Geocloud: ESRI ArcGIS Online Reviewed

This is the third part in a series of articles from Georelated providing a summary of some of the major cloud mapping services, their capabilities and key differentiators. This article will examine ESRI ArcGIS Online. Previous articles in this review series:

1. Part 1 - Google Maps
   
2. Part 2 - Bing Maps
3. Part 3 - ESRI ArcGIS Online  

The articles are aimed at a technical audience of architects or developers. 

ArcGIS Online is a large collection of GIS capability and data. ArcGIS Online provides "Hosted" and "Content" web services, mobile and web application programming interfaces, web mapping explorer application for sharing and collaboration, ArcGIS integration and Excel integration. It offers broad range of capability with ESRI product suite wide integration and support for a wide range of development technologies.

Geocloud: Bing Maps API Reviewed

This is the second part in a series of articles from Georelated providing a summary of some of the major cloud mapping services, their capabilities and key differentiators. This article will examine Microsoft Bing Maps API. In the first part of the series Georelated examined Google Maps API v3. The articles are aimed at a technical audience of architects or developers. Bing Maps is Microsofts cloud mapping service API. Bing Maps was originally launched in 2005 as MSN Virtual Earth and has seen many different names since this time (Live Search Maps, Windows Live Maps, Windows Live Local, and MSN Virtual Earth). 

Geocloud: Google Maps API Reviewed

There are many cloud web map APIs available to embed mapping directly into a web application or web site. Services are available from Google Maps, Bing Maps, ESRI ArcGIS Online, MapQuest and many smaller vendors such as GIS Cloud. This is the first in a series of articles from Georelated providing a summary of some of the major cloud services, their capabilities and key differentiators. The articles are aimed at a technical audience of architects or developers.

This article examines Google Maps API. Google Maps API v3 provides a Javascript and Flash RIA controls,  web services and embeddable Google Earth. It supplies base mapping and geocoding data within the service.

Development: Web Mapping Enabling Technology - Are Flash and Silverlight dead?

This is the 4th post in the Web Mapping series examining the technology that will change the boundaries of what is possible for geospatial applications. In this post we will take a look at Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight as technology enablers for Web Mapping. The post will illustrate concerns over the future of these technologies, examine their adoption for GIS and Web Mapping and review the direction of the key technology vendors.

Technology: 3D GIS Moving from Desktop to the Web?

In the recent Web Mapping post series Georelated.com examined the new opportunities that have emerged for vastly improved web mapping through HTML 5 and its support for SVG, WebGL, Canvas and massively improved performance. We examined the practicality and benefits of vector web mapping as an alternative to web mapping using pregenerated tile images and the potential of globe web mapping visualisation without plugins or desktop software. In this post we will examine the opportunities for 3D web mapping created through advances in browser technology, HTML5, WebGL and new evolutions in web mapping.

Technology: The rise of Globe in Web Mapping

In the last post "The Fall of the Tiled Map Image" Georelated.com provided some background on why we believe web mapping is on the cusp of a new generation moving away from the image tile map to vector mapping. In this post we will examine the potential of HTML 5 Globe Web Mapping and the changes in technology that make this possible.

Development: The Fall of the Tiled Map Image

Pregenerated tiled map images as used by Google Maps, Microsoft Bing and many GIS focused vendors has been the dominant solution GIS web mapping for solutions for many years. Pregenerated tile maps were a clever and highly successful solution to the technology limitations of the time (circa 2004) however, these limitations no longer exist. Is it time for a change of approach?