Vol.

10 Issue 1

For Private Circulation. Not for Sale.

ArcGIS as a
Development Platform
COVER STORY
ArcGIS and Developers

TECHNICAL ARTICLE
ArcGIS and Open

BEST PRACTICES
Discover Five Ways to Get the Most out of Your GIS Platform

CASE STUDY
Vision to Reality: How Reliance Jio used GIS to build India’s largest 4G Network
Esri India Technical
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PRESIDENT’S DESK
We are witnessing really exciting times in India. Government programs such as Digital India, 100 Smart Cities, Swacch Bharat
and Skill India are aimed towards transforming India. In addition, we are witnessing a massive wave of innovation being led
by a start-ups revolution and strong, growing community of IT technologists.

Start-ups and developers are now using location technology as a core asset for solving some of the most challenging
problems we as a country, citizens or businesses are facing today. Weather it is real-estate, retail, smart cities, or multi-modal
transportation, GIS technology is powering most of the applications which are now becoming a new benchmark across the
globe.

Esri has always been on the forefront of technology evolution leading the innovations in GIS technology and making it more
open and extendible. Over the years ArcGIS technology has evolved into a platform which is making GIS available anytime,
anywhere on any device. GIS technology is now easy to use, and is making significant inroads beyond core GIS users. Most of
the functionalities can now be achieved via configuration of the platform providing a faster time to market. At the same time,
Esri has also evolved the customization capabilities of the platform making it easier for developers to extend and rapidly
develop new and innovative solutions and applications. Esri provides an extensive collection of rich, ready-to-use, industry
ready APIs and SDKs on all popular development platforms. Also, new app builders such as AppStudio enable developers
to build mobile applications rapidly, independent of the development platform.

In this issue of ArcIndia News, we share how the capabilities of ArcGIS platform can be extended. We present to you a
collection of articles, capabilities, applications and case studies which would be useful for specialized as well as new GIS users
to understand how to leverage ArcGIS as a development platform and power your solutions with GIS.

Agendra Kumar

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 3

Content
05 NEWS
- The ArcGIS Book: 10 Big Ideas about Applying Geography to Your World
- Esri Unveils ArcGIS Earth to the World
- Esri Collaborates with Microsoft to Incorporate Location Services and Spatial Analytics
- Esri’s ArcGIS to Support SAP HANA as Enterprise Geodatabase, Deepening Integration
Across Products
- Esri India launches ‘mApp Your Way 2016’
- Esri Takes Top Award for Internet of Things Innovation
- Esri India receives Technoviti Award for Enterprise GIS platform for BFSI

10 PRODUCT REVIEW
- AppStudio for ArcGIS: A New Platform for Building Native Apps
- No Programming Required - Create web apps rapidly with Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS
- Esri Apps – Making ArcGIS Available Everywhere
- Portal for ArcGIS

22 COVER STORY
- ArcGIS and Developers

27 TECHNICAL ARTICLE
- ArcGIS and Open
- The ArcGIS Platform: An Architecture Overview
- Bringing the R and ArcGIS Communities Together

32 EVENT COVERAGE
- Esri India User Conference 2015

36 BEST PRACTICES
- Getting the Results You Want from GIS
- Choosing the Right Development Platform
- Discover 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your GIS Platform

42 CASE STUDY
- Vision to Reality: How Reliance Jio used GIS to build India’s largest 4G Network

46 APPLICATION ARTICLE
- Electoral Data Analysis & Management – Asman Soft
- Smart City Management Solution – Vayam Tech
- A Fresh Take on Addressing – What3Words

51 TIPS & TRICKS

- Disconnected Editing with Collector for ArcGIS
- Add Tweets to Your Web Map

54 GIS TRIVIA
- Esri’s Geotrigger Service - The Future of Geofencing
 NEWS
leaders sharing their vision for what you can accomplish
by adopting the Web GIS concepts.

In addition to inspiring you, The ArcGIS Book will give you

hands-on practice with making a story map, conducting
spatial analysis, editing geographic data, building a 3D
model, and much more.
Consumer mapping has opened the eyes of the world, Here are the ten big ideas explored in the book:
and especially decision makers, to the value of maps and
geography and consequently increased the demand for • Maps, the Web, and You: Power and possibility with
the critical information and insights generated by GIS. Web GIS
This phenomenon is also transforming the role of GIS • Cartography is for Everyone: New ways to make, see,
practitioners. Today, they need to better understand their and use maps
organization’s business objectives so they can contribute • Tell Your Story Using a Map: Inform, engage, and
in an even more meaningful way to its success. ArcGIS is inspire people with story maps
a complete system for discovering, creating, consuming, • Great Maps Need Great Data: Creating and using
and sharing geographic data, maps, and apps. It is a authoritative geographic data
true Web GIS. Web GIS is fundamentally changing how • The Importance of Where: How spatial analysis leads
information about the world around us is applied and to insight
shared to enable all of us to make the best decisions • Mapping the Third Dimension: A change in perspective
possible. Whether you’re a seasoned GIS practitioner or a • The Power of Apps: Focused tools that get work done
newcomer to the field, you have a new way to experience • Your Mobile GIS: The GIS of the whole world plus a
Web GIS for yourself. This is the promise of The ArcGIS live data sensor in your pocket
Book. • Real-Time Dashboards: Integrating live data feeds for
managing operations
The ArcGIS Book explores Web GIS in ten chapters, each • GIS is Social: Web GIS is the GIS of the world
focused on one big idea. You will learn how to do new
things with GIS and accomplish familiar tasks more quickly The ArcGIS Book is available in print, as a downloadable
and easily. For inspiration on what you can do with Web pdf, and as an interactive website. See it come alive at
GIS, the book includes links to hundreds of live examples www.TheArcGISBook.com.
of web maps and apps as well as videos of thought

Esri Unveils ArcGIS Earth to “ArcGIS Earth is a revolutionary desktop application that
offers GIS to the world,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri
the World founder and president. “It supports spatial data formats
and workflows that are familiar to your enterprise. It is
a core component of Esri’s secure, stable, and mature
ArcGIS platform, and it’s another tool for serving all your
internal and external users through GIS.”

Demand for 3D mapping continues to grow among Esri

customers in industries as diverse as national and local
government, urban design and planning, and commercial
space management. These customers are using 3D to
visualize plans and conditions, understand the behavior and
aesthetics of proposed development, and communicate
ideas in the context of real-world imagery and data.
Esri, the world leader in mapping technology, has launched ArcGIS Earth allows users to examine interrelationships
ArcGIS Earth, a free, desktop-based interactive globe that of assets in 3D, report project status, and present work
anyone can use to explore the world and work with a variety to stakeholders or clients in a compelling and interactive
of 3D and 2D map data formats including KML. ArcGIS experience.
Earth allows users to quickly display data on the globe,
sketch place marks, measure distances and areas, and
add annotations to easily understand spatial information.
esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 5
NEWS
ArcGIS Earth is designed to provide a high-performance “Location is fundamental to realizing value in being
globe viewer with an immersive user interface. connected,” said Chris Cappelli, Global Business
Development, Esri.
ArcGIS Earth users can explore open standard KML and
KMZ data, shapefiles, imagery, and web services; tilt and “There can be no IoT without understanding the physical
rotate the view; measure distances and areas on the globe; and spatial context of the machines it consists of. The
and supplement maps with sketches and annotations. common language of geography unlocks the value in IoT
ArcGIS Earth includes free content that encompasses data streams.”
global imagery, topographic maps, world ocean maps,
OpenStreetMap, and publicly available maps shared by The Esri and Microsoft collaboration will rapidly enable IoT
millions of ArcGIS users around the world. scenarios by offering customers and partners a set of highly
capable platform services as ready-to-use, preconfigured
“Enterprise customers can use ArcGIS Earth to put the solutions. This forthcoming integrated offering is the next
power of mapping into the hands of anyone in a large step in Microsoft’s and Esri’s long-standing alliance to
organization who needs to reliably access a map,” said spatially enable the enterprise.
Chris Andrews, Esri product manager for ArcGIS Earth.
“The application combines a familiar, immersive, globe- Smart city concepts and innovations in the automotive
based experience that is accessible by nontechnical users, industry are examples of how data from many sources
with the power to access any data stored in the ArcGIS increases understanding. Governments and businesses
platform. With ArcGIS Earth, we are adding an option to use that data to improve safety features, reduce air
help our users share the value of GIS throughout their pollution, and mitigate traffic congestion.
organizations or even beyond.”
“The Azure IoT Suite enables customers to rapidly deploy
ArcGIS Earth is fully integrated with the ArcGIS platform— pre-configured solutions that scale to millions of devices
on-premises and in the cloud—for the secure access, and help them realize business value from IoT,” said Sam
sharing, and publishing of enterprise maps and data, and George, partner director of Azure Internet of Things,
continued operations with minimal interruption. Users Microsoft. “Our collaboration with Esri will extend the
with an ArcGIS account can access secured data in ArcGIS Azure IoT Suite to include rich location and geo-spatial
Online or ArcGIS for Server including feature, scene, map, services, which are critical in the world of IoT.”
and image services.
Esri and Microsoft look forward to building on their
ArcGIS Earth is also part of Esri’s offer for Google customers collaboration to deliver IoT offerings as the market
and partners looking to transition to Esri software following advances.
the deprecation of Google Earth Enterprise. Along with
other capabilities of the ArcGIS platform, ArcGIS Earth
provides an alternative to Google Earth Enterprise Client.
Esri’s ArcGIS to Support
SAP HANA as Enterprise
Geodatabase, Deepening
Esri Collaborates with Integration Across Products
Microsoft to Incorporate
Location Services and Spatial SAP announced that through a global technology
partnership, Esri will commercially support ArcGIS
Analytics using SAP HANA as an enterprise geodatabase.

This release of ArcGIS, planned for 2016, expands the

The Internet of Things (IoT) inspires new ways of thinking existing native integration with SAP HANA and allows
about how we work with and share information. And now customers to run all their SAP Business Suite and ArcGIS
enterprises are getting ready to intelligently consume IoT’s applications within an architecture based on SAP HANA.
large data streams in real time. To help with this, Esri Inc. is The companies will further enhance the SAP HANA
working with Microsoft Corporation to integrate location platform by more deeply integrating advanced ArcGIS
services and spatial analytics to the Microsoft Azure IoT geospatial capabilities and content across SAP’s broader
Suite. application portfolio. The collaboration between SAP

6 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 NEWS
and Esri is expected to harness the power of combining invested in Esri and SAP can immediately create maps
two market-leading platforms, providing the ability to run populated with data from SAP HANA and instantly access
both GIS workloads and advanced spatial analytics on a those maps anywhere on any ArcGIS client, as well as in
single SAP HANA geodatabase. Customers will be able SAP or custom applications. Today users of SAP HANA
to apply sophisticated business rules and relationships can access ArcGIS for geospatial data and geoservices
to spatial data directly in SAP HANA, define advanced and perform analytics, while Esri users can similarly
georelational models such as topologies and networks, access, analyze and query both spatial and nonspatial
and permit both GIS and enterprise business users to work data directly in SAP HANA. Esri supports deployments
within the same multiuser access and editing environment. of SAP HANA with query layers and features services
In addition, the planned integration will result in massive for customers that want to dramatically increase spatial
parallelization of computationally intense workloads, all in query performance by running SAP HANA side by side
memory, enabling new solutions that could not previously with ArcGIS.
be delivered.
“Our customers represent a new generation of data
“We’re very excited about the enterprise geodatabase stewards requiring an in-memory computing platform that
support for SAP HANA,” said Jack Dangermond, performs at scales unseen before — including large-scale
president, Esri. “It will bring our customers speed, geography,” said Daniel Schneiss, senior vice president
simplicity and better integration with their enterprise and global head, SAP HANA Platform and Databases,
information. For SAP customers, it delivers a complete SAP. “As we enter a world of exponential data growth and
platform for mapping and geospatial intelligence. By the Internet of Things, the need to geospatially analyze
synchronizing our platforms, our respective customers Big Data will only increase from this point forward. We
will benefit across the enterprise. We’re doing the work to look forward to teaming with Esri to address this need by
make sure that GIS and mapping is available to all — not integrating the full power of ArcGIS technology with SAP
just traditional mapping experts.” HANA.”

SAP and Esri have been technology partners for a For more information on SAP and Esri,
number of years, providing integration of their respective visit www.esri.com/saphana
platforms, SAP HANA and Esri ArcGIS. Companies

Esri India launches

mApp Your WayTM 2016

With a view to provide a platform to the institutes and Surya Durbha, Associate Professor, Centre of Studies in
students to showcase their skills and capabilities in the Resources Engineering, IIT Bombay said, “It is good to see
GIS technology, a Geographic Information System (GIS) the growing interest in the academia about the impact
Software & Solutions provider, Esri India, has announced of GIS technology on a variety of challenging real world
the second edition of ‘mApp Your Way 2016’, an App applications. The mApp Your Way challenge provides a
Development Challenge. great opportunity for the youth of India to create solutions
that would help in dealing with some key societal issues.”
All the students (UG/PG/Research scholars) associated
with the institutions that are users of Geospatial / ArcGIS Participating teams will be given four months to develop
technology can participate in this event. the app on Esri’s ArcGIS platform on themes spanning
across education, health, retail, transport, energy and
Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India said, “GIS technology environment and government projects. These apps
now plays an important role in all walks of life. Through will then be judged on the uniqueness of the problem
this initiative, Esri India will familiarize students with GIS statement, innovation, citizen impact, usefulness and
technology and help them understand its benefits better”. ability to be scaled for larger use.

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 7

NEWS

Esri Takes Top project demonstrations.

TM Forum’s Catalyst program connects diverse companies

Award for from across industries, facilitating collaboration and
fostering the cocreation of innovative solutions to pressing

Internet of Things telecommunications business challenges. Catalysts are

member-led projects and demonstrations that both inform

Innovation
and leverage TM Forum best practices and standards
including TM Forum Frameworx.

The organization announces Catalyst Awards biannually.

Winning teams leverage proven technologies,
Esri, the leader in geospatial technology, was honored at
competencies, and investments. Teams have six months to
the TM Forum Catalyst InFocus event for the company’s
develop proofs of concept that outline digital solutions.
contributions to developing solutions for a more
connected world. TM Forum, a global industry association
In addition to his work on the Smart Energy Catalyst,
for digital business, presented Esri and partners with the
Frantz accepted a position earlier this year as colead of
Most Innovative Catalyst Award.
TM Forum’s IoT work stream. The endeavor explores how
location, advanced sensor and device data, and powerful
“We’re driving toward the ultimate Internet of Things (IoT)
industrial and consumer solutions can change social norms
ecosystem where you can bring different applications
and bring business into the modern technology framework.
together that are going to make our lives safer, more
TM Forum includes more than 900 member organizations
energy efficient, and much better in the future,” said Randy
and 85,000 individual members.
Frantz, telecommunications solutions director at Esri.
Learn more about Esri solutions for telecommunications at
Esri’s telecommunications team collaborated with Orange
esri.com/telecom.
and BearingPoint on the award-winning proof-of-concept
project called the Smart Energy Catalyst. The project
showcased how a smart home, smart electric vehicle, and
smart energy system can work together in an IoT ecosystem
with location as a key interaction point.

The multiphase project examined the infrastructure

necessary to support a smart energy ecosystem. With
the latest iteration of the Catalyst, the project team
demonstrated how geofencing in homes and cars can work
with Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) technology.
When the consumer leaves home or work, mobile devices
trigger the GIS to initiate a series of notifications and
actions. For example, lights in homes automatically turn
off, security systems are enabled, and users are notified
that their electric vehicle needs charging.

“Location provides context to the IoT network. It transforms

raw sensor data into useful, actionable information,” Frantz
said.

TM Forum’s Strategy Committee gave the award to the

Smart Energy Catalyst team based on several criteria,
including having a compelling and inspiring demonstration;
growth potential and business value; and potential for
humanitarian or other positive effects on society.

Nearly 200 industry leaders attended the Catalyst InFocus

conference, where they explored the organization’s 11

8 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 NEWS

Esri India receives location of customers and their transactions, a bank can
better manage its branch networks and merchants and
understand the competition and regulators. It helps banks
Technoviti Award to reach out to distant customer, decongest a branch, take
right decisions in terms of branch and ATM placement,

for Enterprise GIS enables market comparison vis-a-vis performance,

plan rural marketing better. It is helping insurance

platform for BFSI

organisations in collection tracking, claim monitoring, and
risk assessments.

