Frequently Asked Questions

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I. About Business Analyst Online

What is Business Analyst Online?

Business Analyst Online on-demand reporting and mapping helps you to understand the demographics, lifestyles, and buying behaviors of households in your market; evaluate supply and demand for various products and services; research sites for new store locations; and other business applications.

What are some features of Business Analyst Online?

The Business Analyst Online interface is designed to help you research, analyze, and visualize your markets more effectively so you can make better business decisions.

• Interactive features - help you define your markets and sites quickly.
• Ease of use – You can accomplish tasks in just a few clicks; you can order a report in as few as five clicks. For example, to view Miami, Florida, on a map, enter "Miami" in the Find widget and the interface map instantly zooms to Miami. To look around the map, just hold down the left mouse button and drag the map.
• Flexibility – Your project can include all types of study areas such as rings, drive times, hand-drawn study areas, and areas defined by standard geographies.
• Map capabilities – As you work, your map constantly updates itself with relevant information so you can find, define, and analyze your markets and sites, quickly. You can also customize your map by turning on additional information. You can even make your map as big as your desktop, take a screenshot, and paste it directly into any presentation or document, instantly.
• Onscreen and printed maps are boardroom-ready, saving you time and money in reproduction costs.
• Fast reports and maps – To run a report instantly, subscribers can click the "Preview" link next to each report, speeding up your analysis process. You can also receive your reports by e-mail.

What reports and maps are available?

Business Analyst Online provides more than 50 presentation-quality reports and maps. The reports are created from data categories such as business, consumer spending, demographics, segmentation, shopping center, and traffic. Maps available from Business Analyst Online include standard site maps, enhanced 3D relief maps, thematic maps, and other specialized maps such as the dominant Community Tapestry segment map, maps of major shopping centers, and traffic volume maps. To see a complete list and details for each report and map, click on the links below.

• Demographic Reports
• Consumer Reports
• Business Reports
• Maps
• Aerial/Satellite Images

What types of imagery can I access from Business Analyst Online?

Business Analyst Online provides aerial/satellite images from GlobeXplorer and Pixxures. You can view and assess neighborhoods and properties from a different perspective with these real-life images that will complement the reports and maps from Business Analyst Online. Available as an optional add-on to the Basic and Premium subscriptions, imagery in PDF format can be delivered in minutes directly to your e-mail inbox.

• Pixxures imagery provides high-quality aerial images of a three-quarter mile radius around a site. Images are available for more than 88 U.S. markets, supplemented with images from the U.S. Geological Survey and Millennium Mosaic. In PDF format, the images are appropriate for high-resolution printing.
• GlobeXplorer provides an onscreen preview of an aerial image delivered in a large, high-quality PDF document that can be easily copied into a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation. Images are available at various resolutions for more than 98 percent of the continental U.S.

To see the imagery available from Business Analyst Online, visit www.esri.com/bao/about/images.html.

What does Business Analyst Online cost?

Map and report costs begin at $35 – perfect for those who use the site only occasionally. A Basic subscription costs $995; a Premium subscription is priced at $2,500. Each subscription gives you unlimited use of the reports and maps in the package for the subscription period.

Can I try Business Analyst Online before I buy?

Absolutely! Visit http://www.esri.com/freecensus and follow the instructions. This URL gives you free access to the reports and maps developed from Census 2000 data. After you see how the system works, we hope you'll see the value of our current-year demographics and five-year projections, plus all of the business, consumer spending, Community Tapestry segmentation, and other data available from Business Analyst Online.

To really "test-drive" Business Analyst Online, you can also order a Day Pass for $149 and browse all the data, maps, and interactive features on Business Analyst Online for eight hours—a full business day—then design and print a total of five reports and maps. This solution is ideal for anyone who wants to see if Business Analyst Online would fit their requirements, or needs quick access to data reports and maps for a specific project. To order your Day Pass, visit http://bao.esri.com/solutions.

II. How to Order Reports and Maps

I need just a few reports; do I have to buy a subscription?

If you need just a few reports, enter the site as a "Guest" and order individual reports and maps as you need them without a subscription. You make each purchase with a credit card. If you are not sure how many reports you'll need, try the Day Pass option as described above.

What is the difference between ordering reports as a Guest or as a Subscriber?

