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Common types of GIS map applications
Release 9.3 Last modified March 23, 2011

Common types of GIS map applications

It's important to choose a GIS map application suitable for use by your intended audience. The right choice can depend on many factors -- for example:

Requirements for and the size of the map display window
The end user's knowledge about GIS
Intended tasks to be performed
Administration and application delivery requirements
Costs to deploy the application

A wide range of GIS map application types can be built and deployed using ArcGIS. Each type of ArcGIS map (or other) application is suitable for certain user audiences and supports selected work flows and user scenarios.

Here's a quick rundown of some common ArcGIS application choices.

ArcGIS Desktop

ArcGIS Desktop provides a rich set of professional GIS applications for map authoring and map use, 3D scene and globe authoring and use, data compilation, analysis and geoprocessing, and publishing of GIS information products for use by others in your organization.

ArcMap, ArcScene, and ArcGlobe

About using ArcGIS Desktop

Usage notes	ArcGIS Desktop is used by GIS analysts to perform a broad range of GIS tasks - map authoring, editing and data compilation, GIS-centric workflow automation, and the analysis and visualization of results ArcGIS Desktop is the authoring environment used to create GIS maps, data, and tools for sharing with users and for publishing on the web.
Who uses this application type?	GIS professionals Editors Analysts Cartographers Data processing staff However, most end users of GIS would not use ArcGIS Desktop because of the need to learn more about GIS.
Typical tasks	Author maps Edit data Analyze Visualize Animate Chart Publish Print

JavaScript(TM), Microsoft(TM) Silverlight, and Adobe(TM) Flex applications

Using ArcGIS Server, you can develop and deploy Web GIS mashup applications. These simple applications are created as custom applications using JavaScript™, Flex, and Silverlight. They are powered by back-end REST services hosted by ArcGIS Server. In addition, they are easy to program using standard HTML scripting and your choice of simple API's for JavaScript, Adobe Flex, or Microsoft SilverLight. The resulting applications perform very well. They are efficient and scalable.

Web mashup applications are useful for combining map services from any set of map servers. This means that you can mashup your own ArcGIS services with other web services as well as with content from ArcGIS Online, Google Maps™, and Microsoft Virtual Earth™. The only requirement is that the map services to be mashed up must use the same coordinate system.

This application option uses one of a series of web programming API's:

The ArcGIS JavaScript API
The ArcGIS FLEX API
The ArcGIS SilverLight API

Using these, you can embed maps and tasks from any ArcGIS Server into your own custom Web page.

Example of a streetmap service in a JavaScript web application

Example of a streetmap service in a JavaScript web application

In addition, you can add your own custom GIS tools and buttons to access more advanced GIS functions. In the example below, some simple editing tools have been added to digitize points, lines, and polygons on top of the base map.

An ArcGIS Server web mashup application

You can also combine your organization's GIS content hosted in ArcGIS Server on top of Google Maps and Microsoft Bing Maps. For example, here is a drive-time calculation accessed from ArcGIS Server mashed up with Google Maps™.

Drive time service used to calculate distances along a road network.

Image courtesy of Google Maps(TM)

Here are some example mash ups in 2D and 3D that mash up GIS data onto Microsoft Bing Maps™.

2D display in Microsoft Virtual Earth(TM)

Image courtesy of Microsoft Virtual Earth(TM)

3D display in Microsoft Virtual Earth(TM)

Image courtesy of Microsoft Virtual Earth(TM)

About using Web Mashup applications

Usage notes	End users access each mashup application through their Web browsers. Mashup applications can readily support a small set of focused GIS tasks that are accessed and executed on GIS servers. A common implementation pattern is to have one or more base maps plus a few operational overlays. The base maps might be hosted on other serves (e.g., ArcGIS Online or Microsoft Bing Maps). These Web applications are frequently used for information delivery to a broad range of users. No special development environment needs to be installed for building and using JavaScript applications. The Flex and SilverLight API's have small downloads to install their developer tools. Mashup style web applications are easy to manage and deploy within an ArcGIS Server system.
Who uses this application type?	Decision makers and executives Professional workers with computers on their desktops Specialists who need access to a small set of GIS-based tasks Citizens Casual GIS users Users of Google Maps™ or Microsoft Bing Maps™ Data entry clerks Users who cannot install any GIS software on their computer. They use their Web browser for information access.
Typical tasks	Map use with focused tasks Simple editing (e.g., making map notes) Attribute or forms-based updates Access to status maps (situational awareness) Fusion of information from multiple servers