Enterprise GIS from Esri India is a mapping platform for the

organisations for organising & managing the geographic
Esri India, country’s leading Geographic Information
context of their assets and resources. It is used for creating
System (GIS) Software & Solutions provider has been
and using maps; compiling geographic data; analyzing
conferred with ‘Enterprise GIS platform for BFSI’ award in
mapped information; sharing and discovering geographic
the Technoviti Awards 2016, financial services technology
information; using maps and geographic information
innovation awards.
in a range of applications; and managing geographic
information in a database. The system provides an
The award is a result of a rigorous process where a jury of 28
infrastructure for making maps and geographic information
leading CXO’s and consultants of BFSI industry evaluated
available throughout an organization, across a community,
and judged the technology innovations. Some of the
and openly on the Web. The Platform is designed to
distinguished jury members included Sunder Krishnan,
run infrastructure, either on-premises or in virtualized
Chief Risk Officer, Reliance Life Insurance, Sameer Jaini,
environments. It can be configured to work within the
CTO, DCB Bank, M.K. Madhavan, CTO, IndusInd Bank and
existing IT infrastructure and integrate with the enterprise
Dennis Thomas, KPMG.
security systems. Technoviti is a unique platform that
helps the BFSI fraternity to understand the technology
The 23 most promising innovations were honoured with
innovations that would be future game changers. This
Technoviti Awards based on innovation and benefits to the
year’s theme was “Technoviti 2016 – Futurecrafting
stakeholders.
Business with Technoruptions”.

At its core, BFSI is a location based business. Location data

is pervasive across all departments. By understanding the

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 9

PRODUCT REVIEW

AppStudio for ArcGIS: A New Platform for

Building Native Apps
ArcGIS users can now easily build native apps that run on AppStudio provides a cost-effective way to create and
any device using AppStudio for ArcGIS, a groundbreaking distribute apps to the public. Organizations can leverage
tool from Esri. their existing GIS work and exploit the developer
capacities they already have. AppStudio was designed to
Build an app once, and it runs on Android, iOS, Windows, enable anyone with GIS skills to configure out-of-the-box
OS X, and Linux devices. templates; no coding is required.

Existing ArcGIS users can convert their maps directly into

native apps that are ready to use.

These beautiful, simple native GIS apps can be shared

with the public through all popular app stores or securely
within an enterprise.

Expand Your Reach

Companies and organizations—particularly cities and local

governments—need to broaden their reach and engage
community members with useful content to promote the
good work they do.

What if, for example, there was an easy way for residents
to report streetlights that have gone out, share and view That said, if an organization wants to take a deeper
popular dining spots, or find mountain biking trail maps? dive with developer tools to customize apps or build
To make these things accessible, organizations need to them from scratch, AppStudio comes with an integrated
expand their web presence into the Google Play, Apple, development environment and provides the source code
and Microsoft app stores. for its templates, which developers can use as a starting
point.
This can be challenging in the face of tight timelines,
restricted budgets, and scarcity of GIS developer resources.
10 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com
 PRODUCT REVIEW
Your Apps Everywhere, on Any Device GIS managers devices is useful now that more and more organizations
under pressure to deliver GIS apps and data quickly can are letting employees bring their own devices to the
use AppStudio to let their departments focus on what’s workplace.
important—sharing their work—rather than worrying
about app development. Additionally, AppStudio gives developers options for
customization. They can either dig into the templates
Whereas GIS departments previously had to build a that come with the tool or start coding from scratch.
separate app for each platform they supported—one for Developers can also include advanced GIS functionality
iOS, one for Android, and one for Windows—they can by bringing into play device hardware such as graphics
now build one app for all platforms. After using a step- processing units (GPUs), RAM, cameras, microphones, and
by-step app building wizard, users check a box for each accelerometers.
platform they want the app to run on. AppStudio then
automatically generates the installation files for each of Gain Power over Constraints
the selected platforms.
AppStudio gives power back to GIS organizations. No
Organizations also have the option to share apps internally longer constrained by having to create five separate apps
only. While this enables GIS departments to limit app for five different devices, organizations can now build apps
distribution altogether, it is also a way for them to do as quickly and as customized as they wish and share them
centralized testing or debugging before sharing new apps as widely—internally or externally—as they want.
more widely.
By allowing organizations to further leverage their
Great for Developers investments in ArcGIS, AppStudio lets even more people
benefit from the valuable work being done by GIS
AppStudio makes GIS developers much more efficient. departments—on any device.
Being able to produce apps that function across multiple

No Programming Required
Create web apps rapidly with Web This article shows how to create a web mapping application
based on a web map in ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS
AppBuilder for ArcGIS
in just six steps without having to write a single line of
code.
Do you want to build web mapping applications you can
run on desktop, web, or mobile platforms without doing
any programming? Then all you need is an ArcGIS Online
or Portal for ArcGIS account.
1 Select a web map and activate Web
AppBuilder for ArcGIS
ArcGIS Online and Portal for ArcGIS now include Web
Log in to your ArcGIS Online (or Portal for ArcGIS)
AppBuilder for ArcGIS, which lets you create custom web
account. Navigate to your My Content page and select
mapping applications
a web map that you want to use in your web app. Open
in a what you see is what
it in the map viewer. Click Share. In the Share dialog,
you get (WYSIWYG)
select the group or groups you want to share the web
wizard environment
map with, and then click Make a Web Application.
that is intuitive and
easy to use. Web
In the Make a Web Application dialog, you will see that
AppBuilder for ArcGIS
you could create a web app using the Web Application
is built on ArcGIS API
templates. But in this case, click the Web AppBuilder tab
for JavaScript and
to create a new web app in Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS.
HTML5, enabling you
to create apps that can
run on any device.

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PRODUCT REVIEW
to the way it was. Note that each option also has its own
unique style and layout options. Select a theme for your
new web app along with a style and layout and then click
Save in the lower part of the left section.

Next, Click the Attributes tab. On this tab, you can further
refine the appearance of your web app. You can add a
custom logo, title, and optional subtitle and web links for
your web app. Add an appropriate title for your web app;
On the Web AppBuilder tab, provide a title, appropriate click the Logo button to add your own custom logo; and
tags, and a summary description of the web app you will add a subtitle and web links, if desired. Click Save when
create for your selected web map. Then click Get Started. you are finished with your custom settings.
This will activate the Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS “builder”
application.

Note that while you are still in either ArcGIS Online

or Portal for ArcGIS, you are now working in the Web
AppBuilder for ArcGIS application within those sites.
Alternatively, you could have also activated Web
AppBuilder for ArcGIS directly from the My Content page
by clicking Create > App > Use the Web AppBuilder.

The Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS application layout is

divided into two general sections. To the left are the
3Customize
web app
the map display of your

different parameter settings you can enable and configure Click the Map tab. On this tab, you can change the data
for your new web app. To the right is a live, WYSIWYG content for your new web app by simply clicking the
preview of how the web app will appear after you have Choose Web Map button. In the Choose Web Map dialog,
configured parameters for the web app. you will see all the web maps in My Content of your ArcGIS
Online (or Portal for ArcGIS) account. You can also view the
Notice that the left section of the layout contains four tabs: web maps that you can access in your organization, the
Themes, Map, Widgets, and Attributes. These are the groups you belong to, and public web maps. But you will
main areas where you can configure and customize your use the web map you originally selected for this new web
new web app. Both the Themes and Attributes tabs are for app; therefore, click Cancel.
defining the look and feel of the web app.
You can navigate and change the spatial extent of the
The Map tab defines the data content of the web app—in current map display in the right-hand section of Web
this case, it is the web map you selected. The Widgets tab AppBuilder for ArcGIS. Zoom to the spatial extent that
allows you to set and configure the functionality in the new you want your new web app to show when the app starts
web app. When you make a change in the left section in one up and click the Use Current Map View button. Click Save
of the four tabs, it will be immediately visible (if applicable) when you are finished.
and enabled in the right display preview section of Web
AppBuilder for ArcGIS. This provides a very intuitive and
user-friendly experience so you can see and try out the
changes you just set for the web app. For example, if you
4Configure
functionality
your web app’s

were to add a new widget button to the app interface, it Define the different capabilities available in your new
would appear in the app layout. web app. Click the Widgets tab. This tab lists the
different functionalities that you can add to your new

2Configure
web app
the look and feel of your web app. A widget is a chunk of code that enables
functionality in web apps. By selecting and adding
widgets, you enable different functionalities in the app.
Click the Themes tab. There are two default themes
available: Foldable and Tab. First, click the Tab Theme A best practice is to create web apps that meet a specific
button. You will notice that the app’s layout changes in business workflow instead of generic apps that address
the preview window on the right. Then click the Foldable multiple workflows.
Theme button. You will see that the app layout returns

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 PRODUCT REVIEW
For example, you should create an app for editing parcels You have now completed setting the appearance, data
and a different one for collecting data from the field, content, and functionality of your new web app. Your
instead of a single app that would do both. custom web app is complete and ready to use.

The Widgets tab lists several widgets that form part of the
user interface (UI) of your new web app. Hover your cursor
over a widget such as Geocoder. Notice that the widget
5 Save and launch your web app

Your new web app is saved in My Content. The web app

becomes highlighted in red in the app preview display. becomes a new item and can be edited within the Web
Some widgets in the list appear in light blue, indicating AppBuilder for ArcGIS builder environment at any time.
that they are not activated, and therefore, not part of your It is now live and can be accessed by anyone you have
app. To disable a widget, hover over the upper-right corner shared it with. Click Launch at the bottom of the left-hand
of the widget icon and click when an eye icon appears to section to run your newly created web app in the web
hide it. To configure a widget’s specific properties, hover browser.
over the lower-right corner of the widget icon and click
the pencil icon when it appears. At the bottom are three
generic widget icons denoted by the numbers 1, 2, and 3.
These are currently empty placeholders that enable you to
add more widgets to the web app UI, if desired.

Click Widget 1 on the Widgets tab to make the Choose

Widget dialog appear. In this dialog, you can select the
widget you want to add. Select the Basemap Gallery widget

6 See how your web app will appear

on different devices

Because Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS is built on ArcGIS

API for JavaScript and HTML5, the new app can run on
any web browser on any device. The Web AppBuilder
for ArcGIS user interface provides an environment that
enables you to preview how the web app will look on
these different platforms.

and click OK. Next, the widget’s configuration properties At the bottom of the left-hand section, click the Previews
dialog appears—this is where you can further define the button. This changes the entire Web AppBuilder for
properties of the widget. Select the basemaps you want ArcGIS display interface. On the left, a list of mobile
available and click OK to save your widget settings. The devices is shown, and on the right is a preview of how
Basemap widget now appears in the app preview display. the new web app will look in the selected device. Click
Click the Basemap widget in the preview window to see Configure to return to the previous Web AppBuilder for
how it would work in the web app. ArcGIS interface when you are done.

If you need to add more widgets to the app, you can click See how easy it was to create, configure, and launch a
the Header Controller widget at the top of the Widgets tab. custom web mapping application in Web AppBuilder for
It contains widgets in the app title bar. Web AppBuilder ArcGIS? Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS is also extensible,
for ArcGIS includes more than 20 widgets. More widgets meaning you can create your own widgets and themes
are added with each new ArcGIS Online and Portal for using the Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS Developer Edition
ArcGIS update. The widgets initially offered provide core and with ArcGIS API for JavaScript.
functionalities typically found in GIS applications and are
listed in Table 1. The complete list of available widgets and
information on configuring widgets is available from the
ArcGIS Online help.

Select and add the widgets that would be appropriate

for your new web app. Click Save when you are finished.

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 13

Esri Apps – Making ArcGIS
Available everywhere

One of the things that is making ArcGIS come alive is • Survey123 for ArcGIS is a simple and intuitive form-
apps. Apps are opening it up, making it available to centric data gathering solution for creating, sharing
everybody in your organization, including the public. Esri and analyzing surveys in three easy steps. You can
has three main areas that they are working on: field apps, create smart forms with skip logic, defaults, support
office apps, and apps for citizen or public engagement. for multiple languages, and much more. Field workers
with mobile devices can use the app to capture data
Esri offers ready-to-use apps that let you share the content in any environment, with minimal training. The data
you create in ArcGIS with users across your organization, can be quickly analyze the results to make actionable
from professional analysts to business users to field decisions. As the app is fully integrated with the
personnel. ArcGIS apps are designed to help you analyze ArcGIS platform, you can gather data in the field on
information, make decisions, monitor your operations, any device, even when disconnected, and securely
gather and edit data in the field, and share information sync it to ArcGIS for further analysis.
with anyone who needs it. You can access these apps over
the web, on mobile devices, or in your business systems.

All the apps are connected to each other by means of

workflows. Because they are all connected, the users are
guided to the right app based on their task. They are not
bothered with functionality they do not need, and based
on where they are in the workflow, they are sent to the
right app automatically.

Esri has apps categorized around three main areas:

field apps, office apps, and apps for citizen or public
engagement.
Survey123 for ArcGIS is a simple and intuitive form-centric
data gathering solution that makes creating, sharing, and
Apps for Field analyzing surveys

ArcGIS mobile apps help you view, collect, and edit data
• Navigator for ArcGIS is a mobile app that helps
in the field. You can use these apps to record field surveys,
you unlock efficiency and improve reliability of your
map edits, and other information captured by a wide range
field workforce. You can use the data provided or
of mobile devices. Field collection apps include:
your own data to search and navigate directly to your
• Collector for ArcGIS is a smartphone and tablet app
organization’s assets. The app can interact seamlessly
that lets you collect and update information in the
with Collector for ArcGIS and other apps, and get
field. You can even edit data when you have limited or
reliable directions even when disconnected.
no connectivity.

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 PRODUCT REVIEW
• Workforce for ArcGIS is a mobile app that uses the • Esri Maps for SharePoint allows you to quickly create
power of location to achieve better coordination dynamic, interactive maps of your SharePoint data and
and teamwork in your field workforce. It reduces uncover patterns and trends not evident from tables
reliance on paper and ensures everyone uses the and charts. You can connect these maps to other
same authoritative data, reducing errors, boosting SharePoint web parts and share them with internal
productivity, and saving money. Back-office staff use staff or the public.
Workforce in the web browser to assign work, monitor • Esri Maps for Dynamics CRM integrates ArcGIS maps
progress, and see where workers are in real time. Field and data visualization with Dynamics CRM. When you
workers use the Workforce mobile app to receive incorporate location in your customer management
assignments and communicate status. Workforce is system, you can improve promotion targeting, better
part of a suite of ArcGIS apps that enable organizations understand your sales territories, and build more
to maximize efficiency in their field workforces. effective relationships with your customers.
• Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS helps you monitor • Esri Maps for IBM Cognos lets you add ArcGIS maps
activities and events, track your field work force, and and data visualization to IBM Cognos. You can enhance
assess the status and performance of your daily your reports with interactive maps, take advantage of
operations. You can access your operation views from geoenriched data to solve problems, and share your
a web browser to keep track of your organization no results using web maps for your dashboard.
matter where you are. • Esri Maps for MicroStrategy brings ArcGIS maps
and data visualization to your MicroStrategy reports
and dashboards. You can filter data to spot trends and
Apps for the Office patterns and add customized maps to your reports to
keep decision makers informed.
ArcGIS Office apps give you a way to view and analyze • Esri Maps for Salesforce incorporates ArcGIS maps
the factors that influence your decisions. You can use these and data in your Salesforce customer relationship
apps to analyze business variables, plan projects, and management tools. You can geoenrich your business
target policies and resources to make a positive impact in information with demographics, consumer spending,
your community. These include: and lifestyle data to better understand your customers
• Esri Maps for Office lets you quickly create dynamic, and sales territories.
interactive maps inside your Excel spreadsheets, • Esri Maps for SAP BusinessObjects integrates
and enrich your spreadsheet data with ready-to-use ArcGIS maps and data with the SAP BusinessObjects
demographics and lifestyle data. You can use these environment. You can incorporate interactive maps
maps in PowerPoint presentations—both as static and location-based tools in your everyday workflows
map images and fully interactive maps—and share to gain new insights from business and social data.
them with internal staff or the public. • ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud enables
design and communications professionals to access
millions of data-driven maps inside Adobe’s design
apps. You can quickly find geographic content and
add them to your work as editable vector layers or
high-resolution images.
• ArcGIS Pro is the premier app for creating maps and
geographic data on the desktop. It is a fast, 64-bit
desktop application that lets you design, edit, and
process data in 2D and 3D. ArcGIS Pro is designed to
work with multiple displays and layouts, and lets you
publish finished web maps directly to ArcGIS Online
or Portal for ArcGIS.
• GeoPlanner for ArcGIS is a web application that helps
you evaluate land-use and development scenarios
Map your Excel data and work with maps in
so you can make more informed planning decisions.
many new ways
You can use GeoPlanner for ArcGIS to collaborate
on planning projects, run comparative analysis, and
create project reports.

