Web Mapping APIs

ESRI announces that its Web mapping APIs are available at no cost to users who are building applications for use in internal and noncommercial environments. ArcGIS Web mapping APIs have always been free for licensed ArcGIS Server users. Now government agencies, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and educational institutions can take full advantage of these mapping applications built on top of ArcGIS Server without additional costs or licensing.  

Private businesses can also deploy these API-based applications internally for free.

ArcGIS Web mapping APIs are part of ESRI's Web infrastructure. Developers will have access to ArcGIS Online map services for imagery, street maps, and topographic maps, as well as services for routing, geocoding, demographic analysis, and more. Organisations can spatially enable their databases easily without the need for maintaining an expensive infrastructure.

For example, a city government might deploy two different types of applications: an internal-facing executive dashboard that allows officials and managers to track capital improvement spending and an external-facing application for citizens to contribute their concerns and suggestions regarding those improvements. Both applications could be deployed at no cost.

"I see the geospatially enabled Web-the GeoWeb-as driving change that is beneficial for both users and creators of geospatial information," says Dangermond. "This means that we'll see a whole new creative group of people take these APIs and create new, interesting approaches to mapping. A powerful new generation of Web maps will proliferate and become commonplace to Web users."

ArcGIS Web mapping APIs include the ArcGIS API for Flex, the ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), and the ArcGIS API for JavaScript.