Guest users define their projects online, choose reports and maps, and enter their credit card information each time they purchase to obtain their reports and maps via e-mail. Subscribers have a separate log-in that enables them to choose a package of reports and maps suited to their purposes, then generate reports and maps for as many sites or geographic areas needed without restriction during the subscription period. Basic and Premium subscriptions are based on an annual fee, eliminating the need to enter credit card information each time you purchase. Subscribers can also

• Save and organize reports and sites into projects.
• Edit and rerun previous reports and/or maps.
• Save report preference settings.
• Personalize reports with a company logo.
• Upload and save territories/trade areas.
• Customize break points and colors of thematic maps.

What is the difference between Basic and Premium subscriptions?

A Basic subscription includes unlimited access to 14 of the most popular Business Analyst Online reports and maps. A Premium subscription includes everything available in the Basic subscription plus 20 additional reports and maps. Premium subscribers can also add their company logo to each report and map, upload and save territories, and customize certain thematic maps. To customize your Basic or Premium subscription, you can select additional reports and/or maps to add to your subscription.

Who do I contact if I still have questions about ordering reports and maps?

For answers to sales or data questions, send an e-mail or call 800-292-2224. For technical support, call 888-377-4575 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

How do I renew my subscription?

Log in to Business Analyst Online and click on My Subscription to see a list of all the reports and maps in your current subscription and the subscription's expiration date. In the Renew Subscription column, select Renew My Current Subscription. Then choose the time period for your subscription from the drop-down menu. Use the check boxes to renew the reports that are currently part of your subscription, or make new choices. To choose new reports, click Next; otherwise, click Add to Cart and complete your transaction. You will receive an e-mail with an activation code and instructions. Your new subscription, along with any additional reports you selected, will be activated when your current subscription expires.

Can I add new report(s) to an existing subscription?

Yes. If you add new reports, your existing subscription will automatically be extended to match the term of your new report(s), along with any reports you may have previously selected. For example, if your current subscription has five months remaining and you add a new report with a 12-month term, your subscription will be automatically extended another seven months, to match the term of the new report. Reports you previously added to your subscription will also be extended. The cost for this extension will be added to the cost of purchasing the additional report(s).

To add a new report to a current subscription, log in to Business Analyst Online, click Continue, then select the My Subscription Status tab. In the right column, scroll to Add Reports to Current Subscription. Choose the time period for your subscription from the drop-down menu, then click Add Reports. Select the reports to add to your subscription, click Add to Cart, and complete your transaction. You will receive an e-mail with the activation code that extends your existing subscription and begins your subscription with the new reports.

Can I upgrade my subscription from Basic to Premium?

Yes. If you have a Basic subscription, you can upgrade to a Premium subscription at any time during your subscription period. The balance of your Basic subscription, along with any additional reports you choose, will be prorated and credited to the cost of your Premium subscription.

To upgrade, log in to Business Analyst Online, click Continue, then select the My Subscription Status tab. In the Renew Subscription column, select Upgrade to a Premium Subscription. Choose the time period for your subscription upgrade from the drop-down menu. If you want to include more reports with your upgrade, check the Include Additional Reports check box, then click Next. Select the reports you want to add to your subscription, click Add to Cart, and complete your transaction. You will receive an e-mail with the activation code to begin your upgraded subscription.

How do I order a report that is not part of my subscription?

You can choose from a list of reports not included in your subscription. To choose additional reports, log in to Business Analyst Online and follow the process to start a new project.

How are the reports and maps delivered?

Three delivery options are available:

• After you order reports, click the View Reports button. Your reports should appear shortly.
• Your reports will be e-mailed to you. Check your e-mail in a few minutes.
• Pick up your reports at http://bao.esri.com. Click the Pick Up Reports link and enter your order number and e-mail address.

III. Account Information

I forgot my password; how do I log in?

Click here to reset your password. Enter your last name and the e-mail address you used to create your ESRI Global Account. Then answer the identity question you chose when you created your ESRI Global Account.

How do I update my password, e-mail address, company name, and other contact information?

To update your password, e-mail address, company name, and other account information, go to the Business Analyst Online login page and check the Edit My Login Information check box. Then click Login. You will be directed to the page where you can update your password and edit your e-mail address and other contact information.