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PRODUCT REVIEW
• Esri Business Analyst Online is a web application Apps for Community
that provides detailed information about businesses,
consumers, lifestyles, and buying behaviors in your ArcGIS also includes apps that let you discover, visualize,
market area. With Business Analyst Online, you can and share maps and other data quickly and easily. Sharing
perform site selection, analyze competitive factors, and visualization apps include:
and target customers. • ArcGIS Open Data allows organizations to provide
• ArcGIS Earth is a free, desktop-based interactive globe open access to their authoritative data through open
that anyone can use to explore the world and work data websites. The general public can use open data
with a variety of 3D and 2D map data formats including sites to search for data by topic or location, view data
KML. ArcGIS Earth allows users to quickly display data on an interactive web map and in a table, or download
on the globe, sketch place marks, measure distances data in multiple formats.
and areas, and add annotations to easily understand • Story Maps combine interactive maps and multimedia
spatial information. content into elegant user experiences. They make
it easy for you to harness the power of maps to tell
your stories. ArcGIS comes with more than a dozen
predefined story map templates that highlight places,
points of interest, map series, comparisons between
maps, and more.
• Crowdsource Reporter application can be used
to report a problem or observation. Users can
anonymously submit new reports, review existing
reports, and comment and vote on reports or
observations submitted by other users. They also
can authenticate with their social media or ArcGIS
Online credentials and track the status of problems or
observations they have reported.
• Crowdsource Manager application can be used to
review problems or observations reported. Users
authenticate with their ArcGIS credentials and look for
patterns and clusters, review problem details, update
ArcGIS Earth allows users to quickly display status, and assign responsibility.
data on the globe, sketch place marks, measure • Crowdsource Polling application can be used to
distances and areas, and add annotations to easily gauge sentiment on specific plans or proposals. Users
understand spatial information. can anonymously submit new comments and/or vote
on the importance of the plan or proposal. They also
• Esri Community Analyst is a web application that can authenticate with their social media credentials
provides detailed information about demographics, and have an open dialog with other members of the
health, crime, and businesses in your community. community.
With Community Analyst, you can identify community • Photo Survey leverages location-enabled photos
needs, refine policy decisions, and allocate resources produced by many commercially available cameras
more effectively. and simplifies data processing so street-level photo
• Explorer for ArcGIS is a simple, responsive app collections can be gathered on a regular basis. Photo
that makes it easy for anyone to consume ArcGIS collections can then be combined with relevant survey
content. You can use Explorer for ArcGIS to search for questions in an ArcGIS Online map, and shared with
data, access maps, and create presentations for your the Photo Survey application. Once complete, the
stakeholders. Photo Survey application can be used by the general
• Drone2Map for ArcGIS is a desktop app that turns public and/or local government staff to review street-
raw still imagery from drones into orthomosaics, 3D level photos and complete property surveys.
meshes, tile images, and more, in ArcGIS. You can • Quick Report Template can be used to create a citizen
create 2D and 3D maps of hard-to-access features and engagement native app that allows users to capture an
areas. observation and submit it to an online service.

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 PRODUCT REVIEW

Portal for ArcGIS

This article provides GIS managers and analysts with
an understanding of the fundamental concepts of
Portal for ArcGIS and its capabilities. It presents a
general overview of Portal for ArcGIS; discusses its
key features, architecture, and implementation; and
highlights the ArcGIS platform client applications
that are available with Portal for ArcGIS.

Traditionally, GIS has been a technology used by analysts

to perform spatial analysis and generate custom map
products that meet the specific needs of their organizations.
Although it was considered a niche technology, in recent
years the concept and importance of spatial location have
become more mainstream, and GIS awareness is now
becoming more prominent in many organizations.
Web GIS is a pattern for delivering GIS capabilities. It is
at the center of Esri’s strategic direction for implementing
GIS as a platform. The key concept behind web GIS
is that all members of an organization can easily access
and use geographic information within a collaborative
environment. Analysts still provide technical GIS expertise
in the traditional sense, but other staff in the organization other spatial content. In the back-office infrastructure, the
with little or no GIS knowledge can also benefit from and portal is powered by two components: GIS servers and
contribute to the organization’s GIS platform. Web GIS ready-to-use content.
leverages existing GIS investments and makes them The ArcGIS platform offers two deployment models for
discoverable and more accessible. It provides a platform for web GIS. ArcGIS Online, the cloud-based offering, has
integrating GIS with other business systems and promotes a software-asa-service (SaaS) deployment model. All
cross-organizational collaboration. Consequently, web GIS components are hosted in the cloud. There is no hardware
extends the reach of GIS to everyone in an organization, infrastructure for an organization to maintain because Esri
enabling better decision making. manages and maintains ArcGIS Online.
Alternatively, there is an on-premises model that includes
At the center of the web GIS pattern in the ArcGIS platform Portal for ArcGIS. Portal for ArcGIS is deployed with ArcGIS
is the generic concept of a portal that represents a gateway for Server and optionally with the ArcGIS Data Appliance.
for accessing all spatial products in an organization. The In the on-premises model, an organization manages the
portal helps organize, secure, and facilitate access to hardware infrastructure to operate the ArcGIS platform.
geographic information products.
Client applications on desktops, web apps, tablets, and Although there are two separate web GIS deployment
smartphones interact with the portal to search, discover, models, hybrid deployments that combine parts of the
and access maps and other spatial content. In the cloud-based model with parts of the on-premises model
back-office infrastructure, the portal is powered by two are not only possible but very popular. These two common
components: GIS servers and ready-to-use content. hybrid deployments are: ArcGIS Online + ArcGIS for Server
+ ArcGIS Online content and Portal for ArcGIS + ArcGIS for
Server + ArcGIS Online content. Selecting the appropriate
web GIS deployment model—SaaS, on-premises, or a
hybrid variation—will depend on an organization’s business
workflows and security requirements. Organizations can
use one or several deployment models of the ArcGIS
platform to enable web GIS to support their different lines
of business.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

What Is Portal for ArcGIS? of GIS content and promotes collaboration between staff
Portal for ArcGIS is a mapcentric content management within an organization. As a content management system,
system that an organization can host within its own Portal for ArcGIS can register and store many common
infrastructure. Portal can be deployed on Windows or types of GIS content associated with ArcGIS such as web
Linux operating systems and installed on an organization’s services, web applications, map documents, layer files,
physical machines or in the cloud. It is software that enables layer packages, geoprocessing packages, and shapefiles.
an organization to deploy the portal concept of the web It also supports many standard file formats such as comma-
GIS pattern. An organization that installs Portal for ArcGIS separated values (CSV); Adobe PDF; and Microsoft Word,
would typically already be using ArcGIS for Server as Excel, or PowerPoint files.
part of its GIS operations and is responsible for the
setup, configuration, and management of the portal. When a web service, web application, or data file is
registered or created in Portal for ArcGIS, it becomes a
Why Choose Portal for ArcGIS Portal item. An item defines a unique searchable element
There are several reasons why an organization chooses to in the portal that has descriptive information associated
implement Portal for ArcGIS instead of using ArcGIS Online with it and must be tagged with keyword(s). Depending on
for its web GIS portal. An organization may have sensitive the type of GIS content added, in some instances,
data that cannot be uploaded and stored in the cloud. the GIS resource is simply being referenced and not
Perhaps the organization has unique security constraints physically moved into Portal. For example, items could be
and IT policies that can only be addressed by running the referenced to an online resource such as a web service or
ArcGIS platform within the organization’s IT infrastructure. web application, or they can contain actual data
There may be requirements to honor strict servicelevel such as a tile package or PDF document. Portal for ArcGIS
agreements that cannot be currently met with ArcGIS can aggregate all of an organization’s GIS assets and
Online. The organization may work in an isolated/ related data files into a central location. It is a content
disconnected network environment that does not have management system for GIS resources that is easily
Internet access. While Portal for ArcGIS offers many searchable and accessible through the user-friendly Portal
capabilities available in ArcGIS Online, some functionality website.
may not yet be available because its development and
release schedule follows that of ArcGIS Online. Items in Portal for ArcGIS can be organized into Groups.
Conceptually, a Group is like a
folder containing a collection
of items. A Group can also be
empty and have no items (e.g.,
when a group is first created).
Groups can categorize items
for organizational purposes
and be leveraged to control
access to items. When an item
is first created, it is private by
default.
Only the item owner can see
and access it. The item owner
determines
if the item will be shared with
a specific group or groups,
with the organization, or
with everyone (i.e., publicly
accessible).
For example, item A is a
Key Features registered web service, and item B is a PDF document that
A common misperception is that Portal for ArcGIS simply has been uploaded into Portal. Item A has been shared
provides a website for displaying GIS content that facilitates with the organization, but item B is only shared with the
the search and discovery of spatial assets. It is much more Survey group. Only members who belong to the Survey
than a website. While the website is the primary interface group are able to see and access item B, but all Portal
for Portal, it is actually a mapcentric content management members are able to see and access item A.
system that provides a framework for the management

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 PRODUCT REVIEW
Groups can be used to promote sharing and collaboration This workflow can continue and allow many Portal members
for specific items among certain staff in the organization to interact with and leverage the web maps stored in Portal.
and can be created for different departments, teams, In effect, this is collaboration of spatial content based on
business units, projects, organizational themes, or used to maps. It is recommended that groups be used to help
replicate the internal structure of the organization. organize, filter, and govern the overall collection of web
maps and other GIS content within Portal for ArcGIS. Portal
members can also make web maps available to people
outside Portal for ArcGIS by sharing with everyone and
embedding web maps in HTML pages or directly sharing
URL links to web maps with others.
Web maps work with all ArcGIS platform client applications:
ArcGIS for Desktop, the ArcGIS web mapping APIs and
viewers (JavaScript, Flex, and Silverlight), the ArcGIS
mobile apps and APIs (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone),
ArcGIS Runtime SDKs, and Esri Location Analytics products
(e.g., Esri Maps for Office, Esri Maps for SharePoint, and
Esri Maps for IBM Cognos). Web maps with custom map
definitions and behaviors will all be honored in the ArcGIS
Portal for ArcGIS Map Viewer platform client applications. The web map is an interactive
A key aspect of the Portal for ArcGIS website is the display of geographic information that can be used to tell
map viewer. It provides an interactive means to perform stories and answer questions across multiple platforms
mapping and visualization of GIS data. A user first selects and devices and within many enterprise business systems.
a basemap, then searches for GIS content (typically web This further extends the reach of GIS assets within an
services) and adds them as operational layers (i.e., business organization.
information) onto the basemap. Optionally, the display
properties of the operational layers can be configured Application Templates
such as setting transparency and symbology and activating Portal for ArcGIS members can also build web applications
and customizing pop-ups and attribute tables. Users can for their web maps using the application templates
also add and display their own data, such as CSV, TXT, and included with Portal. With these templates, members can
shapefiles, on the map. The map viewer offers a simple create and deploy new web mapping applications for a web
and user-friendly mapping experience that makes it easy map without any programming. Once a web map is saved
to find, assemble, and create map information products.
It empowers those without GIS expertise to leverage GIS
technology with their organization’s GIS assets in a very
accessible manner that extends GIS technology to a
broader user base.

Web Maps
After creating a map in the map viewer, a Portal member
can save it as a web map. A web map is a container that
stores map definition (e.g., layers, visibility, and extent)
and behaviors (e.g., pop-up windows). The web map
concept is an important part of the web GIS pattern and
the ArcGIS platform. A web map is one of the mechanisms and shared, a Portal member can select an application
that promotes and facilitates sharing and collaboration in template, and the map’s data content populates the
Portal for ArcGIS. template to create a new web application.
For example, a member named Bob creates a new web
map in the map viewer, saves it, and shares it, making it The web application can be hosted within Portal for ArcGIS,
available to other Portal members. Anne, a coworker, can or its code can be downloaded onto a local machine and
open Bob’s web map in the map viewer and use it as a then hosted on an organization’s web server. Portal for
starting point for her own mapping visualization. She may ArcGIS includes many different application templates, and
add or modify the map contents, save it as a new web map, some can be further configured and customized. Each
and share it with other members. Anne leverages Bob’s template is designed for a specific use case such as telling
work, and they have both extended the organization’s GIS a story or answering questions.
content by contributing back their data and analysis.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

Hosted Services Portal for ArcGIS can be accessed with or without an ArcGIS
Portal for ArcGIS members can also add their own data to organizational account. When you access Portal with
Portal to create a hosted web service. Two types of hosted an ArcGIS organizational account, you become a Portal
web services are available: tiled map services and feature member and can be assigned into one of three role
services. Tiled map services are typically used for static types: Administrator, Publisher, or User. Portal for ArcGIS
data. Feature services are typically used for dynamic data. administrators control which role is assigned to a Portal
A Portal member can add data to Portal to create a hosted member.
web service under the My Contents section of the Portal
website. ArcGIS for Desktop and Esri Maps for Office Portal for ArcGIS administrators can customize and
users can also connect to Portal for ArcGIS and configuremany different properties of the Portal website
publish GIS content to Portal as a hosted web service. and determine the functionality available. They can change
the look and feel of the website home page, change gallery
ArcGIS Online Content page settings, set featured groups, define the basemaps
Portal for ArcGIS also provides access to all nine available in the map viewer, choose application templates,
basemaps available from ArcGIS Online: Imagery, and set utility services. Utility services are the web services
Imagery with Labels, Streets, Topographic, Terrain that power specific functionality in Portal such as printing
with Labels, Light Gray Canvas, National Geographic, maps, locating addresses, calculating area, and routing.
Oceans, and OpenStreetMap. Optionally, premium Portal for ArcGIS includes some default web services from
content from ArcGIS Online can also be used with Portal. ArcGIS Online for utility services, but you can optionally
use your organization’s web services to enable the utility
Architecture services.
Portal for ArcGIS, an optional extension included with
the ArcGIS for Server Advanced edition (Workgroup and Integration with ArcGIS for Server
Enterprise levels), is a different and separate installation Portal for ArcGIS complements ArcGIS for Server because
from ArcGIS for Server. It requires installation of the ArcGIS it provides an attractive front-end user experience for web
Web Adaptor, which is included with ArcGIS for Server. The services from an ArcGIS Server site. In addition, you can
Web Adaptor integrates Portal with an organization’s web use ArcGIS Server web services to power Portal’s utility
server architecture, enabling Portal to use an organization’s services such as geocoding, high-quality printing, and
identity store and security policies at the web-tier level. routing. Portal for ArcGIS can be integrated with ArcGIS
Portal for ArcGIS includes its own identity store but also for Server in three ways.
supports both Integrated Windows Authentication (IWA)
and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) authentication for Portal for ArcGIS with Registered Web
logging into the Portal website and accessing its content. Services
Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS for Server can be installed You can register web services from an ArcGIS Server site
on the same machine or on separate machines. Optionally, with Portal by simply adding the web services as Portal
they can share the same Web Adaptor. A Portal for ArcGIS items. The items reference the URL addresses of the web
instance includes: services. You can register both public and secured web
• The Portal website with map viewer services with Portal. For secured web services, you can
• A repository that contains the Portal content and index optionally save the authentication credentials with the
files item or have users submit authentication credentials when
• Application templates that can be used to deploy web they access it. Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS for Server are
applications for web maps two separate entities, each with its own identity stores.
• The Portal Sharing API, which exposes Portal for Conceptually with this integration, Portal for ArcGIS and
ArcGIS functionality as a REST endpoint and enables ArcGIS for Server are loosely coupled. Portal can have
access to the ArcGIS Portal Directory many registered web services from many different ArcGIS
When installing and setting up Portal for ArcGIS, the first Server sites.
time you attempt to access the Portal website, you will
need to specify an initial administrator account. You create Portal for ArcGIS with a Federated
this account when you initially log into and configure Portal Server
for ArcGIS. This is not an operating system account. It only In this configuration, Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS for
exists in the Portal for ArcGIS instance. After the initial Server are more closely integrated. When you federate an
configuration of your Portal instance, you can specify ArcGIS Server site with Portal, it uses Portal’s identity store.
other accounts as administrators, demote the initial This means that all Portal for ArcGIS members are now
administrator account to a different role, or delete it. the only valid logins to the ArcGIS Server site. The ArcGIS
Server site’s identity store is no longer used.

