What is maintenance?
Esri includes complimentary maintenance for the first 12 months, after which annual software maintenance fees apply. Maintenance benefits include technical support and software and data updates. Technical support, data updates, or software updates are not available separately. Maintenance for Business Analyst will include any updates of the Business Analyst software and data that are made available during the maintenance period. The extension maintenance does not provide updates to the ArcGIS core software.
How often are the datasets updated? How often is the software updated?
Datasets and software are released on an annual basis. Typically, we release a data update to include newly updated datasets, such as businesses, shopping centers, streets, locators, and demographics. A software update, which includes new and enhanced Business Analyst features, is usually released shortly after core ArcGIS updates are completed.
What is the difference between Business Analyst Basic and Business Analyst Standard?
Business Analyst Desktop Standard is the higher level subscription and includes everything in a Basic subscription with additional data and functionality. Businesses that perform analysis utilizing consumer spending data for target marketing, campaign planning, or making merchandise mix decisions, would benefit from Business Analyst Standard. Analysis require SIC or NAICS business data would also benefit from the additional data included in a Standard subscription.
Can Business Analyst Desktop be used for lead generation?
You can't use it to generate mailing lists either for direct marketing to consumers or direct marketing to businesses. The product does not provide lists of consumers with mail or email addresses. While it does provide access to lists of some 12,000,000+ businesses in the U.S. the license agreement doesn't allow the use of the business lists for direct marketing purposes. However, you can use Business Analyst to identify where your target prospects are. Users who want to create a direct mail campaign can output a list of target ZIP codes and then supply them to their preferred list provider or to the U.S. Postal Service to mail through its Every Door Direct program which requires target zip codes but not street address.