For more information, see the following links:

- Using the ArcGIS JavaScript API

- Using the ArcGIS Flex API

- Using the ArcGIS SilverLight API

ArcGIS Explorer

ArcGIS Explorer is a free geoexplorer application for use on the Web. ArcGIS Explorer can be used to access a multitude of 2D and 3D base maps, operational layers, and analytical tasks, which are published by the ArcGIS user community.

Using ArcGIS Server, you can author and serve ArcGIS Explorer maps in 2D and 3D as well as publish advanced analytical models and tasks that can be accessed using ArcGIS Explorer.

ArcGIS Explorer is free to share.

GIS explorer applications utilize 2D and 3D map layers. Most common map use tasks (e.g., geocoding, routing, and query) are supported.

Who uses ArcGIS Explorer?

Decision makers and executives

Professional workers with computers on their desks

Specialists with GIS-based tasks

Citizens

Casual GIS users

Users who want to use a free GIS explorer on their computers

Some common tasks performed with GIS explorers

Map navigation and visualization of integrated map layers.

Invoking focused tasks that are hosted on a server (e.g., address geocoding, routing and transportation modeling, accessing server-based GIS modeling and analysis operations).

For end users who want to explore, visualize, and understand their results, etc.

Useful for communicating a story line using GIS.

Can be used for simple edit tasks (e.g., making attribute updates, adding map notes, etc.)

Notes on ArcGIS Explorer, Google Earth, and Microsoft Bing Maps

Supported Web map explorers	Usage notes	Links to more information
Google Earth™	Can be used to deliver GIS information and services to hundreds of thousands of users. KML is used to overlay GIS information onto imagery, transportation, and places of interest. Used to address four primary questions: What's around here? (i.e., Exploration) Where is it? (Find places, addresses, post codes, etc.) How do I get there? (Routing) What does my information look like within this context? (Mashup using KML) Useful for GIS publishing to the public and other novice GIS users. Can support access to geoprocessing services hosted on an ArcGIS Server. Users are limited to use of the Google Earth tiling scheme, coordinate system, and map scales.	See KML support in ArcGIS
Microsoft Bing Maps™	Can be used to deliver GIS information and services to thousands of users who use Microsoft Bing Maps™ to overlay map information on imagery, transportation, and places of interest. Supports both 2D and 3D maps. Used to address four primary questions: What's around here? (i.e., Exploration) Where is it? (Find places, addresses, post codes, etc.) How do I get there? (Routing) What does my information look like within this context? (Mashup using JavaScript) Useful for GIS publishing to the public and other novice GIS users. Can support access to geoprocessing services hosted on an ArcGIS Server. Users are limited to use of the Microsoft Bing Maps tiling scheme, coordinate system, and map scales.	See Using the ArcGIS JavaScript Extension for the Virtual Earth API
ArcGIS Explorer	Can access any 2D or 3D base map published using ArcGIS Server along with the ability to overlay just about any GIS service (e.g., KML, OGC WMS, ArcGIS Server, ArcIMS, local data, GeoRSS, etc.). Supports advanced GIS tasks and access to geoprocessing services. Helps users answer many questions. For example: Where are my customers? Where should I put new stores or facilities? Who is impacted by this emergency? Where are the first responders? Where are the elderly who are affected? The children? How many? Where should we place evacuation centers? What is the best way to respond to a power outage? Can we pinpoint the outage location? What are the most congested traffic areas of a city? What is the projected tax base for land parcels under this proposed plan alternative? What is the environmental impact of a new development? What is the air quality impact on children near major roads? What happens if the water level rises one meter? And virtually thousands of additional questions Free to download, share, and use.	See the ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center

Mobile GIS applications

ArcGIS Mobile includes tools for building mobile applications. It includes out-of-the-box mobile applications for Smart Phones, Pocket PC's, and Tablet PC's. ArcGIS Mobile provides field-based access to ArcGIS Server.