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 PRODUCT REVIEW
Any web services that are published to the ArcGIS Server also includes a locate workflow that spatially enables
site will automatically be available as an item in Portal, and SharePoint lists containing address data.
when users try to access the item, they will have a single • Collector for ArcGIS is a field data collection and
sign-on user experience. Portal can be federated with editing app for smartphones and tablets designed to
multiple ArcGIS Server sites. help field staff rapidly collect and update data in the
field using web maps from Portal for ArcGIS.
Portal for ArcGIS with a Hosted Server • Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS allows decision
In this option, you can configure a federated ArcGIS Server makers, operations managers, and section leaders
site to be a hosting server for Portal. This enables Portal to monitor activities and events; track their field
members who are publishers to publish tiled map services work force; and assess the status of daily operations.
and feature services to Portal. They can publish hosted The Operations
web services directly in Portal, ArcGIS for Desktop, and Esri Dashboard
Maps for Office. The web services are hosted by ArcGIS app creates
Server on the back end. This option requires a multiuser and manages
geodatabase that is registered as a managed geodatabase operation views
data store for the federated ArcGIS Server site. Portal can within Portal.
only have one ArcGIS Server site as a hosted server. When members
A Portal for ArcGIS instance can use one or all of these open an operation
integration options with ArcGIS for Server and with multiple view in Portal, it
ArcGIS Server sites. Selecting which integration option(s) to downloads and
use will depend on your organization’s business workflows. installs the app on
their computer.
Clients to Portal for ArcGIS These ArcGIS
All ArcGIS platform client applications work with web maps client applications
from Portal for ArcGIS. ArcGIS for Desktop and both the extend the reach of your organization’s GIS assets in
ArcGIS viewer applications (Flex and Silverlight) are good Portal for ArcGIS to a broader user base.
examples of clients that fully support web maps. Portal for
ArcGIS leverages your existing GIS investments because Portal for ArcGIS with a Hosted Server
you can register all your existing GIS web applications as Web GIS is a pattern for delivering GIS capabilities and
Portal items. Several ArcGIS client applications have been a key concept of implementing GIS as a platform. Portal
designed specifically to work with Portal for ArcGIS (and for ArcGIS is a mapcentric content management system
ArcGIS Online). that enables an organization to deploy the portal concept
• Esri Maps for Office provides mapping capabilities of the web GIS pattern in its own infrastructure. Portal for
in Microsoft Office through an add-in. You can use ArcGIS is more than a website. It is a framework for the
this add-in with Microsoft Excel to create web maps management of GIS content and promotes collaboration
in Portal that show data from Excel spreadsheets. between users within an organization. Portal leverages
existing GIS investments by making them discoverable and
more accessible. By empowering people to use and create
maps accessed from many client apps and platforms, it
extends the reach of GIS to everyone in the organization,
enabling better decision making.

About the Author

Derek Law works on the ArcGIS for Server product
management team. He is involved with requirements
gathering, software development, and product evangelism.
His technical expertise is focused on ArcGIS for Server,
Portal for ArcGIS, and web mapping technologies.
He has an MSc in remote sensing from the University of
Additionally, an add-in for Microsoft PowerPoint lets Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
you embed these web maps into your presentations.
• Esri Maps for SharePoint provides mapping capabilities
in Microsoft SharePoint through a map Web Part for
SharePoint pages. You can use this to display content
from Portal for ArcGIS in your SharePoint pages. It

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COVER STORY

ArcGIS and Developers

ArcGIS is the platform for developers who want to build ArcGIS content and services you host behind your firewall.
location-based apps that support the specific needs of their
users. With ArcGIS, you can develop apps using the APIs or ArcGIS also lets you create public-facing apps that deliver
SDKs of your choice and deploy them on any platform or information and tools to a wide audience. ArcGIS helps you
device. Apps you create using ArcGIS developer tools can streamline your apps so users can quickly and easily find
also connect to Esri’s cloud services, letting you access a the information they need. For example, a city can deploy
wide range of ready-to-use content and location services. a web app that lets residents select their neighborhood to
Anyone with an ArcGIS Online account or enterprise login see the real-time locations of tree trimmers, snowplows, or
can access ArcGIS APIs and SDKs. Esri also offers a free sanitation trucks.
development and testing account to help developers
get started. More information about how to sign up
for an introductory developer account is available at
developers.arcgis.com/sign-up.

Build Apps for Any Audience

ArcGIS lets you build apps for anyone who needs them.
You can create apps as an internal developer in an ArcGIS
organization, build apps for other ArcGIS users, or share
your apps with the community at large. Regardless of your
audience, ArcGIS apps help you deliver key insights to end
users so they can make better, more informed decisions.
You can also build apps for the ArcGIS user community and
When you develop apps for users in your organization, provide them as an authorized developer. With ArcGIS,
you can deliver tailored functionality that suits their you maintain full ownership over the data you use in your
specific workflows. For example, you can build a network apps and the revenue they earn. When you publish your
monitoring app (like the one shown to the right) that lets apps to the ArcGIS Marketplace, you can take advantage
utility managers quickly examine areas affected by an of tools to generate leads and manage subscriptions, offer
outage, isolate the cause, and dispatch personnel to the free trials, and promote your apps directly to ArcGIS users.
site of the problem. Your internal-facing apps can integrate
with your organization’s user logins, security permissions,
and enterprise systems. They can also securely access any

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 COVER STORY

Develop on Any Platform - ArcGIS APIs for Windows Desktop and Windows Store, allowing
you to create apps that run on all Windows devices,
& SDKs
regardless of form factor.
ArcGIS includes a variety of developer APIs and SDKs so
you can build custom apps for any platform or device— Desktop SDKs
including smartphones, tablets, desktops, and web
browsers. These development options give you the ArcGIS developers can also build native apps for desktop
flexibility you need to deliver focused capabilities to the platforms that integrate a wide range of ArcGIS mapping
client platforms that make sense for your users. and analysis capabilities. For example, your apps can
display and edit maps while offline, access data in the
cloud, run geoprocessing tools, perform geocoding and
Mobile SDKs
place search, and generate optimized routes.
You can use ArcGIS developer tools to build native apps
for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets that let
you access ArcGIS content and capabilities in the field.
These apps can take advantage of the unique technology
available on these devices, including onboard GPS
software, built-in cameras, messaging services, and more.
Your apps can also access and edit your maps and data
while offline, then sync the changes later.

ArcGIS offers runtime SDKs for major desktop platforms

including:

• OS X — With the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for OS X,

you can develop Cocoa applications for Macs that
incorporate a wide range of mapping and spatial
analysis tasks including data visualization, editing,
geocoding, routing, and more. Application logic you
write for OS X can be reused in iOS and vice versa
by simply changing the UI to target the appropriate
ArcGIS offers runtime SDKs for common mobile platforms
device.
including:
• Windows Desktop — The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for
.NET lets you build ArcGIS applications that run on the
• Android — The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android
Windows Desktop platform. You can reuse code from
lets you build Android apps that incorporate the
applications that you develop for Windows Phone and
powerful mapping, geocoding, geoprocessing, and
Windows Store, allowing you to create apps that run
other spatial analysis capabilities provided by ArcGIS.
on all Windows devices, regardless of form factor.
The SDK includes a plug-in to the Eclipse integrated
• Windows Store — With the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for
development environment (IDE) that provides a rich
.NET, you can create Windows Store apps that take
set of tools, documentation, and samples to help
advantage of the powerful mapping and analysis
developers create applications using the SDK.
capabilities of ArcGIS. You can reuse code from
• iOS — With the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for iOS, you can
applications that you develop for Windows Desktop
develop focused applications for iOS devices like iPad
and Windows Phone so your apps can run on all
and iPhone that incorporate the powerful mapping,
Windows devices.
geocoding, geoprocessing, and other spatial analysis
capabilities provided by ArcGIS. You can develop your
iOS apps in whatever programming language you
Web APIs
prefer—Swift or Objective-C.
You can also develop web applications that are accessible
• Windows Phone — The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for .NET
anywhere, in any web browser, and on any device. These
lets you create native Windows applications that you
apps can deliver content and services provided by ArcGIS
can deploy on Windows Phone devices in the field.
to anyone who needs them, whether they’re hosted on
You can reuse code from applications that you develop
premises, in the cloud, or both.
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COVER STORY
For example, you can create a public awareness app that Cross-platform development options for ArcGIS include:
shows residents what critical services are available to the
local community and where to access them. • Java — With the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java, you can
develop focused mapping and analysis applications for
Windows and Linux platforms. The SDK includes code
samples and project templates that demonstrate how
to implement the API as well as best coding practices
to help you get started. You can also develop your
applications with a series of included SDK jars and an
Eclipse plug-in.
• Qt — The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt lets you
build native, cross-platform mapping and analysis
applications for Android, iOS, OS X, Windows, and
Linux. These apps support modular deployment, so
you only need to maintain the parts of the library that
ArcGIS offers web APIs for common web development your apps depend on.
platforms including:
Access Ready-to-Use Content
• Flex — The ArcGIS API for Flex lets you develop
dynamic rich Internet applications that incorporate the ArcGIS includes a living atlas of ready-to-use content that
mapping and spatial analysis capabilities of ArcGIS. you can use in your apps, such as basemaps, imagery,
Apps you create with the ArcGIS API for Flex are built and thematic maps covering hundreds of topics. You can
on the Apache Flex framework, which lets you develop combine this content with your own data to create new
using Flex components like grids, trees, and charts. maps and apps designed specifically for your users.
• JavaScript — With the ArcGIS API for JavaScript, With ArcGIS, your apps can access imagery for the entire
you can build and deploy web applications that use world, as shown to the right. This imagery is built from
content and services from ArcGIS. The API is built on the best available data provided by both commercial and
JavaScript frameworks like Dojo, jQuery, or ExtJS, so community sources. ArcGIS also offers near real-time
you can develop using HTML5 and CSS3 components. imagery for parts of the world affected by major events.
Your JavaScript applications also support popular web In addition, you can use ArcGIS to compare current and
browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, historical imagery to survey changes over time, such as
and mobile browsers, so they can work anywhere. conditions before and after a disaster.
• Silverlight — The ArcGIS API for Silverlight lets
you create web applications that use the powerful
mapping and analysis capabilities of ArcGIS. Apps you
create with the API are built on the Microsoft Silverlight
framework, which lets you develop using Silverlight
components such as data grids, trees, charts, and
panels.

Cross-Platform SDKs

ArcGIS also offers runtime SDKs for application frameworks

that support cross-platform development. These
development options make it easy to develop your app Your apps can also incorporate ready-to-use basemaps
once, then deploy it on multiple platforms. including administrative maps, street maps, imagery,
topographic maps, historical maps, and more. These
maps use authoritative data from commercial and
community data providers. For example, you can use the
OpenStreetMap basemap to provide an underlying street
map for your data.

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 COVER STORY
ArcGIS includes a rich set of topical maps that you can want to put it on a map, you can use the geocoding
implement as part of your apps. You can choose from service to find the coordinates. You can also perform
hundreds of maps that explore human populations and reverse geocoding to find the address for a particular
activities, visualizing data related to demographics, location, or plot multiple addresses at once using
lifestyles, consumer spending, businesses, public health, batch geocoding. Your apps can store geocode results
traffic patterns, urban infrastructure, and more. Your in your database or in the cloud for analysis and use.
apps can also access maps for biological systems such as • GeoEnrichment — Your apps can use ArcGIS
ecoregions, plant and animal ranges, and wetlands, as well GeoEnrichment services to retrieve demographic and
as physical systems such as oceans, climates, and natural contextual data about the area you want to examine.
hazards. For example, you can use Esri’s market data to analyze
areas frequently visited by your users, find other areas
Use Cloud Services with similar characteristics, and share shopping and
dining recommendations with users when they plan
Apps you develop using any of the ArcGIS APIs can access trips to those areas.
and use cloud services provided by Esri. These cloud • Geotriggers — You can use the Geotrigger Service to
services let you integrate useful content and capabilities add location awareness to your apps. The Geotrigger
in your apps including demographic data, geocoding Service lets you create geofences that flag certain
and routing tools, and more. Many of these services can regions on a map. When a user’s device enters or
also be accessed locally while offline so you can use them leaves a geofenced area, a specific action is triggered.
anywhere, regardless of connectivity. For example, your app can deliver personalized offers
to customers as they pass by your store, notify citizens
of road closures and detours before they arrive, or
automate home and office functions based on the
location of the user.
• Feature Services — Your apps can query and edit
stored geographic datasets and associated metadata
by consuming feature services. As you pan and zoom
the map view, relevant features in the map extent are
returned and added to the map. This allows your users
to easily find the content they need. For example, your
app can help users search for a particular type of store
or restaurant.
ArcGIS provides web services APIs that let you incorporate • Spatial Analysis — Your apps can incorporate spatial
these services in your apps. For example, ArcGIS includes analysis services that let you perform common spatial
APIs for: analyses on your content. This allows your users to find
places within a certain distance, see the prevalence of
• Mapping and Visualization — ArcGIS lets you mash up certain characteristics within an area, detect hot spots,
maps from different web services for use in your apps, and more.
including maps you host on premises, preconfigured • Elevation Analysis — Your apps can include elevation
web maps provided by Esri, maps from authoritative analysis tools that let you analyze the characteristics
providers, and content from third-party sources. This of surfaces. For example, your apps can estimate how
lets you include any content that might be useful to road grade for a route will impact fuel and energy
your users in your map-based applications. consumption. You can also analyze visibility for areas
• Directions and Routing — Your apps can access ArcGIS you are interested in, like parks and campgrounds.
routing services to generate routes, define drive-time • Geometry Operations — With ArcGIS, your apps
areas, and produce turn-by-turn driving directions. You can perform complex geometric analysis tasks. For
can calculate optimized routes to multiple locations so example, you can calculate areas and lengths for
you can produce more efficient schedules for delivery a polygon feature, determine distances between
or maintenance crews. Route analysis tools can also geometries, combine and intersect areas, generate
help you find the nearest location in a category, like buffers, and more.
the closest gas station, hospital, or grocery store.
• Geocoding — ArcGIS provides a geocoding service
that helps your apps pinpoint the locations of
addresses and named places all over the world. For
example, if you know the address of a business and
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COVER STORY

Integrate Self-Hosted Solutions You can integrate ArcGIS with other software products
that you deploy across your organization such as BI,
You can integrate your ArcGIS apps with solutions and CRM, and ERP systems. This lets you access your maps
services you host on premises, as well as services hosted and analysis tools directly inside the systems you already
by other organizations. ArcGIS APIs and SDKs are built on use. ArcGIS includes out-of-the-box integrations for
open RESTful communication patterns, letting you create common business platforms such as Microsoft Office, IBM
mashups that combine ArcGIS services with information Cognos, and Dynamics CRM. You can also add mapping
and tools from a wide range of sources. This allows you to and analysis capabilities to your other applications and
build on the valuable resources and tools that are available enterprise systems using the ArcGIS APIs and SDKs.
on the web and within your own organization.
Take Maps and Data Offline

Native apps developed with ArcGIS Runtime SDKs can

access and use maps and data from ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS
for Server, even in environments with limited or no network
connectivity. You can download data to your device, edit it
while offline, then sync the data back to the database when
you’re connected. You can also cache layers and services
on your device, or store data in local shapefiles and
geodatabases so you can access them while you’re offline.