How do I set my preferences?

Click My Preferences on the interface and set your preferences such as default report formats, logos, thematic map colors, etc., as you wish.

IV. Creating Reports and Maps

How do I create a ring report or radius report (i.e., a site with concentric rings around it)?

A ring report can include up to three rings around a site (a point on a map). You can specify a site by

• Address or intersection
• Latitude and longitude
• Clicking on a map
• Uploading an Excel or .DBF file with multiple sites

Each site or location can include up to three overlapping rings that use your site as the center point. Each ring includes data of any inner ring, and your report compares data within each of the rings. Choose a ring report to see data in each successively larger ring; choose a donut report to see just the data between two rings. You can also generate reports based on drive times or a hand drawn shape.

How do I create a report for a standard geography such as a state, county, or ZIP Code?

You can create a report with side-by-side comparisons for up to three geographic areas. Choose a single standard geography such as a state, county, ZIP Code, or census tract for your area, or combine several similar units to create a larger area. For example, you can combine several adjacent ZIP Codes into a single unit. To define your study area, click the Select Standard Geographic Units button.

How is data calculated for a ring?

ESRI uses a sophisticated Weighted Block Centroid geographic retrieval methodology to calculate accurate numbers for any ring, drive time, or hand-drawn study area. This method provides the most accurate information for rings and polygons. For more details, please see Working with Data under Resources.

How can I visualize data on the map?

Thematic maps visually represent data variations in an area or region to reveal patterns and trends that may be hard to recognize in tabular data. Map any of the ESRI data variables and display sites or geographic areas with the selected data variable thematically color-shaded by state, county, ZIP Code, census tract, or block group. View a sample [PDF].

How do I decide which reports and maps I need?

Business Analyst Online reports and maps are categorized into the following application areas to make it easy for you to choose the appropriate reports and maps.

• Evaluating sites and analyzing markets
• Profiling customers
• Scanning new markets
• Determining market penetration
• Reaching your customers
• Developing, planning, and analyzing franchise territories

To learn more, please see Choosing Reports and Maps under Resources. The Choose Reports page in Business Analyst Online lists numerous packages to choose from, depending on your needs. If you are a subscriber, you can even set your preferences to define your own package for ongoing use.

V. Other Versions of Business Analyst Online

Are other versions of Business Analyst Online available?

Yes. Industry-specific versions of Business Analyst Online include:

Business Analyst Online for Economic Development – urban planning and economic development professionals realize the value of providing current demographic data and boardroom-ready maps to their staffs, the local population, and prospective business owners and investors. Analysts can use customized reports and maps from Business Analyst Online to screen properties and quickly provide professional analysis results to prospective business owners and investors. Because ESRI handles the data updates, security, and 24/7 site monitoring, economic development departments are freed from these responsibilities. Learn more about Business Analyst Online for Economic Development.

Business Analyst Online for Education – designed specifically for educational institutions, students and faculty can use the information from Business Analyst Online to map and analyze data in minutes without requiring in-depth GIS training. Students can use the tools on Business Analyst Online to better understand the importance of geography in trade area analysis and other business analysis applications. Business Analyst Online for Education is available to learning institutions at discounted subscription options for individual students, classes, or an entire campus. The Basic subscription contains 12 demographic and consumer spending reports and maps that help students and faculty to characterize and analyze the people, housing, and retail expenditures for a specific area. The Extended subscription includes all of the reports and maps from the Basic subscription, plus 14 additional reports and maps. See a list of reports and maps in each subscription.

Business Analyst Online for Health – provides healthcare professionals with presentation-quality reports and maps to use for strategic planning and marketing information applications. Reports and maps are available for purchase as needed or by an annual subscription package. Data categories in the reports includes demographics, consumer spending, hospital discharge data, DRG and ICD-9 data, and data about physician office visits. Learn more about Business Analyst Online for Health.

VI. Business Analyst Online for areas outside the U.S.

What is Business Analyst Online Europe?

Business Analyst Online for Europe is an on-demand reporting and mapping service populated with European data and maps to help you understand the demographics, lifestyles, and buying behaviors of households in your market; evaluate purchasing power for various products and services; research sites for new store locations; and other business applications.

What data is available in Business Analyst Online Europe?

