ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Online
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Name	ArcGIS Online
Developer	Esri
Initial release	2012
Operating system	Cross-platform
Genre	Geographic information system
License	Proprietary

ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based mapping and spatial analysis platform developed by Esri. It provides tools for creating, sharing, and analyzing maps, scenes, and data products for a wide variety of organizations and projects. The platform connects to Esri's desktop and enterprise offerings and interoperates with numerous third-party systems in sectors including urban planning, environmental management, transportation, and public safety.

Overview

ArcGIS Online is positioned within Esri's product ecosystem alongside ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Server. It serves users ranging from staff at United Nations agencies, practitioners at World Bank projects, researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration, analysts at European Space Agency, to consultants at firms like Deloitte, Accenture, and McKinsey & Company. Organizations such as United States Geological Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, Natural Resources Canada, Geoscience Australia, and Ordnance Survey use the platform for basemaps, authoritative datasets, and workflow support. The service leverages contributions from community sources including OpenStreetMap, imagery from Planet Labs, and elevation from NASA missions. Academic institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge use it for teaching and research, while NGOs like Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, and Médecins Sans Frontières apply it for humanitarian mapping. Esri publishes documentation and updates in coordination with industry standards bodies such as Open Geospatial Consortium and ISO.

Features and Functionality

The platform provides web map creation similar to tools in QGIS and interoperates with desktop workflows in ArcGIS Pro and cloud services in Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Capabilities include tile and vector basemaps, 2D mapping, 3D scene composition comparable to Cesium, attribute table management akin to Tableau data views, and spatial analysis functions that mirror operations in R packages like sf and sp. Users can perform geocoding using locators linked to providers like HERE Technologies and TomTom, conduct network analysis using data formats from OpenStreetMap, and run suitability modeling used by agencies such as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Visualization supports thematic mapping styles familiar to readers of National Geographic and cartographers at Ordnance Survey. Sharing mechanisms include configurable web apps and dashboards inspired by Microsoft Power BI and Google Data Studio.

Architecture and Data Management

The service is built on a multi-tenant cloud architecture that integrates with ArcGIS Server capabilities and can federate with ArcGIS Enterprise portals. Data storage supports hosted feature services, tile caches, and raster data drawn from providers like Landsat Program, Sentinel Programme, and MODIS. Spatial data formats include GeoJSON, Shapefile (ESRI Shapefile), and File Geodatabase, while metadata profiles follow standards such as ISO 19115 and schemas used by Data.gov and European Data Portal. Geoprocessing tasks leverage distributed compute similar to patterns in Hadoop and container orchestration compatible with Kubernetes deployments offered by cloud partners like Google Cloud Platform. Backup and replication strategies align with practices used by Amazon S3 customers and enterprise clients such as Bank of America and Siemens.

Licensing, Pricing, and Accounts

Esri's licensing model for the platform involves subscription plans, user types, and credits that resemble models used by vendors like Salesforce and Adobe Creative Cloud. Account roles include administrators, publishers, and viewers; these roles parallel access controls used at organizations including NASA and European Space Agency. Pricing tiers accommodate educational institutions similar to arrangements at University of California, Berkeley and University of Washington, non-profits like World Food Programme, and commercial enterprises such as Tesla and General Electric. Enterprise agreements are negotiated with large customers such as Department of Defense and multinational corporations like Shell and BP.

Integration and APIs

Developers can extend the platform via REST APIs, SDKs for JavaScript and Python, and connectors comparable to APIs from Google Maps Platform and Mapbox. The ArcGIS API for JavaScript integrates with front-end frameworks used by teams at Facebook, Twitter, and Airbnb; the Python API supports workflows in environments like Jupyter Notebook used by researchers at Harvard University and California Institute of Technology. Integration adapters exist for enterprise systems including SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle Database, and for IoT streams like those from Cisco and Bosch. Automation and DevOps pipelines often incorporate tools from GitHub, Jenkins, and Terraform.

Security and Compliance

Security controls align with standards used by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and certifications common to cloud providers such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001. The platform supports single sign-on with identity providers like Okta, Azure Active Directory, and Ping Identity, and it can integrate with government identity frameworks such as Login.gov. Data protection practices reflect requirements observed at institutions like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Compliance options address regulations similar to GDPR and sector-specific mandates followed by financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and healthcare organizations including Mayo Clinic.

Adoption, Use Cases, and Criticism

Use cases span disaster response by agencies like Federal Emergency Management Agency, infrastructure management by transit authorities such as Transport for London, conservation planning by groups like Conservation International, and public health mapping by entities including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Critics compare the platform to open-source alternatives like QGIS and GeoServer and raise concerns echoed in discussions at conferences such as FOSS4G about vendor lock-in, cost, and proprietary formats. Debates involving privacy and geoprivacy reference incidents considered by advocacy organizations like Electronic Frontier Foundation and policy discussions in forums including European Parliament. Despite criticism, the platform remains widely adopted by municipal governments such as City of New York, City of Los Angeles, and City of London, utilities like National Grid, and consulting firms including KPMG.

Category:Geographic information systems