With ArcGIS apps, the basemaps and operational data

you deliver as services can be downloaded to the device
Apps you create with ArcGIS can access feature services, so multiple users can make edits to the same data while
allowing your users to interact with your stored data. disconnected. When users check back in to the network,
You can create custom REST endpoints or URLs for each they can sync with the database to apply edits back to the
service to easily visualize, edit, and analyze information service or update the application with changes made by
across a wide range of apps on any platform or device. other users. If more than one user edits the same feature
For example, you can publish a feature service for your and the edits conflict, the most recent edit overrides the
customer data, then access the service using apps for site others. This setup is ideal for supporting large numbers of
selection, market analysis, and customer service. offline users who need to work with the same data.

The apps you create with ArcGIS can also access spatial
analysis tools that you publish as services within your own
infrastructure. This lets you deliver focused apps that help
users across the organization make more informed decisions
and achieve the best possible outcomes. For example,
you can build a public safety planning app (like the one
shown to the right) that detects crime hot spots, overlays
service areas for emergency response units, and identifies
underserved areas that require additional resources.

In addition to traditional spatial analysis tools, your ArcGIS

apps can incorporate real-time processing services. Your apps can also consume runtime content created with
ArcGIS real-time processing services let your apps ArcGIS for Desktop. This provides users with offline, read-
connect to and analyze live data streams such as sensors, only access to data that requires periodic updates.
GPS devices, and social media feeds. You can then use
your apps to monitor assets and events, filter your data For example, you can provision features, tabular data, tile
based on conditions you define, and send or receive caches, locators, and network datasets for use with your
alerts automatically when specific criteria are met. This apps.
allows your users to respond more quickly to important
changes. For example, you can use an ArcGIS app to track
ambulance locations and automatically alert ER staff when
a patient arrives.

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 TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Work with Open Source

ArcGIS lets you work with open-source code samples,

ArcGIS and Open
templates, and solutions and use them in your apps. Esri Esri has built ArcGIS to take advantage of open
currently supports more than 200 projects on GitHub standards, open formats, and open-source technology,
including web frameworks, editors, client libraries, web so your data and systems are interoperable with a wide
and mobile apps, spatial analysis dashboards, storytelling range of technologies and IT infrastructures. We have
templates, local government tools, and industry solution also developed hundreds of open-source projects
templates. You can collaborate with us on these projects that are available for developers to modify, use, and
by submitting edits and contributions, or use the existing contribute to through GitHub. In addition, we provide
code to support your unique applications. open APIs for our platform that let you deploy and
use GIS applications that fit your needs. Together, our
More information about Esri’s open-source projects is open initiatives have allowed us to build a complete,
available at our GitHub community at esri.github.io. open, and interoperable GIS platform that can be
incorporated into virtually any enterprise environment.
Join the Developer Community

Esri supports the ArcGIS development community with

developer-focused events, online help documentation,
Open Standards
training, and more. These resources help developers use
ArcGIS conforms to open standards and enterprise IT
our platform to deliver valuable geospatial solutions that
frameworks that allow users to incorporate GIS into any
meet the needs of their users.
application in a variety of web, mobile, and computing
scenarios. We also participate in the development of
Each year, Esri hosts a number of events for developers
GIS standards through organizations like the Open
including conferences, meet-ups, hackathons, and more.
Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) and the International
These events provide opportunities for the development
Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical
community to meet one another, learn about ArcGIS
committee 211 (TC 211).
apps and developer tools, share information and ideas,
and shape the future direction of Esri technology.
Some of the standards and technologies ArcGIS
supports include:
Esri also provides online resources including developer
• Web service standards such as XML, SOAP, REST,
websites, help documentation, code samples, user
and WSDL.
forums, community support pages, training, videos,
• OGC specifications such as WCS, WFS, WMS, KML,
and more. These online resources are available at
and GML.
developers.arcgis.com.
• Metadata standards such as profiles from FGDC,
ISO, INSPIRE, and Dublin Core.
• Network protocols such as TCP/IP, SSL, SAML 2.0,
HTTP, and HTTPS.
• Security and privacy standards such as ISO 27001,
FedRAMP, and SSAE 16 SOC1 Type2. In addition,
ArcGIS Online has received FISMA Low Authority
to Operate (ATO) and is certified compliant with
TRUSTe Certified Privacy Seal.

More information about our support

for IT and GIS standards is available at
esri.com/software/open/standards.

Open Data Formats

ArcGIS supports data from a wide range of sources

and formats. For example, ArcGIS supports common
data formats like shapefiles, CAD and raster data,

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TECHNICAL ARTICLE
geospatial files from third-party developers, spatial types scripts, custom tools, automated batch processes, or
from relational databases, and standards-based web even complete applications.
services. This allows our users to incorporate any data
that might be useful in their maps and analysis. In addition, Esri regularly contributes open-source
projects that allow you to build on existing source code.
In addition to our broad out-of-the-box data support, we We currently support more than 300 projects on GitHub
offer an optional extension that makes it easier to define including applications, tools, examples, and resources
new custom data sources and convert data between GIS that let you simplify, customize, and enhance your GIS
and tabular data formats. With this extension, you can experience. You can collaborate with us on these projects
read, transform, and write data in hundreds of formats, by submitting edits and contributions, or you can use the
with no custom coding required. existing code to support your own solutions.

ArcGIS also makes it easy to discover and share open data More information about our open-source projects is
from thousands of organizations around the world. You available at our GitHub community at esri.github.io.
can browse public-facing open data websites to search for
and download the data you need in a variety of common, Open APIs
easily reusable formats.
Esri provides open APIs that expose mapping and
More information about our broad support for open analysis services provided by the ArcGIS platform. These
data formats is available at esri.com/software/open/ APIs allow a wide range of applications and systems to
dataformats. access and communicate with ArcGIS. Our open APIs
include:
Open-Source Technology
• ArcGIS REST API — ArcGIS REST API provides a
The ArcGIS platform is designed to work out of the box simple, open web interface to ArcGIS. The API allows
with a wide variety of open-source software solutions. you to create and use geospatial services, access
Esri also supports developers and users who explore ready-to-use services hosted by Esri, and manage the
open-source solutions to complement and customize our way ArcGIS is used in your organization. This open
products. By letting you deploy solutions that use open- design framework lets developers combine ArcGIS
source technology, ArcGIS gives you more options for services with other information from many different
implementing industry-leading GIS software within your sources. It also gives users access to a tremendous
existing IT infrastructure. wealth of geographic knowledge created in ArcGIS
environments.
Some of the open-source • ArcGIS API for JavaScript — The ArcGIS API for
technologies that ArcGIS JavaScript helps you build and deploy lightweight
supports include: web and mobile applications that use content and
• Apache Tomcat and services from ArcGIS. These apps support popular web
Apache HTTP Server — browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari,
ArcGIS Runtime SDK for and mobile browsers, so they can work anywhere and
Java supports the Apache on any device.
Tomcat servlet engine and Apache HTTP Server. • Esri Leaflet — Esri Leaflet is a lightweight set of tools
• GDAL — ArcGIS for Server includes the GDAL for working with ArcGIS services using Leaflet. These
translator library for raster data formats, released under tools let you easily incorporate Esri basemaps, feature
an X/MIT style license by the Open Source Geospatial services, tiled map services, and dynamic map and
Foundation. image services in HTML mapping applications.
• Linux — ArcGIS for Server supports the Red Hat
Enterprise Linux Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise More information about our APIs is available at
Server operating systems. developers.arcgis.com.
• PostgreSQL — ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS for
Server support PostgreSQL open-source databases
and the PostGIS spatial type.
• Python — ArcGIS developers can use the Python open-
source scripting language to build geoprocessing

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The ArcGIS
Platform: An
Architecture
Overview

Enterprise implementations typically include a mix browser clients extend ArcGIS access throughout the
of software technology and data sources carefully web community. ArcGIS offers APIs for web application
selected to satisfy specific operational business needs. development on JavaScript, Adobe Flex, Microsoft
Silverlight, and WPF platforms. ArcGIS for Server delivers
The ArcGIS platform includes an integrated mix of software mapping services with additional capabilities for web
developed to satisfy a full range of GIS user requirements. applications using SOAP and Open Geospatial Consortium
All of these components are designed as a system to work (OGC) web service APIs.
together within an integrated enterprise GIS environment.
This is the big picture of what ArcGIS has to offer in building 3D Viewers: ArcGIS for Desktop extensions include
an enterprise GIS. ArcGIS is the overall platform, and the 3D Analyst and CityEngine for 3D modeling and data
components of this platform work together to satisfy a management. A free ArcGIS Explorer download can be
variety of specific business needs. used as a light desktop 3D viewer. 3D ArcScene data
packages shared from CityEngine can be viewed with
Desktop GIS: The ArcGIS for Desktop family is developed the free CityEngine Web viewer. ArcGIS for Server also
from a common set of ArcGIS object relational executables, delivers KML services for 3D overlay with Google Earth and
delivering a fully integrated set of scalable desktop product Microsoft Virtual Earth web clients.
offerings. Lighter desktop applications include ArcReader,
ArcGIS Engine, and ArcGIS Runtime focused applications. Mobile GIS: Mobile devices extend GIS to include mobile
ArcGIS Pro makes the GIS functionality you most often operations and use by the general public. ArcPad is an
use easy to access so you can get your work done faster optimum application used by several Esri vendors for data-
without a big learning curve. collection workflows. ArcGIS for Windows Mobile connects
mobile operations into enterprise GIS workflows. ArcGIS
Server GIS: ArcGIS for Server provides technology for on smartphone devices (iOS, Android, and Windows
publishing GIS services that can be consumed by ArcGIS Phone platforms) delivers GIS for the general public.
for Desktop, mobile GIS, and standard web browsers.
ArcGIS for Server has grown over the last few releases to GIS Web Services: GIS web services support a variety
include imagery, SDE geodatabase access, and distributed of managed, hosted, and shared GIS online services.
geodatabase management within a common set of ArcGIS Portal for ArcGIS is a fundamental part of the ArcGIS
executables. platform, delivering a self-service content management
and information sharing framework for empowering
GIS Data: Data management solutions are provided enterprise operations throughout the organization. A
for file data sources, geodatabase, imagery, and pre- variety of software as a service (SaaS) mapping solutions
processed map cache. Files include GIS shapefile and file are provided, including subscription services for publishing
geodatabase formats. SDE geodatabase is used for multi- named user map services in the cloud.
user GIS data maintenance operations. Imagery is fully
integrated with ArcGIS since the ArcGIS 10 release. A map
cache is a file share that delivers preprocessed map tiles as
high-performance basemaps for map display.

Web Browser Clients: A variety of web applications and

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TECHNICAL ARTICLE

GIS Software
Selection
Selecting the right software and the most effective
deployment architecture is very important. ArcGIS
technology provides many alternative architecture
solutions and a wide variety of software, all designed to
support specific user workflow needs as shown in the
figure below.

GIS software technology alternatives: for a wide variety of more focused GIS user workflows.

• What are the best data sources? • Provide an efficient way to share data to support
• What user workflows should be supported by GIS remote client workflows.
desktop applications? • Provide the most efficient way to publish standard map
• What can be supported by cost-effective web information products.
services? • A cost-effective way to leverage GIS resources to
• What business functions should be supported by support users throughout the organization and
network services? associated user communities.
• Where will mobile applications improve business
operations? Mobile Applications
Reviewing the available technology alternatives and how A growing number of GIS operations are supported by
each performs and scales within your user environment more loosely connected mobile GIS solutions.
can provide critical information needed to make the right
technology decisions. • ArcGIS technology supports workflow operations that
include disconnected editing and remote wireless
GIS Data Sources operations.
Operations can be supported on local disk or CD-ROM,
DVD-ROM, shared file servers, geodatabase servers,
imagery, preprocessed map cache, or web data sources.

• Cached map services provide the highest performance

and scalability.
• Local data sources support high-performance
productivity requirements with minimum network
latency.
• Remote web services allow connection to a variety of
published data sources, with the drawback of potential
bandwidth congestion and slower performance. • Disconnected architecture solutions can significantly
reduce infrastructure costs and improve user
Desktop Applications productivity for many field operations.
The highest level of functionality and productivity is
provided by local ArcGIS for Desktop applications. Most enterprise GIS solutions include a mix of ArcGIS
technology tailored to meet specific business needs.
• Professional GIS users will be more productive with the ArcGIS technology works together as an integrated system
ArcGIS for Desktop software. environment, with each component optimized for optimum
• Desktop applications are supported on user user productivity.
workstations or hosted on central Windows Terminal
Server farms. Software Technology Cycle
Software and hardware product life cycles are getting
Web and Network Services shorter as technology improves more rapidly each year.
ArcGIS for Server technologies provide efficient support

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 TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Bringing the R and ArcGIS

Communities Together
Esri announced a new initiative become more successful in combining these technologies.
This community will be important and useful for R users
that will build a collaborative who need to access ArcGIS data, for ArcGIS users who

community for R and ArcGIS need to access R analysis capabilities from ArcGIS, and for
developers who are familiar with both ArcGIS and R and
users. want to build integrated tools or applications to share with
the community,” according to Esri chief scientist Dawn
R (or formally, the R Project for Statistical Computing) is Wright.
the fastest-growing environment for statistical computing.
In addition to the core R software, it includes more than A component of this effort is the R–ArcGIS Bridge. This is
6,000 community-contributed packages for solving a wide a free, open-source R package that allows ArcGIS and R
range of statistical problems, including a variety of spatial to dynamically access data without creating intermediate
statistical data analysis methods. It is widely used by all files on disk. It was built to improve the performance and
types of environmental scientists as well as statisticians. scalability of projects that combine R and ArcGIS, create a
developer experience that is simple and familiar to the R
Because R has limited data management and mapping user, and enable an end-user experience that is familiar to
capabilities, many R users have found using R and ArcGIS the ArcGIS user.
together beneficial. There has been a significant increase
in interest in the use of R with ArcGIS. The R–ArcGIS Bridge allows developers who have
experience with R and ArcGIS to create custom tools and
The success of Duke University’s Marine Geospatial toolboxes that integrate ArcGIS and R for their own use
Ecology Tools (MGET) provides evidence of this interest. and for building toolboxes to share with others, both within
MGET, a free, open-source geoprocessing toolbox for their organization and with other ArcGIS users. It allows
solving a variety of marine research, conservation, and ArcGIS users to integrate R into their workflows without
spatial planning problems, plugs into ArcGIS for Desktop. necessarily learning the R programming language directly.

Based on feedback from ArcGIS and R users about their For R users who don’t use ArcGIS but need to be able to
needs and techniques for integrating ArcGIS and R, Esri work with GIS data, the R–ArcGIS Bridge will give them
has started a community for developing and sharing useful direct access to ArcGIS data without creating intermediate
tools and promoting learning and collaboration. This shapefiles or tables and without requiring them to know
community will include a repository of free, open-source R how to use ArcGIS. R developers can save R results back
scripts, geoprocessing tools, and tutorials. to ArcGIS datasets and tables and easily convert between
ArcGIS datasets and their equivalent representations in R.
The community of tools will be user developed and
user driven. “Esri will develop a few sample toolboxes The R–ArcGIS community samples, tutorials, and bridge
and tutorials, but our primary interest is to facilitate the are available from a public GitHub community site that is
community and help users build what they find useful,” similar to other Esri open-source projects.
said Steve Kopp, Esri senior product engineer on the
spatial analysis team.

“This project is about helping the ArcGIS and R users

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EVENT COVERAGE

Welcome address by Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India Rajesh C Mathur, Advisor, Esri India chairing conference sessions

Keynote address by Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT Ltd. Keynote talk by Jack Dangermond, Founder & President, Esri Inc.

