desktop application for rendering. all the tasks (mini-Applications) are server resident and are called from the client.

Right now we are busy loading data into the server. we plan to provide a set of free base mapping services (imagery, terrain, streets, points of interest) and location services (Gazetteer, geocoding, reverse geocoding, computer finder Based on IP address, directions, etc .). we will also provide some more detailed and specialized services for a vendor. basically, the plan is that if we have to pay a lot of money for data/services then we will have to pass this on to users.

ArcGIS Explorer-geographic Registration System

at the ESRI European User Conference in Warsaw, Poland this week ESRI unveiled our new geographic registration system. the design goals of ArcGIS Explorer are to provide an easy to use application to implement e global geographic databases. arcexplorer is part of the ArcGIS family. it is a lightweight desktop Viewer (less than 15 MB) that connects to geographic Web Services. the Web services are powered by ArcGIS Server. initially, the web services will be provided by ESRI using the arcweb services delivery technology and brand. in keeping with our general strategy eventually anyone with ArcGIS Server will be able to create a Web Service for use by ArcGIS Explorer, or any other ESRI or open client for that matter.

With ArcGIS Explorer you can fuse data from multiple servers (ogc wms, ArcGIS Server, and ArcIMS) and overlay local vector and raster data sets. the task-based interface allows fast visualization of massive 2D and 3D server-resident global terrain, raster and vector databases. the User Interface exposes additional tasks for navigation, routing, geocoding/reverse geocoding.

It will be possible to personalize and customize the application by authoring new tasks that plug into the viewer and the server. We anticipate a beta release in a few weeks time.