ArcGIS

ArcGIS is a scalable system of software for geographic data creation, management, integration, analysis, and dissemination for every organization, from an individual to a globally distributed network of people.

As GIS expands into new applications and user communities, ArcGIS meets the challenge of providing the data and services to a geographically literate world. Strong editing, analysis, and modeling, along with cutting-edge data models and management, continue to distinguish the ArcGIS software family as the leading GIS software. ArcGIS consists of the following state-of-the-art software programs: ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo, ArcGIS extensions, ArcSDE, and ArcIMS.

ArcGIS Desktop refers to ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo. Although licensed separately, ArcGIS Desktop is a set of software programs, which share a common architecture, common code base, common extension model, and single development environment. Additional functionality is enabled as you move from ArcView to ArcEditor to ArcInfo. This single integrated platform for geographic data creation, management, and analysis will dramatically increase usability and interoperability.

All the ArcGIS Desktop software includes core functionality expected of a modern GIS. ArcGIS Desktop includes a suite of integrated component applications: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox. Using these three applications together, you can perform any GIS task, simple to advanced, including mapping, data management, geographic analysis, and geoprocessing. This list also includes integration with Internet map and data services, geocoding, advanced editing tools, high-quality cartography, on-the-fly projection, refined support for metadata, wizard-driven menus, and direct read of more than 40 data formats.

In addition, ArcGIS 8.1 allows you to tap into an abundance of spatial data and resources available through ArcIMS software, an Internet-based GIS for distributing data and services ArcIMS services on the Internet, and ArcSDE gateway, an interface for managing geodatabases in a database management system (DBMS). ArcGIS Desktop is a comprehensive, integrated, scalable system designed to meet the needs of a wide range of GIS users.

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