Creating Our Future at Esri India

User Conference 2015
Government has announced several programs to bring Esri India User Conference (UC) held at Delhi from 3-4th
India on a global forefront. Whether its Smart City or December 2015 was “GIS: Creating Our Future”.
Swacch Bharat, AMRUT or Digital India, Geographic
Information System (GIS) technology is expected to play The UC, country’s largest GIS event, brought together
an instrumental role in helping us as a nation to achieve thought leaders, strategists, policy makers, researchers,
this vision. Recognizing this, the theme of 16th edition of academicians, software developers and professionals

Arvind Thakur, CEO, NIIT Technologies launching the case study booklet

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 EVENT COVERAGE

Esri India exhibition booth

working in the GIS and ICT space. The conference saw some eminent speakers like Shri. J Satyanarayana,
showcased the role of GIS in shaping India’s future through IAS (Retd), Advisor, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. D S
Government’s visionary programs. Mr. Jack Dangermond, Meshram, President, Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI),
Founder and President, Esri Inc delivered the keynote Dr. Basantha Sreshtha, Director Strategic Cooperation,
talk titled “Applying Geography Everywhere.” He said ICIMOD, Dr. Vishnu Chandra, DDG & AFA, NIC, Prof.
that in the next two decades, GIS would guide all human Vinod Menon, Former Member, NDMA amongst others.
actions. Real time monitoring of each and every event This year a new thought leadership series was kicked off in
would become all the more important. GIS is evolving and the memory of Roger Tomlinson, also known as “Father of
a whole new pattern of Web GIS is beginning to emerge, GIS”. Dr. Shailesh Nayak, Former Secretary of Ministry of
he added. Earth Science delivered this memorial talk titled “Towards
The conference had structured tracks on Smart Cities, Blue Economy: Role of GIS”.
Smart Governance, and Disaster Risk Management that

More than 1000 delegates attended the event

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 33

EVENT COVERAGE

IIT Mumbai team the winner of mApp Your Way app development challenge

A day before the conference i.e. on 2nd December, surveying, cadastre, and land administration. It provided
Developer Summit for GIS and non GIS developers the attendees greater understanding of the essential
was also organized. The developers explored Esri APIs information and technology that agencies need to underpin
that are available for creating mapping applications or their foundational geospatial datasets. In addition there
adding mapping capabilities to existing applications. was a seminar on Systems Architecture Design Strategy
A concurrent seminar on Enterprise Data Production & targeted at Senior IT and GIS Managers that presented a
Dissemination System was also held for National mapping system design methodology that promotes successful GIS
organizations responsible for mapping, imagery, statistics, operations. The final day of the conference had break-out
Making the Difference award to DoIT&C, Rajasthan Special Achievement in GIS award to CWC

Special Achievement in GIS award to IMD Special Achievement in GIS award to RJIL

34 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 EVENT COVERAGE

sessions on technical exposition, paper presentations and year where finalists teams who participated in the GIS
mApp Your Way. Technology Exposition showcased the based app development challenge organised by Esri India
latest in ArcGIS technology - 10.3.X and 10.4, including presented their innovative applications. The contest offered
areas devoted to 3D, imagery, cloud apps and newly the university level students to use GIS and build socially
introduced developer tools. relevant Apps. Five finalists selected from IIT Bombay;
Anna University, Chennai; Central University Karnataka and
The delegates experienced new capabilities of ArcGIS Pro, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun (2
CityEngine, 3D Analyst and how to take advantage of the teams) presented their apps at the event. The winner for
new 3D Runtime. the challenge was IIT Bombay for its crowd sourced route
navigation and pothole monitoring application.
36 papers were presented users across themes - Natural
Resource Management, Disaster Management, Urban and There was a buzzing exhibition floor where Esri India and
Infrastructure, New Technology and e-Governance. various other partners like IBM, HERE, HP, Trimble and
Cybertech displayed their offerings.
A new track called mApp Your Way was introduced this
Esri India Technology Exposition

Participants engaging with Jack Dangermond and Rajendra Pawar

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 35

BEST PRACTICES

Getting the Results You Want from GIS

As GIS technology moves to the Web and becomes increasingly intuitive for non-GIS professionals,
the technology is transforming how organizations do business. For managers, the challenge is to set
high expectations and encourage their GIS team to work with all departments to create and innovate.

Chris Cappelli, Esri’s Corporate Director, shares some tips from his own experiences on how organizations can establish
a collaborative environment that delivers the results desired.

1
Leverage GIS as an enterprise asset.
GIS isn’t just for a few departments within your organization. Treat GIS as a resource for all your
departments.

2
Focus your GIS professionals.
Let your GIS team members know what the priorities are for your organization and work with them
to define how they can deliver on those priorities.

3
Empower everyone with maps.
Some departments will enviably have a harder time envisioning how they can use GIS technology.
Show them how maps can work for them.

4
Create a destination portal.
We all have portals that we go to in our personal life for information, like travel websites or
reviews of consumer products. Portals have tremendous value in turning data into information that
employees can depend on to do their jobs.

5
Integrate with your other mission systems and data assets.
Whether it’s an enterprise resource program (ERP) for budgeting and cost accounting or a work order
management system for tracking projects, such systems need to be integrated and work together.
Stand-alone systems that don’t work with other systems in your organization add little value.

6 Configure off-the-shelf software as a platform.

7
Get involved personally.
Use maps, apps and dashboards and let your GIS team know what you like and don’t like about the product.

8
Create map series that are tied to your business objectives.
Use the series to look for leading and lagging indicators associated with your business objectives.

9
Organize effectively.
Have good people working throughout your organization and give them the support they need to innovate.

10
Promote a culture of sharing and collaboration.
In any organization, it’s easy to become overly focused on tasks directly related one’s job. As a leader of
your organization, remind people that they are an important part of a larger mission and help them see
how working together can have an even greater impact.

36 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 BEST PRACTICES

Choosing the Right Platform

With Esri’s ArcGIS SDKs and development tools you have the to create native apps.
opportunity to develop robust location-based applications • Web strategies use HTML, JavaScript, and CSS hosted
for just about any modern platform. Esri provides solutions on a web server and delivered to the user’s device or
that address native and web development targeting desktop using its web browser. This strategy is best if
mobile (Android, iOS, Windows/.Net) and desktop (Java, you don’t know the devices your users have and you
Windows, Linux, OS X) platforms and devices. Using need to reach a wide audience. You can use ArcGIS
the ArcGIS API for JavaScript you can deploy your app API for JavaScript in a web strategy.
anywhere a compatible web browser runs. Solutions can
Comparison points
be built with no code for non-developers, and minimal
The most important goal is to deliver the best experience
coding for developers (Web AppBuilder, AppStudio), and
and functionality for the audience of your app. The
SDKs that allow developers to build one codebase and
following are questions to consider helping you choose
deploy it (Qt, Xamarin, .Net, Java, JavaScript).
the right platform for your app:
How do you choose? • Who is the target audience (internal or consumer public)
ArcGIS software development patterns are similar at and what functionality (mapping, advanced analysis,
a high level across ArcGIS Runtime SDKs and ArcGIS and so on) is required to support the application?
Web APIs. When choosing an approach for creating • Are your users sometimes disconnected and need the
applications with ArcGIS capabilities, it’s helpful to have app to run offline?
an understanding of the general differences between • What skills does your current development team have?
native and web apps both in general and regarding • What data and web services are required to support
ArcGIS capabilities. the application?
• Native strategies offer the best device integration and • Are there requirements for device integration, such
the most out-of-the-box functionality for connected as use of the device’s GPS, compass, media, calendar,
and offline workflows, but they require native contacts, text messaging (SMS), notifications, and so
development skills. You can use ArcGIS Runtime SDKs on?

General differences compared

Consideration Native strategy Web strategy

Which devices do your Target each OS and deliver the best native experience. Build a single web
users prefer? This means writing an app for each OS or taking application for all
advantage of cross-platform development options. devices.

What skills do you have? Requires skills developing on each native platform (for Requires HTML,
example, Objective-C for iOS, Java for Android, and JavaScript, and CSS
.NET for Windows). However, several Runtime SDKs knowledge.
provide cross-platform development options.

Do you want to distribute Distribution through a store is supported. Distribution through

the app through a store a store is supported
(App Store, Google Play, with use of additional
Windows Store, Amazon)? frameworks [1]

Access to device utilities Access to all device utilities (GPS, compass, calendar, Limited to HTML5
media, contacts, camera, and so on) mobile features.

Maintenance on multiple App updates require ad-hoc, enterprise, or store When you update your
devices and desktops distribution. app, it is immediately
available to all devices.

1. ArcGIS API for JavaScript lets you distribute your app in a browser and a hybrid app on multiple platforms with PhoneGap,
Apache Cordova™, Intel® XDK, Trigger.io, or Electron.

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BEST PRACTICES

ArcGIS capabilities compared

Consideration Native strategy Web strategy

Will users need to use the app Offline use is built-in and includes Some local storage is possible with
and data offline? offline map viewing, editing with sync, HTML5. Offline operation is possible
geocoding, routing, and analysis. but can be difficult.

Routing and geocoding Online and offline are supported. Requires network connection
Requires ArcGIS for Desktop to author
offline data sources.

GeoEnrichment (demographic Requires network connection Requires network connection

and landscape variables)

Geometry operations like Offline is supported and Client-side supported

clip, buffer, intersect, simplify, recommended.
union, and split

Model-based analysis Supported online, offline, and Requires network connection

(geoprocessing) [1] supported using Local Server[2].

Geometric network tracing [3] Supported online, offline, and Requires network connection
supported using Local Server[2].

Advanced cartography and Fully supported Rotation and offset.

symbology including support
for rotation, offset, vector/font
based symbols and military
symbology (2525C and APP-
6B support)

Display and animate large Display and animation while Supported but not recommended
numbers of features maintaining smooth and fast map for large numbers.
navigation is fully supported.

Local file-based data Offline and local access to shapefiles Not supported
(shapefiles and imagery) and imagery is built in.
offline

1. Build models in ArcGIS for Desktop, and provide clients analysis through geoprocessing services.
2. Local Server is available on Windows and Linux in the ArcGIS Runtime SDKs for .NET, Java, and Qt.
3. Supported through model-based analysis (geoprocessing service), for example, valve isolation trace.

Cross-platform development with ArcGIS

Several ArcGIS SDKs let you write once and deploy to multiple platforms in the following ways:

Android iOS Windows Mac Linux

ArcGIS Runtime SDK

for Android
ü
ArcGIS Runtime SDK
for iOS
ü

38 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 BEST PRACTICES

Android iOS Windows Mac Linux

ArcGIS Runtime SDK

for Java [1]
ü ü
ArcGIS Runtime SDK
for .NET [2]
ü
ArcGIS Runtime SDK
for OS X
ü
ArcGIS Runtime SDK
for Qt [3]
ü ü ü ü ü
ArcGIS Runtime SDK
for Xamarin[4]
ü ü
ArcGIS API for
JavaScript [5]
ü ü ü ü ü
Web AppBuilder for
ArcGIS [5]
ü ü ü ü ü
AppStudio for ArcGIS
[6]
ü ü ü ü ü
ArcGIS REST API [7]
ü ü ü ü ü
1. ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Java supports cross-platform development for Windows and Linux desktop systems.
2. ArcGIS Runtime SDK for .NET supports building applications for Windows desktops, the Windows Store, and Windows Phones
from a single codebase.
3. ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt lets you write once and deploy to Android, iOS, Linux, OS X, Windows, and others. Code written
using the QML API must be compiled native for each target platform, but it is the same code for each platform. There are no
differences in the Qt QML API or Esri Runtime for Qt between platforms, making cross-platform application development with
a single code-base possible. To achieve this there are some compromises. For example, the UI controls available must exist on
all platforms, meaning that specific UI components that only exist on one platform cannot be used when building cross-platform
code. However, for a large percentage of use cases, the QML API will be a good choice.
4. ArcGIS API for Xamarin, the SDK that supports building native mapping apps for Android and iOS in C#, is currently in Technical
Preview.
5. ArcGIS API for JavaScript lets you distribute your app in a browser and a hybrid app on multiple platforms with PhoneGap,
Apache Cordova™, Intel® XDK, Trigger.io, or Electron.
6. AppStudio for ArcGIS apps can be extended using the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt.
7. ArcGIS REST API allows you to use web services in any platform capable of issuing HTTP requests.

A word about hybrid strategies

Hybrid strategies use a mix of native components and supporting richer integration with the native platform
web app content (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS) to build (for examples see [4] above). Today, Esri’s SDKs and APIs
native applications and distrubute with enterprise or app are designed for and address pure web and pure native
store deployment. One approach is to embed a web view development patterns. Esri does not provide specific
into a native app and load web content. More advanced hybrid frameworks for hybrid application architectures.
strategies include leveraging HTML5 with frameworks

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 39

5
BEST PRACTICES

Ways to Get the Most out of

Your GIS Platform
Today, ArcGIS is more than a software product.
It is a platform that takes advantage of
organizations’ huge information inventories.

Platforms have changed the way society shares information, server application. This means they implement ArcGIS
communicates, and collaborates. From Amazon to Apple, for Desktop and ArcGIS for Server. Sharing is possible
a variety of platforms on our devices remember who we but more difficult. They implement nearly all spatialized
are and call up the information we need to get the most applications within ArcGIS for Desktop or as custom
out of our time. We move seamlessly from desktops, web web apps via ArcGIS for Server. They then build out their
browsers, tablets, and smartphones. Wouldn’t it be great if data model schema to be all inclusive. The data model
our professional platforms worked so smoothly? becomes more and more complex while support becomes
As the industry standard in GIS, the ArcGIS platform gives more difficult.
you a three-part information system that transforms your
data into actionable intelligence. To begin implementing the platform, set up your portal,
either ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS or a hybrid, and
The ArcGIS platform has three parts: then create your organizations and groups. Give your
colleagues access and permissions to these, and the
The Portal (ArcGIS Online, Portal for portal is ready to go. You can publish your data to the
ArcGIS, or hybrid) portal as an Esri web map even without deploying the
latest technology. The web maps enable you to share,
The portal is the hardware and software that connects your collaborate, and communicate your data to anyone—
people, so they can obtain the geographic information on any device, anywhere. Web maps point back to your
they need. authoritative data. You can embed them directly into your
website via the ArcGIS platform, making it easy to get
Server and Online Content Services your organization’s authoritative data to the right people
in the company.
This is where internal information and third-party data Editing data takes place as it did before the platform;
resides. there is no change. It just works with the platform now.

The Clients
2 Upgrade to the Current ArcGIS for
Desktop Version Recommended for
Your Organization
Everyone in your organization can access this information
from desktop, web, and mobile devices.
Because it’s critical to keep current, upgrade to the latest
This three-part structure makes it easy to collect and version of ArcGIS for Desktop, which focuses on your
communicate critical information to and from everyone workflows. This version directly addresses what users and
in your organization, from your mobile workforce to partners identified they needed out of ArcGIS for Desktop.
executives in the board room and external stakeholders For instance for utilities, ArcGIS 10.2.1 for Desktop
beyond. includes updates for reconcile and conflict management,
Keep reading to learn how to get the most out of your the geometric network, and replication.
spatial platform. You’re five steps away from success. Esri developers therefore recommend utility and
telecommunication users keep using ArcGIS 10.2.1 for

1Implement the Platform Now

Desktop as they continue to build patches for this release.
In addition, they recommend users keep current with
Most organizations still view GIS as a traditional client/ other Esri products, including ArcGIS for Server.

40 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 BEST PRACTICES

3 Take Advantage of Template Maps for Desktop. Organizations can use ArcGIS Pro for 2D and
and Apps 3D mapping, creating projects and tasks, performing
spatial analysis with simple wizards, and generating web
The best way to begin leveraging your platform is to maps.
download Esri’s organizational models from the ArcGIS
Resources site. This helps you understand how to take
advantage of the focused solutions Esri offers. 5
Spatially Enable Your Real-Time Data

The Esri solutions site has numerous template maps and Sensors are increasing rapidly, enabled by the Internet. The
apps available for addressing the common issues facing ArcGIS platform brings all your real-time data into maps,
today’s industries. The ArcGIS for Gas Utilities site, for providing an intuitive approach to understanding your
instance, shows solutions for emergency response, organization in real time. You can show critical live data,
regulatory compliance, and leak surveying. And Esri adds such as in the case of utilities, real-time crew locations,
to these workflows each month. Visit solutions.arcgis.com advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) customer data,
to obtain best practices. and SCADA and distribution management system (DMS)
feeds—all on a map. You do it by using Esri’s ArcGIS
GeoEvent Extension for Server. Best of all, you can acces
this map from any device.

Upgrade. Explore. Go Pro.

Benefit today from the platform by making sure your

systems are upgraded. Explore preconfigured Esri
maps, apps, and templates. Go pro with ArcGIS Pro
and extensions including ArcGIS GeoEvent Extension
for Server, so you can get the most out of the latest
technology, including 3D mapping and real-time data
integration. You’re already a pro. Make sure your whole
organization can be, too.

