Esri

Esri
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Name	Esri
Type	Private
Founded	1969
Founder	Jack Dangermond
Headquarters	Redlands, California, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jack Dangermond; Laura Dangermond
Industry	Geographic information systems

Esri is a private company specializing in geographic information system software and spatial analytics. Founded in 1969, it develops products used across mapping, urban planning, environmental science, transportation, utilities, defense, and public health. Esri's software underpins workflows for organizations such as the United Nations, NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, World Bank, and European Commission, and is widely taught at institutions like Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.

History

Esri began in 1969 when Jack Dangermond and Laura Dangermond established the company after work related to projects at United States Geological Survey, Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, and collaborations with researchers from University of Southern California and University of Washington. Early milestones include the development of ARC/INFO in the 1980s, adoption by municipal agencies such as the City of New York and City of Los Angeles, and expansion into international markets including United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s Esri formed partnerships with institutions like National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency for satellite data integration and worked alongside agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during disaster response and public health campaigns. Esri has participated in conferences such as the annual Esri User Conference and engaged with standards bodies like Open Geospatial Consortium.

Products and Software

Esri's flagship product line centers on ArcGIS, which evolved from ARC/INFO into desktop, server, and cloud offerings used by organizations including Royal Mail, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Singapore Land Authority, and New South Wales Government. Key products include ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Server, deployed in contexts involving partners such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, and Oracle. Esri produces domain-specific solutions used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Forest Service, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and private firms like ExxonMobil and BP. Complementary tools include mobile applications used by agencies such as United States Postal Service and utilities like Duke Energy, spatial databases integrating with IBM Db2 and PostgreSQL, and developer APIs supported by communities including GitHub and Stack Overflow.

Platform and Technology

The Esri platform integrates mapping, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and data management, interoperating with standards from International Organization for Standardization and the Open Geospatial Consortium. It supports imagery from providers like Landsat, Sentinel-2, and commercial vendors used by organizations such as DigitalGlobe and Planet Labs. Esri's technology stack leverages programming languages and frameworks including Python (programming language), JavaScript, .NET Framework, and RESTful API design patterns, enabling integrations with scientific platforms like R (programming language) and enterprise systems such as SAP. Cloud deployments often use infrastructure from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, while partnerships with hardware vendors like Trimble and Leica Geosystems support field data collection for clients including Arup and AECOM.

Market and Industry Impact

Esri has shaped the GIS market alongside competitors and collaborators such as QGIS, Hexagon AB, Autodesk, and HERE Technologies. Its adoption by organizations like United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, Red Cross, and major metropolitan planning agencies contributed to spatial decision-making in contexts from disaster relief following events like Hurricane Katrina to infrastructure planning for projects such as the Crossrail program. Esri's tools are used in academic research published in journals such as Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and have influenced standards and policy discussions in forums including United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management.

Corporate Structure and Operations

Esri operates as a privately held company headquartered in Redlands, California, with regional offices and distributors spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Leadership has included founders and executives who have engaged with philanthropic organizations like The Nature Conservancy and initiatives such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's spatial data projects. Esri organizes events such as the Esri User Conference and maintains training collaborations with universities including University of California, Berkeley and Pennsylvania State University. Supply chains and vendor relationships extend to technology firms like Intel Corporation and Cisco Systems, while legal and policy interactions have involved agencies such as the United States Copyright Office and antitrust discussions common in the software industry.

Research, Education, and Community Outreach

Esri funds and conducts research in spatial analysis, remote sensing, and geovisualization with academic partners including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and University of Toronto. Educational initiatives include curriculum programs and grants for K–12 and higher education institutions such as Los Angeles Unified School District and University of Michigan. Community outreach involves collaborations with nonprofits like Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, and Human Rights Watch for mapping humanitarian and conservation efforts. Esri's developer and user communities intersect with open-source projects such as QGIS and organizations like the OpenStreetMap community, and its conferences feature speakers from institutions including National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution.

Category:Geographic information systems