Common Questions

Standard services are available at no cost to ArcGIS users for internal and external noncommercial use.

Premium services require the purchase of an annual subscription and can be used internally or externally and for commercial purposes.

Some standard services have a usage limitation. These types of standard services offer a subscription version for users who want to increase the usage limit. For example, the standard World Geocoding service has a 1,000-address batch geocoding limit per user, per year. For those users who need to batch geocode more addresses, a subscription service with a 25,000-address batch geocoding limit is available.

Pricing for an annual subscription for a premium service varies depending on the product you are using to connect to the service (ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Server) and is calculated on a per-user or user-equivalent basis.

ArcGIS Explorer users can connect to the following premium services at no cost:

• USA Prime/World Bundle
• USA Prime Imagery

For all other premium services, ArcGIS Explorer users must purchase an annual subscription.

To connect to ArcGIS Online services, you will need ArcGIS Desktop (ArcInfo, ArcEditor, ArcView, or ArcGIS Explorer) or ArcGIS Server.

Yes, you can get a local version of the ArcGIS Online map services. ArcGIS Data Appliance provides much of the same data and is delivered on a preconfigured network storage device that connects to your existing network.

DataDoors for ArcGIS is another option. Through this application, you can place an online order for most of the raster data available in ArcGIS Online, then download it locally to your desktop or have it shipped to you.

The ArcGIS Online Content Sharing Program enables your organization to contribute geographic data to ArcGIS Online services. Your content will be integrated with that from providers for publishing in ArcGIS Online services, which are hosted and published by ESRI. Users within or outside your organization will be able to access your data via the Web. This program is available to any ESRI users and other geographic data providers interested in making their data content broadly available.

Some portions of ArcGIS Online can be licensed at no cost; others require a fee.

Available to all ArcGIS users at no cost

• Standard Map Services and Task Services
• Basemaps, layers, and other items uploaded to ArcGIS Online Sharing by ESRI and other ArcGIS users
• ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs for internal development of Web maps with JavaScript, Flex, and Microsoft Silverlight
• Access to the ArcGIS Online Sharing Web application to create groups, upload items, and search for items (requires ESRI Global Account)

Available to ArcGIS users for a fee

• Premium Map Services
• Standard Map Services intended for commercial use
• Task Services that include higher usage options, for example, World Geocoding and World Routing
• ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs for development of commercial use applications

With the ArcGIS 9.3.1 release, Microsoft Bing Maps have been seamlessly integrated with ArcGIS. This means that ArcGIS users have direct access to Bing Maps through the Internet.

ArcGIS Desktop (ArcInfo, ArcEditor, ArcView, and ArcGIS Desktop extensions) users, as well as ArcGIS Engine (ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit and ArcGIS Engine Runtime) users who are current on maintenance, can access Bing Maps at no additional cost during their maintenance year. This free access includes 50,000 transactions per user, per year. Users who exceed this limit or need more transactions may purchase an annual subscription with unlimited transactions for $200 per user, per year.

ArcGIS Explorer 900 users who have an existing ArcGIS Desktop license on the same machine as ArcGIS Explorer can share the 50,000 transactions allotted to the ArcGIS Desktop license. Users who do not have an existing ArcGIS Desktop license can evaluate Bing Maps for 90 days, then purchase an annual subscription with unlimited transactions.

ArcGIS Server users have access to a built-in, free 90-day evaluation of Bing Maps that can be leveraged with the .NET ADF and the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs for Flex, JavaScript, and Silverlight. After the evaluation period, users can purchase an annual subscription. Annual subscriptions are sold in blocks of 100,000 transactions.

Free access is provided to users who are current on maintenance. You must renew your maintenance for your ArcGIS Desktop license to receive continued free access, or you can purchase an annual subscription to Bing Maps by calling 1‑800‑447‑9778 or contacting the ESRI office that serves you.

It depends on the transaction type.

• Eight 256 x 256 map tiles = 1 map transaction
• Eight 128 x 128 map tiles = 1 map transaction (mobile device)
• Eight 64 x 64 map tiles = 1 map transaction (mobile device)
• One geocode = 1 transaction
• One local search = 1 transaction
• One point-to-point route = at least 4 transactions (1 map, 2 geocodes, 1 route)

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 users (including ArcInfo, ArcEditor, ArcView, and ArcGIS Engine) and ArcGIS Server users must first register to use Bing Maps. You can find instructions at the ArcGIS Online Resource Center.

If you have enabled Bing Maps for use in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1, ArcGIS Explorer will use the same license when installed on the same machine. Please note that you need to have the latest release of ArcGIS Explorer to use Bing Maps.

If you are using ArcGIS Explorer independently, then you must license Bing Maps separately. At this time, separate Bing Maps licenses are not yet available for stand-alone ArcGIS Explorer use. Please check back soon.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1, ArcGIS Engine 9.3.1, and ArcGIS Server 9.3.1, as well as ArcGIS Explorer 900, support Bing Maps. ArcGIS Mobile 9.4 and ArcPad 8.1 will support Bing Maps when released. View the Bing Maps Services page for more details.