4 Take a Look at ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS Pro is Esri’s latest addition to the platform. It is a

standalone desktop application that runs alongside ArcGIS

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 41

CASE STUDY

4G
Vision to Reality: How
Reliance Jio used GIS
to build India’s largest Network
Reliance Jio promises to shape the future of India by service quality? How and where can technologies like
providing end-to-end digital solutions for businesses, Small cells and WiFi networks be used for traffic and
institutions and households; seamlessly bridging the cost of access optimization?
rural-urban divide. Jio aims to enable this transformation • How to specify, identify and manage network assets
by creating cutting-edge voice and broadband network throughout their life-cycle?
and a powerful ecosystem on which a range of rich digital • How to optimize both wireless and fibre networks
services will be enabled. during planning stage?
• How to acquire sites and RoW? How to manage
Jio envisions an India where broadband networks, paperwork, funds and title during / after acquisition?
affordable smartphones, availability of rich content • How to track project progress from scope release to
and applications are basic necessities consumed in Construction to Testing and Commissioning?
abundance, equally by individuals and businesses, in far- • How can multiple stakeholders across the organization
flung villages and large cities, in line with the Government participate in the extensive, end-to-end workflow in a
of India’s ‘Digital India’ vision. To realize this vision, collaborative but hierarchical manner for approvals of
Reliance Jio embarked on creating a complete ecosystem various types? How can everyone view and share the
comprising of future proof infrastructure, services, progress at each level?
service delivery platform and service access mechanisms. • How to efficiently gather the field data and convert it
to telecom inventory?
To begin with, Jio created an extensive, future-proof, end-to- • How to create physical and logical inventory in a smart,
end, all-IP network across India to provide next generation automated manner ensuring maximum data flow-
digital services. Jio acquired pan India spectrum in 2300 through and minimal manpower for end-to-end OSS
MHz, 1800 MHz and 800 MHz bands in all Telecom circles operations?
of India investing over US $ 5 Billion. Jio has planned over • How to improve outage management efficiency to
100,000 4G LTE cellular sites. Jio has also laid more than minimize network down-time, MTTR and manpower
250,000 kM of fibre-optic cables, covering 18,000 cities requirement?
and over 100,000 villages, with the aim of covering 100% of
the nation’s 1.25 Billion population by 2018. FTTx Network
will have 250,000 kM of additional optical fibre over next 2
Solution
years. This network has an initial capacity to serve in excess
Realizing the potential of geospatial technology, Reliance
of 100 million wireless broadband and 20 million Fibre-to-
Group has been an early adopter of ArcGIS in several
Home customers.
of their businesses. As such, use of ArcGIS Platform
was preordained in Jio project. An enterprise level GIS
Challenges was implemented at Reliance Jio, spanning multiple
departments, thousands of users including planners,
Building a green-field all-IP telecommunications network engineers, field workers and decision makers.
is a highly capital intensive process involving multitude of
stakeholders like Network Planners, RF Engineers, Real Highly experienced Jio GIS Team designed system
Estate, Construction, O&M, Business, Projects and Finance architecture, geospatial data structure and application
personnel. Typical challenges faced by RJIL were: framework especially suited to Telecom industry so that
• How to plan, build and manage this extensive network ArcGIS became one of the foundation layer application
by project teams spread all over India? platforms for Jio business. The solution also ensured
• How to plan optimal RF Coverage using multiple implementation of telco-specific, end-to-end workflows
frequency bands to ensure consistent and seamless to ensure systematic build-up of data ensuring only
incremental efforts at each stage.
42 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com
GIS was integrated with IT systems such as SAP ERP, Wireless Planning
CRM, BSS and Document Management System, Telecom
specific applications like Atoll RF planning, Ericsson’s ArcGIS Workflow Manager was used to define an end-
NetworkEngineer & Granite Inventory, HP’s Service to-end, LTE Network Plan to Build project workflow.
Manager etc. ensuring end-to-end process management. The extensive workflow comprises of 108 steps such as
Majority of the solutions are ArcGIS Server based web candidate identification, surveying, negotiations and
applications or mobile apps using Esri SDK. In recent acquisition, various stages of construction, testing,
times, most of these solutions are being migrated to Portal commissioning and optimisation. RJIL’s LTE Workflow
for ArcGIS ensuring that Jio’s Enterprise GIS is in step with handles more than 100,000 Cell Sites each with more
latest Esri geospatial technology. than 250 different set of activities. The workflow is
integrated with SAP ERP for FiCo functions, Documentum
Enterprise Services – Building a common system for all lease / purchase documentation, Ericsson’s
foundation for all NetworkEngineer for inventory and other enterprise GIS
systems.
To ensure consistent referencing across all teams, a
common base map service “RMaps” along with routable Use of this application during the project phase has not
road network service was developed. RJIL developed only resulted is saving of huge costs due to efficient
custom geo-locators to find landmarks, PoIs and workflow and avoidance of redundant site acquisition but,
their telecom facilities which is used extensively in all in fact, it would have been impossible to execute project
applications. In addition, services like Monsoon Progress of this magnitude across the whole country in the given
helped ensure consistent planning and risk analysis across timeframe without such an application .
impacted areas.

Optimal RF Network Planning

Coverage created by Atoll RF planning tool is smoothened

and projected using complex geoprocessing tools to
visualize coverage in the spatial context and arrive at the right
number of sites and their location. Based on the requirement
and availability of sites with existing infrastructure Optimal Wireline Network Planning
providers, Jio professionals take decisions to own, build and Inventory Management
or lease facilities from other tower companies at required
location. This ArcGIS Desktop and web applications with RMaps,
has resulted routing and geo-locator services are used for OFC
in substantial route and network planning. NetworkEngineer is used
reduction in to model telco equipment, create physical and logical
CAPEX for inventory for both ISP and OSP areas using connectivity
the project. to trace the network.
Fibre to the home allows provisioning much higher
bandwidth, rich content and applications to consumers.
esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 43
CASE STUDY
the planned and commissioned network. It allows
network planners and operations staff to visualize Jio’s
all-IP network on map through 3 logical telecom layers
– access, aggregate and core – during planning and
operations

FTTx network planning requires accurate

land base with demand estimation (home-
passes and purchasing power) through
field survey. In Jio, FTTx survey is carried
out using Esri Mobile SDK based mSurvey
application and captured field data is
directly updated in GDB. Other wireline Mobile based progress monitoring dashboard for senior
applications are also used in FTTx management to quickly review all important project KPIs in
various geographic areas covering all modules – wireless,
wireline and FTTx was developed.

Network Construction

No network design changes are allowed without update in

GIS system with appropriate approvals. Link drawings and
Construction Work Orders are issued using GIS application
and ERP integration. As-Built network quantities are tallied
with planned GIS route to ensure compliance, tracking and
cost control. Esri Mobile SDK based Android apps were
developed for As-Built data collection by field personnel.
Paper-based As-Built mark-up and web based As-Built
update in conventional manner is also available where Service Provisioning and Assurance
mobile survey is not possible.

GIS is not only being used for efficient Network planning

but also is a mandatory input for Service Provisioning
performed on Ericsson’s Granite platform which is tightly
integrated with NetworkEngineer, a dedicated Telco
solution on Esri platform.

Similarly, Service Assurance functions on HP platform

extensively use various map and data services published
from GIS platform for performance management and
outage management.

Project Progress and Spatial Inventory

Management
Web based tools for Spatial inventory management are
developed to manage the inventory data and perform
detailed analysis which helps in decision making. Site
traceability is one the most useful functionality to trace

44 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 CASE STUDY

Network Operations Benefits

Network Operations Centre at Reliance Jio is laid out Geospatial technology and ArcGIS platform have
with several rows of desks, facing a video wall depicting helped Reliance Jio to efficiently build an modern and
geographic and schematic status of network and KPIs extensive 4 G telecom network comprising of more
to monitor performance and availability of pan-India than 250,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables, covering
network. GIS and NetworkEngineer based analytical 29 states, 18,000 cities and over 100,000 villages with
reports and maps facilitate this critical function at Jio. an initial capacity to serve in excess of 100 million
wireless broadband and 20 million FTTx customers
through more than 100,000 facilities.

Jio estimates direct savings and productivity

improvement of over Rs. 300 million during network
build phase itself due to use of GIS for network planning,
analysis and optimisation. Jio has also observed 2-3
times improvement in MTTR in field operations. This
would result in payback of investment during project
stage while continuing benefits during steady state
operations will more than justify investment in GIS.

Jio services will be launched in the second quarter of

2016 when additional public-facing GIS applications will
Field Operations help improve customer satisfaction.

To operate and maintain the

inside plant (ISP) and outside
plant (OSP) network in field,
mobile and web based
applications tightly integrating
Network Engineer, Granite, HP-
SM and fiber fault management Customer Speak
systems are deployed for use
by NOC and field users. These
applications have resulted very
quick restoration time and Our successful GIS
update of the As-Built network implementation has holistically
data after such repairs.
addressed challenges of telecom
network management through
end-to-end, process based,
integrated geospatial solutions,
allowing collaborative work
resulting in huge CAPEX savings
and very high ROI.

Milind Deshpande, Sr. Vice President,

GIS & NE Reliance Jio

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 45

APPLICATION ARTICLE

VayamTech Smart City

Management Solution

Solution Summary
• Security and Surveillance
oo Integration with Emergency Management system.
Vayam Technology’s smart city solution based on GIS
If a distress class is made from any geographic
technology enables integration with different smart city
location, the address may be traced over the map
components like transport, safety, citizen services, asset
and simultaneously another GIS system can track
management, disaster & emergency management. The
the nearest patrolling vehicle equipped with GPS
solution based on Esri ArcGIS technology supports
system.
advanced automation and real-time integration of city
The emergency location may be immediately
monitoring and management system. The solution offering
transferred to the dashboard installed in the
varies from Geodatabase creation in 2D and 3D format
vehicle with instructions for necessary actions. The
to integrate these solutions with Smart Applications and
dispatch may be also made on handheld devices
devices for Spatial Decision Support and Action.
of police.
oo Surveillance system through video analytics
Solution Description
enabling 24 hours monitoring through CCTVs and
projecting that over GIS Map for location based
The solution uses ArcGIS desktop for data creation, ArcGIS
analysis and spatial coverage
online and Geo event Processor.
The ArcGIS Technology provides the base for the
• Integrated Work Flow system for Urban Land
SMART city right from the Geodata generation to the
management for land use management by
Smart Application integration on different platform with
development authorities
spatial analysis. This spatial analysis provides a cognitive
intelligence for Action and Decision support.
• GIS based integrated e-governance services for
municipality for
Solution Components
oo Online tracking of tax payers and non-tax payers
oo Citizen’s grievance redressal: Compliant
• Traffic and Transportation
registration location and workflow management
oo Transit management system for City Transport
supporting decision support
system, whereby the vehicles are tracked on real
oo Waste management
time basis over the GIS maps and registration of
oo Tracking functioning of electric poles and other
emergency calls from the vehicles.
utilities.
oo Generation of Traffic details of the road and
oo Tracking development in city as per city planning
Geospatial analysis of the problems in terms of
norms.
infrastructure gaps, like points of bottlenecks,
oo Effective City service provision by sending the
accident points etc.
detailed locations to service crews for maintenance
oo Integrated Traffic management in real time using
and management of services
sensors which sends real time data of traffic and
oo Different municipal service provision status, like
the GIS integrated analytics for decision support
schools, health, bus stops etc.
related to traffic like managing signals, route
diversion etc.

46 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 APPLICATION ARTICLE

• Asset management of utilities.

About VayamTech
oo The solution helps create comprehensive inventory
of utility network components and their spatial
M/s Vayam Technologies Limited (Vayamtech) is one
locations. It provides the capability to monitor and
of the fastest growing and a leading Information
explore the health of the network by generating
Technology organization in India providing end-to-end
alerts for scheduling maintenance, testing and
IT solution and services to clients from different areas
replacement of assets under Smart city and this
/ sectors viz. Government (Centre / State), PSUs and
can be integrated to mobile application for task
Corporates. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in
allocation to the field crew.
New Delhi (India), the company has turnover of more
oo The Utilities may also integrate the live data
than 600 crores during FY 2014-15.
received from SCADA system with GIS systems for
day today asset management.
Vayamtech Technologies Limited is an SEI CMMI level
oo GIS based Asset management solution also
5, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 27001:2005 and ISO/ IEC 20000
projects the demand and supply and the gaps in
certified IT Solutions Company. Vayamtech has proven
the network.
tools and methodologies utilized over more than 200
oo The complete solution may be availed by any of
successful engagements. We utilize our experience
the utilities like water supply, storm water drains,
in large scale e-governance projects and bring value
sewage system, electricity, city gas services and
to our customers with our domain experience, project
telecom services.
management and technical expertise. Vayamtech offers
an integrated portfolio of IT and IT enabled services
delivered through a proven GLOCAL (Global and Local)
Key features model.

• Advanced map visualizations, highlight concentrations

and enables interactive analyses
• Enterprise GIS for Asset Planning, Management,
operation and maintenance.
• Integrated Workflow Systems
• Geospatial database integration with products and
applications such as billing and smart meters.
• Publishing of the thematic maps for actions by various
departments
• Live Spatial Information generated by integration with
Smart Devices using Geo-Event processor
• GIS integrated analytics for performance monitoring
of services

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 47

APPLICATION ARTICLE

Electoral Data
Analysis &
Management validated data elements, electoral officers and voters are
provided access to a full spectrum of information about
critical constituents such as voter data, voter registration
A GIS based Electoral information, polling stations, personnel posted at each
location, directions to polling station clusters and a host

Management solution of other information available with only a few mouse clicks.
The entire solution can be accessed on smartphones and
tablet PCs through customizable apps.

Solution Summary
Key Features
Electoral Data Analysis & Management is a GIS based end-
• Device agnostic, multilingual, web-based intuitive
to-end solution that enables all voters and election officers
interface that serves as a complete information
to visualize relationships, patterns, and trends to deeply
gateway for voter and officers
understand their constituency and manage electoral
• Capability to query the spatial data and the election
processes effectively. The stakeholders can access
data on demand
information with respect to all facets of electoral
• Create routes to the polling station on maps and store
management like voter registration, polling stations locator
for future reference
and election data on demand. The solution has separate
• Create map-based view of several key elements such as
interface for citizens and officers.
district boundaries, locations of polling booths within
an assembly constituency as well as a parliamentary
While the citizen centric interface of this GIS based solution
constituency and other related data.
focuses on enriching the voters electoral experience,
• A high level of functionality for officers interface such
Election officer interface focuses on the herculean task of
as base map toggle, map pan, zoom in, zoom out,
election management and monitoring. Through a web-
layer toggle and legend display
based interface from the home page, election officers
• The functionality of the ArcGIS application to help
are able to access a highly sophisticated GIS Application
election personnel expertly manage election logistics
that enables them to perform a wide array of duties and
• Webcasting feature with live video, to help polling
responsibilities. The solution is a backbone to aid election
officers monitor the entire voting process and identify
officers to manage their jurisdictions as well as coordinate
any discrepancies
operations.

The solution is built using

• Esri ArcGIS API for Java Script 3.7, WCF services, ARC
Solution Description
SDE, ARC GIS server 10.2
• J2EE, WebServices, JBOSS Application Server, SQL
The solution is based on the state-of-the-art technologies,
Server 2008 R2
including GIS and beyond, to bring to the election
• iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, PhoneGap.
machinery a system that is easy to use, reliable and
immediately accessible.

The solution has separate interface for citizens and

officers that refine the electoral experience for voters and
enables officers to execute their tasks in a coordinated
manner. Through spatial analysis, multiple databases and

48 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 APPLICATION ARTICLE

Benefits of the Officer’s Interface

• Near instant decision-making

With millions of bytes of real time data at their
ingertips, officers can take decisions swiftly and
confidently. The solution provides them direct access
to data, which supports their decisions in every way,
shape and form.
• Ease of Coordination
The GIS based solution enables hundreds of booth
level officers to coordinate with one another in the
virtual space by sharing data and forwarding relevant
information extracted from one or more of the various
databases.
• Significant Cost Savings
The functionality of the GIS technology in the solution
helps reduce cost of managing the election logistics.
• Monitoring
Using the webcasting feature polling officers can
monitor the entire voting process and identify any
discrepancies.
Key Benefits: • Deployment of Polling Personnel
The solution facilitates the deployment of polling
Benefits of the Citizen Interface personnel such as polling officers, staff, security
officers and others to manage the election process
• Easy access to information efficiently.
The solution provides instant access to polling
logistics information to millions of voters
through smartphones, tabs and other access devices. About ASMAN
• Voter Transparency ASMAN Software Solutions Private Limited is a provider
Registered voters can claim their voter records and of cutting edge software consultancy, design and develop-
even correct any discrepancies by interacting directly ment services with headquarters in Hyderabad, India. The
with the Election Commission. They no longer company made its inception into the IT arena in 2011 and
need to go through polling agents and other non- offers a comprehensive range of Software and IT solutions
governmental support staff with possible vested on a wide range of Hardware and software platforms. In
interests. partnership with Esri, we create spatial information systems
to help accelerate client businesses forward. The broad
• Multilingual Interface range of services that are offered includes map custom-
The solution can be customized in multiple ization, custom tool development, application migration,
languages, thus even voters from remote villages can web GIS, mobile GIS etc.
check their voter records in their vernacular language
and take timely action to update their records.

