Common Questions

The main difference between Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online is how it is implemented. ArcGIS Online is hosted and managed by Esri and can be accessed by anyone through the Internet. Portal for ArcGIS is hosted and managed by the customer organization for its own, private (Intranet) use. The customer has the option to have Esri host and manage a private instance of Portal for ArcGIS that only the users within the organization can access.

Yes, organizations can take a hybrid approach to implementing Portal for ArcGIS Portal behind their firewall (Intranet), and also allow access via the Internet to content available in ArcGIS Online.

The ArcGIS Online basemaps, e.g., the World Imagery Map, World Street Map, World Topographic Map and others are not included with Portal for ArcGIS. Organizations who want to add ArcGIS Online basemaps to their Portal for ArcGIS can license Data Appliance for ArcGIS. This is recommended for organizations that do not already have existing basemaps. Organizations that already have licensed Data Appliance for ArcGIS can integrate the appliance with Portal for ArcGIS. In addition, organizations can choose to implement a hybrid model of Portal for ArcGIS, where users can access ArcGIS Online basemaps through the Internet by going to arcgis.com.

Portal for ArcGIS includes the Help system, but not the ArcGIS Resource Centers. Organizations can connect to the ArcGIS Resource Centers via the Internet to take advantage of additional community and support resources.

Portal for ArcGIS includes the ability for users to add their own applications and templates that reflect their organization's workflows and needs. However, over 20 configurable web application templates are included that can be leveraged by users to quickly publish web applications.

ArcGIS for Server is not a technical requirement but is recommended in order to fully take advantage of all of the ArcGIS Online capabilities.

Yes, users share their maps and discover content directly from within ArcGIS for Desktop.

No, Portal for ArcGIS does not rely on the Esri Global Account system. A separate identity store is included with Portal for ArcGIS.

Portal for ArcGIS is supported on 64 bit Windows 2008 Servers and Linux.

Currently, implementation of Portal for ArcGIS requires a contract with Esri Professional Services. The next release of Portal for ArcGIS (early 2012) will include an installation program, and organizations will be able to implement Portal for ArcGIS on their own if they so choose.

Yes, a complete managed service where Esri hosts and manages a private instance of Portal for ArcGIS is available through Esri Professional Services. This means that instead of the organization's IT staff implementing and managing Portal for ArcGIS, Esri's Professional Services team does it for the organization. This hosted version of an organization's portal is specific to the organization and can only be accessed by users within the organization.