The following APIs can consume Bing Maps map tiles:

ArcGIS API for Flex, ArcGIS API for Silverlight, and ArcGIS API for JavaScript and the ArcGIS Server Web ADF for the Microsoft .NET Framework. The Web ADF for Java will be able to consume Bing Maps in a future release.

The ArcGIS JavaScript Extension for Microsoft Bing Maps can also be used to serve GIS datasets as overlays to the Bing Maps map control.

Bing Maps are composed of three map services: roads, orthographic aerial and satellite imagery, and hybrid (imagery overlaid with roads and labels). Bird's-eye imagery is not included. You can preview the three map services.

All the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs support Bing Maps geocoding. Additionally, Bing Maps routing is supported in the ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight.

Yes, ArcGIS Explorer will render the 2D Bing Maps map tiles in 3D on the fly.

You can add Pictometry's bird's-eye imagery by using the ArcGIS plug-in and extensions sold by Pictometry.

You can upload the following item types:

Maps

• ArcMap Documents (.mxd)
• ArcGlobe Documents (.3dd)
• ArcScene Documents (.sxd)
• ArcReader Documents (.pmf)
• ArcGIS Explorer (.nmf)
• ArcGIS Explorer Custom Applications (.ncfg)

Layers

• Layer Packages (.lpk)
• Layer files (.lyr)
• ArcGIS Explorer Layers (.nmc)
• ArcGIS Server Map Services
• ArcGIS Server Globe Services
• ArcGIS Server Image Services
• ArcGIS Server Geodata Services

Tools

• ArcGIS Explorer Tools (.eaz)
• ArcGIS Server Network Analyst Services
• ArcGIS Server Geoprocessing Services
• ArcGIS Server Geocoding Services
• ArcGIS Server Geometry Services

A layer package (.lpk) is a file format you can create in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 for easy sharing in ArcGIS Online. When you save a map layer, you can choose to include its source data and other intrinsic properties, such as thumbnail, extent, and spatial reference, as part of a layer package. Layer packages allow you to publish your layers in a format that can be easily uploaded and downloaded in ArcGIS Online. When other users want to use these layer packages in their ArcGIS applications, ArcGIS Online unpackages them and opens them in the appropriate ArcGIS application, for example, ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 or ArcGIS Explorer 900. ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 is currently the only way to create layer packages.

There are two ways: you can upload ArcGIS map and layer files or create layer packages that you can then upload.

Uploading ArcGIS map and layer files

• From within ArcGIS Online Sharing, upload your files through My Content > Add Item.
• Add information to your uploaded item such as tags, a summary, and a description. ArcGIS Online fills in as much information as possible based on the properties of the file. No source map data is uploaded with these map and layer files.

Uploading a layer package
Use ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 to create layer packages. The source map data is included as part of the layer package. The layer packaging process automatically creates an initial item information card within the layer package containing intrinsic properties such as the item type, thumbnail, extent, and spatial reference.

• From within ArcGIS Online, upload your files through My Content > Add Item.
• Add information to your uploaded items such as tags, a summary, and a description. When other users want to use layer packages in their ArcGIS applications, ArcGIS Online unpacks them and opens them in the appropriate ArcGIS application on their desktop.

No, you cannot view a layer package uploaded to the ArcGIS Online Sharing application (other than the thumbnail view) or use it in a Web map that you created with ArcGIS Online Sharing. Layer packages are uploaded and shared to ArcGIS Online, then downloaded and opened with ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 or ArcGIS Explorer 900. ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 is currently the only way to create layer packages.

An ArcGIS Online Web map is an online map service that combines user map services with ESRI basemap services. You can create these Web maps directly in ArcGIS Online Sharing, then share them with other users just as you share layers, maps, and services.

Items that are uploaded and shared as "public" are automatically indexed by popular search engines and can be discovered by common search methods, since every item has an associated URL. ArcGIS users can also utilize the search function within the ArcGIS Online Sharing application to find groups and items.

ArcGIS users can freely use ArcGIS Online Sharing anonymously without creating an ESRI Global Account to find and use public content. However, if you register for an account, you can also create and join groups, upload items, and save ArcGIS Online Web maps you created with ArcGIS Online Sharing.

Batch geocoding means that you are storing the results of your request locally, so you can use them again. With the standard, no-cost World Geocoding service, you can store up to 1,000 requests per year, and you have unlimited use of single geocodes (that are not stored) for internal or noncommercial external use. Programmatically serializing single geocode requests in order to save addresses for later use is not permitted.

If you need to batch geocode more than 1,000 addresses, you can purchase an annual subscription for the World Geocoding service. This will provide you with blocks of 25,000 batch geocodes per subscription per year and unlimited single geocodes, and it allows you to use this service for external, commercial use.