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 49

APPLICATION ARTICLE

A Fresh Take
communicate the precise locations of remote refugee
camps, water distribution sites, and makeshift clinics to
workers and partners out in the field. If a utility had 80,000

on Addressing
electricity meters in a database, it could batch convert the
latitudes and longitudes of each location into three-word
addresses to make it easier for technicians to find them.

“The whole point about what3words is that latitude and

Around the world, addressing is inconsistent at best and longitude can be easy,” said cofounder and CEO Chris
nonexistent at worst. Latitude and longitude are useful Sheldrick. “It communicates for the first time over the
when devices talk to devices, but getting humans to phone and in writing and reading.”
remember geographic coordinates is impractical. That is
why what3words, a London-based geocoding startup, is The what3words locator is available as a geocoding service
on a quest to readdress the entire globe. for use with ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS for Desktop, and
ArcGIS for Server. what3words has also developed an SDK
The organization, an Esri emerging partner, has divided so developers can build the geocoder into mobile apps.
the surface of the earth into three-meter-by-three-meter
squares and, using an algorithm, has allocated three The purpose of integrating with Esri, according to
random words to each one of those squares, yielding 57 Sheldrick, is to facilitate communication between ArcGIS
trillion unique and unambiguous addresses. The northwest users and people around the world. With Esri’s aspiration
corner of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, to bring GIS into the mainstream, Ramage envisions that
for example, is clubs.grace.hike; Cape Point in South Africa the two companies can work together in a number of
is snooze.cheater.crewmen; and the Pacific Ocean’s pole ways—from fostering e-commerce in developing countries
of inaccessibility (the spot that’s farthest away from any to continuing to improve smart communities.
land) is chefs.gritting.suspected. The service is currently
available in five languages—English, French, Portuguese, “This is elegant in its simplicity,” said Ramage. “That’s the
Spanish, and Swahili—and the team is working to launch brilliant part.”
13 more, including Arabic, German, Japanese, Turkish, and
Urdu.

“We’re really talking to the masses, and we’re doing it in

a way that’s understandable,” said what3words director of
strategy Steven Ramage, who left his post as managing
director of Ordnance Survey International to join the
startup. “Being able to communicate location in a very
simple, language-based method empowers communities
because we can speak the language of that community.”

what3words can be used by individuals—to find friends in

a park, for example—as well as businesses, governments,
and other organizations. A nonprofit conducting an
emergency aid mission could use what3words to

50 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 TIPS & TRICKS

Disconnected Editing with

Collector for ArcGIS
Interested in deploying a person or crew of workers Services hosted by ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS:
to edit your authoritative geographic data in the field • Feature: ‘Sync’ operation enabled
without needing a connection to the internet? We are too! • Tile: Export Tile/Offline mode enabled
Collector for ArcGIS is the perfect client for you if your
mobile phone or tablet is an iOS, Android, or Windows Services hosted by ArcGIS Server:
device. • Feature: Stored in an Enterprise Geodatabase,
GlobalIDs added, Versioning or Archiving enabled
Collector for ArcGIS is a lightweight native application that • Tile: Export Tile operation enabled
makes offline field collection possible with an easy-to-use
interface. While usage of the application is simple, there Tip: To download a web map for offline use, ALL layers in
are several deployment options available which can make the web map must be confirmed with the sync operation
getting the initial grasp of Collector for ArcGIS somewhat enabled.
complicated. Below is a list of some helpful tips and tricks
to get you offline as quickly and as smoothly as possible. Trick: In ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS, you can check
your web map for offline use by navigating to the Item

1 Collector for ArcGIS requires a Details page of the web map. Additionally, you can check
unique identity. on your device for the option to Download (Android or
Windows) or a cloud icon (iOS).
Collector for ArcGIS requires authentication from a ‘named
user’ account within your ArcGIS Online organization or
Portal for ArcGIS.. The number of users is determined
by the license level of your subscription. Administrators
can invite additional users to the organization, or groups
can be leveraged to share maps with users from other
organizations.

To purchase additional users, contact Esri Customer

Services or your Account Manager. 4 Synchronize as often as possible.
Frequent synchronization reduces the amount of data that
Tip: You cannot use a public account to license Collector gets pushed back to the server at once, which reduces the
chance of a synchronization failing.
for ArcGIS.
Tip: If you are using ArcGIS for Server and need to

2 Collector for ArcGIS is dependent on

a pre-configured web map.
synchronize large amounts of data, consider increasing
the upload size, which by default is set to 2 GB. You may
also need to increase the upload size of your web server to
Although you can download the application directly from accommodate large synchronizations.
the App Store, you will not be able to start using the
application until a map is authored that contains at least
one editing-enabled feature service. If you are the author
of the map, it is best to get started by creating a web map
5 Use the strongest network
connection available.

in either ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS. Public WiFi, for example, is not a best practice for
synchronizing because you cannot trust the source; the
network bandwidth or restrictions may not be capable
Tip: If it’s your first time creating a web map for use with of processing the request. If possible, synchronize when
Collector for ArcGIS, familiarize yourself with the following connected to a trusted source, like the internal WiFi of your
tutorials. organization. Collector for ArcGIS sends 2 MB bundles
of data at a time during the synchronization process, so

3offline use.
The web map must be configured for the strength of the network connection becomes more
important as the size of the data increases.

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 51

TIPS & TRICKS
Tip: If your offline data fails to synchronize successfully the read-only layers. As a result, workers can sync less data,
first time, test it again using a different network. which can decrease the risk of sync failure.

Trick: You can configure Collector for ArcGIS to only push 7Test before deploying to the field!
Create a sample web map and try collecting data and
edits up to the server when you synchronize, and to not
pull down edits made by others while you are offline. This synchronizing the edits before taking the map into
reduces the amount of data transferred, making it faster production. Collector for ArcGIS is supported on iOS,
to share your changes and save on data transfer costs Android, and Windows; you may find that an issue is
from cellular networks. If the edits being made by others specific to the hardware or to the operating system of your
are important to you, leave ‘Push Only’ synchronization mobile device. If you are unable to synchronize from your
disabled. sample map, please contact Esri Technical Support.

Add tweets to your

web map
6Consider the data.
Simply put: the more data, the slower the performance. Twitter is a free social networking microblogging service
That being said, sometimes performance decreases are that allows users to broadcast short posts called tweets.
less obvious than just the number of features in the data. It’s used widely by individuals, as well as federal and local
For example, the number of fields, relationship classes, government agencies, organizations, and businesses.
the projection, and the visibility scale can all affect Tweets can include location (a user account setting), and
performance. If you are looking to improve performance, those that are can be placed on a map, adding an extra
you can hide fields, ensure the projection of the data dimension of information.
matches the basemap, and set a reasonable visibility scale Public Information is a fully configurable and responsive
on the data or within the web map. template that adapts to any form factor – browser,
tablet, or phone. It includes the ability to map tweets
Tip: Keep in mind the number and size of photo attachments and other geolocated social content from Instagram,
that you are collecting. Photo attachments cause the data Flickr, YouTube, and Webcams.travel. The template can
to expand due to the size of each respective photo. When be configured to automatically include a search string
synchronizing many photos, it is especially important to
to retrieve geolocated tweets, and other social media
have a strong network connection.
options can be similarly configured, or can be removed.
Trick: You can limit the size of photos that you attach to Here’s how to use Public Information for Twitter.
features within Collector for ArcGIS on the Settings page.
Configuring the App
Tip: The next release of Collector will support new offline Step 1. Open an
settings that authors can adjust in ArcGIS Online on the
existing map, click
item properties pages of their web maps. These settings
will allow map authors to specify what types of information Share, then Create A
field workers retrieve from the server for both editable and Web App.

52 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

 TIPS & TRICKS
Step 2. Choose the Map Social Media category in the Step 5. Using the
app gallery, then click to select the Public Information configuration panel,
app. configure the application
as desired. To display
tweets automatically,
enable the Twitter layer,
make the Twitter layer
visible by default, and set the search keyword as desired.

Click Save when finished configuring the app. Note that

when testing the app you must login to your Twitter
account and authorize ArcGIS access if you’ve not done
this previously.

Using the app

When the app is
Step 3. You can download the deployed, users will see
app source, preview the app, or a Sign in prompt:
create the app. Choose Create
App to configure it.
App users must sign in and authorize ArcGIS.com to
connect to their Twitter account to enable tweets to be
shown.

Step 4. Enter a title, tags, and a summary description for

the app.

There is an option to Remember me that will save a

cookie so logging in won’t be required again, unless the
cookie is cleared or a new user opens the application.

Once logged in, the user can

click settings:
Click Done when finished. The app will display with the
configuration panel open on the right.
And can change the search if desired.

The Public Information configurable app provides the

easiest way to add tweets to your map.

esriindia.com Vol. 10 ArcIndia News 53

GIS TRIVIA

Esri’s Geotrigger Service:

The Future of Geofencing
Esri’s Geotrigger Service is a new product that helps What companies and industries are
developers add real-time location-based messaging and using the Geotrigger Service today?
intelligence to iPhone and Android applications.

AMP Energy and 7-Eleven - 7-Eleven stores around

What does the Geotrigger Service do?
the United States were geofenced with custom location-
based alerts. This innovative marketing program drove
Mobile applications using the Geotrigger SDKs and API
distribution and end-cap displays of AMP Energy Orange
can send targeted location-based messages when users
up 70 percent at participating 7-Eleven stores during the
enter or leave geofenced locations the developer specifies.
promotion.
The service can also send information to servers or actions
directly to the app, allowing developers to create an
uKnow – Family Safety App - uKnow, the leading creator
immersive experience by dynamically integrating location-
of parental intelligence systems, partnered with Esri to
based content.
create uKnowLocate, a revolutionary suite of family locator
services. uKnowLocate uses a geofencing capability
How can I use location-based
powered by the Esri Geotrigger Service, allowing parents
messages to empower my users?
to draw a virtual fence around locations of interest such as
the home, school, mall or a friend’s home. They can then
If sending the right message at the right time matters to
configure customized alerts when their child arrives in or
you, then sending it in the right place can ensure that your
departs from the geo-fenced location.
message is relevant and appreciated. Real-time, location-
based messages can be extremely powerful for both
marketing and practical applications.
How will the Geotrigger Service help
me?
Imagine sending a push notification to one of your
customers as they walk into your store, or to one of Faster Development - The Geotrigger Service is here
your city’s residents as they get near a road that’s been to save you time and frustration. Its consistent interface
unexpectedly closed. You can also create fun applications means faster development of both iOS and Android apps,
like the example below that lets people exploring a city and its tracking profiles keep you from having to manage
know when they get close to something interesting. the frequency of GPS checks.

There are many other use cases for the Geotrigger Service, Save battery life - We know how time consuming it is
too. to manually manage the frequency of GPS checks, and
• Notify citizens about road closures, emergencies, or to get the right balance of accuracy and battery life.
public safety warnings based on their past or current That’s why we baked battery life management into the
location. Geotrigger Service. Just choose one of the three tracking
• Inform tourists about interesting places as they explore profiles that best fits your app’s needs, and you’re good
your city, theme park, etc. to go.
• Engage customers with personalized content or deals
the moment they enter a store—or a set amount of Built on top of core location services - The Geotrigger
time after they have dwelled there. Service greatly enhances iOS and Android’s native
• Send a message to prospective home buyers when geofencing features, like the ability to create complex
they’re near properties that match their search polygon geofences and to notify other servers and
criterion. services when triggers are fired. There’s also a visual
• Optimize customer service by notifying employees editor, allowing you to quickly manage geofence alerts
when a customer who just ordered something from your without code.
mobile app arrives at your store to pick up the item.

54 ArcIndia News Vol. 10 esriindia.com

Careers
1 Business Manager
Experience: 8-12 Years
Qualifications: MBA/MS/BE/MCA
3 Regional Sale Manager
Experience: 14+ Years
Location: Bangalore Qualifications: MBA/MS/BE/MCA
Location: North
Primary Skills:
• Must have exposure to “Government” sales Primary Skills:
• Should be from IT – HW / SW, GIS Industry • Experience in sales of GIS or related software
• Driving sales targets and understanding the such as ArcInfo / MapInfo / AutoCAD from
entire sales cycle assigned geographies.
• Ability to create major opportunities and
increase the regional sales revenue.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, or related
area, and at least 12+ years of experience in
the field.
• Speak / Read local Language.

2 Business Manager – Sales

– BFSI 4 Senior Database Engineer/
Database Analyst
Experience: 8-12 Years
Qualifications: MBA/MS/BE/MCA Experience: 3- 8 Years
Location: Mumbai Qualifications: Graduate/ Post Graduate
Location: Jaipur
Primary Skills:
• A demonstrated track record of producing Primary Skills:
high-level sales results in Software Solution • Good knowledge on Administration of Oracle
area. Enterprise server, Administration of ArcGIS
• Relevant Self contributor experience along Server. ArcFM Server will be an added advan-
with Partner management experience. tage
• Solid technical acumen, to understand and • Experience in Publishing and Managing data
translate product’s technical requirement and data services
• Good knowledge on Spatial data and formats
of ESRI
• Awareness on Data security

E-mail your resume to [email protected]

Kindly mention the position applied for and your current location in the subject line.
Esri India Locations
Ahmedabad
505, Shree Balaji Heights, Beside IDBI
Bank, Near Tanishq Showroom, C. G. Road,
Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat
T: +91-79-40030505
E: [email protected]

Bengaluru
Ramakrishna Towers, 4th Floor, 31/2, 
Rupena Agrahara,
Begur Hobli, Hosur Road (Near Silk Board Flyover)
Bengaluru-560068, Karnataka
T: +91-80-30289500E: [email protected]

Chennai
629, Regus Millenia, RMZ Millenia Business Park
New Delhi Level 6, Phase II, Campus 4B,
Unit 602A, No.143, Dr. M. G. R Road, Perungudi
Chennai-600096, Tamil Nadu
T: +91-44-66915159
E: [email protected]

Hyderabad
Q City, Block B, 6th Floor, Sy. Nos. 109, 110, 111/2,
Nanakramguda Village,Serilingampally Mandal,
R. R. District, Hyderabad-500032, Telangana
T: +91-40-44486666
E: [email protected]

Ahmedabad Kolkata
Kolkata
3B-501, 5th Floor, Eco Space Business Park,
Nagpur Rajarhat, New Town,
Kolkata-700156, West Bengal
T: +91-33-40724446
E: [email protected]

Mumbai Mumbai
4th Floor, Marwah Center, Kishanlal Marwah Marg,
Off Saki Vihar Road, Andheri (E),
Hyderabad Mumbai-400072, Maharashtra
T: +91-22-40103200
E: [email protected]

Noida
H-7, Sector 63,
Noida-201301, Uttar Pradesh
T: +91-120-4285000E: [email protected]
Bengaluru Chennai

Nagpur
4th floor,186-Indu Yesh II, Cement Road,
407, Near Ramnagar square, Shivaji Nagar,
Nagpur-440010, Maharashtra
T: +91-712-6605869

Esri India Technologies Ltd. E: [email protected]

H-7, Sector 63,

Noida - 201301, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Other Branch Offices
Bhopal: +91 7566856786
Tel : + 91 120 4285000 / 5200
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Fax : + 91 120 4285333
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Lucknow: +91 9910498621
Web : http://www.esriindia.com
Thiruvananthapuram: +91 9739831851

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