A Mobile Developer's Kit for building custom mobile applications is also included.

With ArcGIS Mobile applications, you can use mobile devices to:

View and navigate maps and features

Collect and update GIS features

Synchronize the contents in a mobile application with ArcGIS Server (e.g., receive map updates from the server and synchronize field observations and edits with the server).

Perform field inspection and mobile data collection

About using mobile GIS applications

Usage notes	Supports field maps that run on Pocket PC's, Smart phones, and Tablet PC's. Supports GPS, which can be used to find locations and features on the map, for map navigation, and for data entry in the field. The use of GPS-based field data collection and inspection is increasing and becoming more widely deployed to non-GIS users. ArcGIS Mobile helps to support this community. Useful for using maps in the field. Maps can be periodically synchronized with a host server via a wireless or a wired connection. ArcGIS Mobile enables users to build custom applications in which GIS is an integral part of the work, but not the central field task. This supports the creation of applications that help a mobile worker perform his or her job and workflow.
Who uses this application type?	Mobile workers and field crews Inspectors Equipment operators Data collectors
Typical tasks	Field map use and navigation Field inspection Very simple editing and data collection Making observations Recording status information Redlining and making map notes Mobile work force management

See An overview of ArcGIS Mobile for more information.

The Web Mapping Application included with ArcGIS Server

ArcGIS Server includes a browser-based Web Mapping Application that can be readily deployed using ArcGIS Server. The Web Mapping Application is used to build advanced applications with high-end GIS capabilities for "connected clients." The ArcGIS Web Mapping Application runs inside of most Web browsers and can be customized using either the .NET or Java versions of the Web Application Development Framework (Web ADF).

Here are some example uses of the Web Mapping Application that are included with ArcGIS Server.

Image courtesy of My Neighborhood, Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska

Web mapp application integrated with IBM MAXIMO

Image courtesy of IBM

Many ArcGIS Server users build custom applications or extend the out-of-the-box Web mapping application using the Web ADF.

.NET Web Application Development Framework (ADF). An AJAX-enabled framework for building Web applications built on ASP .Net AJAX. It includes both server side and client side controls and libraries.

Java Web Application Development Framework (ADF). Also, an AJAX-enabled framework for building Web applications built on JSF and JEE. It includes server-side controls with client side behavior in JavaScript and libraries that you can use in various Java application development frameworks systems such as Eclipse.

About using the Web Mapping Application

Usage notes	Users access the Web mapping application through their Web browsers. This is a very useful for information delivery to a broad range of users. The Web mapping application runs as part of the Web server tier in your Web environment It can support a series of focused GIS tasks that are accessed and executed on the ArcGIS server. The Web mapping application also supports more involved ("stateful") editing and analytical tasks via direct connections to geodatabases and application servers. You can add advanced customization to the Web mapping application using the ADF via either .NET or Java. The Web Mapping Application is easy to deploy within an ArcGIS Server system
Who uses this application type?	Professional workers with computers on their desktops Specialists with GIS-based tasks who use stateful connections to the GIS server (e.g., editors who make updates to a geodatabase, analysts who perform modeling and evaluation of results, data entry clerks who fill in property pages about features) Citizens with more involved GIS work tasks (e.g., to explore the tax valuation on a parcel within a city GIS) Casual GIS users Data entry clerks Users who do not want to install any GIS software on their computer. They use their Web browser for information access. Use of the web mapping application requires an installation of ArcGIS Server technology in the organizations web application server tier.
Typical tasks	Map use with focused tasks Focused geodatabase editing Attribute or forms-based update Performing analysis, viewing, and comparing results Fusion of information from multiple servers

For more information, see Building Web applications with ArcGIS Server using the Web ADF.

OGC applications

ArcGIS includes support for a range of OGC standards and specifications for web services, including:

The OGC and ISO simple features specification
GML
WMS, including SLD support
WFS, including WFS-T support
WCS
CSW

This enables ArcGIS to openly publish content to many external OGC-centric applications like Gaia. ArcGIS Server can also be used to access and consume OGC Web services within the ArcGIS system for generating map displays, performing data updates, and GIS database management.

For more information on OGC support, see An overview of OGC and ISO support.