Friday, March 26, 2010

2010 ESRI Developer Summit

Unfortunately this year I didn't get to go to the ESRI DevSummit but I have been
keeping a close eye on the plenary videos and tweets from everyone that were there.
Following is a list major going ons at the dev summit.

ArcGIS Desktop 10
- New icons....yeah!!??
- Total new modern UI + dockable windows (very visual studio like)
- Python = AML, Python editor with intellisense built right into ArcMap. Python is fully integrated map production, analysis, scripts, reports, etc . (not sure how non-developers are going to like this, they already think ArcMap is too complicated.)
- ArcCatalog built right into ArcMap
- Search engine built into ArcMap
- Seamless panning
- Background geoprocessing....FINALLY!!!!
- New sketch tool with template based design
- New Add-Ins framework...no need for admin privilege to install an add-in. Available in for .NET & Java.
- Share Add-Ins using ArcGIS Online and install right from the web browser.
- Fast map display
- Full integration with ArcGIS Online
- Drag toolbox tools onto toolbars
- Will support .NET 4.0 and VS2010
- They want us developers to throw a way old arcobjects code and replace it with Python....yeah that should go over real well.
The new development platform for 10 is suppose to be streamlined, so they rather you use that. (I get the feeling arcobjects as we know it is on its way out. ;-) )
- Ships in June!

ArcGIS Engine 10
- Engine inherits all new features of Desktop.
- Simpler API
- License options, concurrent and borrowing

- I wonder how long before ArcGIS.com snuffs out GISCloud.com, WeoGeo.com, Fortiusone.com, Cloudmade.com and anyone else with a cloud offering.

ArcGIS Server 10
- Web editing on all client platforms JSAPI, Silverlight, Flex, iPhone SDK
- New Feature service
- Ability to make a custom REST services based on ArcGIS Server REST API
- Time data is supported
- Mosaic feature to publish imagery tiles without any preprocessing...very FAST!

ArcGIS Mobile
- sdk support for iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone 7, Android
- Mobile manager to publish maps for mobile apps

ArcGIS Online + Explorer
- Explorer has been ported to silverlight and now can be accessed in all major browsers.

Misc
- Working on a full 64bit version of ArcGIS Server
- File Geodatabase API...get more here
- Scott Morehouse, Director of Software Development says there pivoting all apps to web/cloud concept.

The major point you get from this years dev-summit is that ESRI is taking
gis web applications and platforms very seriously. How long will it be before you see ArcMap and all there desktop apps running in the ArcGIS Cloud? Probably once they sort out a good license model and scale ArcGIS Server. The question is will they take it that far? If they do I can see a lot of partners that spent good money building web apps investing in ESRI server technology being very ticked. Plus that would push a lot of the new up and comers of the gis cloud party out.

I guess time will tell if ESRI will dominate the cloud like they dominate the desktop and server space.... I'm betting yes.