The data includes demographics, consumer expenditure, and purchasing power data for a single country, a group of countries, or for the entire European spectrum. To see a list of the countries and the data variables available, visit http://www.esri.com/baoeurope/...... Reports such as the European Market Profile, the European Demographic and Income Profile, the European Household Budget Expenditures report, and the European Retail Goods and Services Expenditures report are available at a variety of geographies including 4- and 5-digit postal code areas and municipalities. Geocoding is available for several countries; just type in an address (street, number, city, country, postal code) to define study areas in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

What maps are available from Business Analyst Online Europe?

Business Analyst Online for Europe allows users to create maps that show user-defined and ring study areas over a background of one of the following; Globexplorer premium imagery, TeleAtlas premium street information, or the geographic outlines of administrative or postal boundaries.

What aerial/satellite imagery is available from Business Analyst Online Europe?

Business Analyst Online provides aerial/satellite images from GlobeXplorer. You can view and assess neighborhoods and properties from a different perspective with real-life images that will complement the reports and maps from Business Analyst Online Europe. Available as an optional add-on to the Basic and Premium subscriptions, imagery in PDF format can be delivered in minutes directly to your e-mail inbox. GlobeXplorer provides an onscreen preview of an aerial image delivered in a high-quality PDF document that can be easily copied into a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation. To see the imagery available from Business Analyst Online Europe, visitwww.esri.com/baoeurope.

How does the data translate across countries; are the same variables available for all the countries?

Variables have been organized as either pan-European or country-specific. Pan-European variables such as total population and average age exist in all European countries. Country-specific variables have different reporting breaks (classes) and are not consistent between countries. For example, countries can report age ranges differently, such as 0-5, 6-18, 18-35, etc.; an adjacent country might report the ranges as 0-3, 4-7, 8-16, etc. These differences are addressed in the report templates.

What is purchasing power data?

Purchasing power refers to the disposable income of households; i.e., the after-tax income and compulsory social contributions, including received transfer payments, for a specified region. Therefore, items considered in calculations of Purchasing Power Indexes include:

• Net incomes from employment and assets (after deductions of taxes and social contributions)
• Pensions, unemployment benefits, welfare payments, and all other public transfer payments Purchasing Power Indexes indicate the distribution of all products and services whose demand depends upon consumer income. Sales figures for consumer goods, durable goods, personal services, or houses are, to some extent, a function of purchasing power. These indexes are used by consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks, insurance companies, savings banks, and consumer-oriented services companies to calculate regional market activity.

Who is the data provider?

The data provider for Business Analyst Online Europe is Michael Bauer Research GmbH, a highly specialized team of researchers in Nuremberg, Germany, with many years' experience in conducting international and regional market research. The company's core competence is to design internationally comparable regional market data from official raw statistical data. For more than 15 years, the company's research staff has produced state-of-the-art market data such as purchasing power and demographics, and innovative regional market data such as time series and pan-European consumer spending data. The wide array of regional demographic data for European and non-European countries from a single source of data production is the company's unique selling proposition.

Answering the growing demand for professional market data that integrates with client data, Michael Bauer Research data is used by leading European retail chains, retail service companies, manufacturers, real estate companies, and financial services organizations for professional network planning and regional expansion.

Since 2004, Michael Bauer Research has provided annual updates of pan-European purchasing power and demographic data for the ESRI Data & Maps product, a set of annual map data included with ArcGIS software.

What is the data vintage and the update schedule?

The data vintage is 2007 and is scheduled to be updated annually.

Will more data be added to the site?

Yes, more functionality and data will be added as the product evolves. We are also evaluating the addition of business listing data as well as weather and other spatial information.

Can I see samples of the reports and maps?

Yes. To see samples of the reports and maps, visit ________________.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the content and purchasing?

For answers to sales or data questions, send an e-mail or call 1-800-447-9778. For technical support, call 888-377-4575 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

Can I purchase single reports and maps?

The reports and maps are bundled together in one single convenient package.

What is the cost of the reports and maps?

We have conveniently bundled 4 reports and a map into the deliverable. The price for this content will be $140 USD, or approximately €100 euro per report.

Are subscriptions available? What content is included in a subscription?

Yes, subscriptions are available. Subscribers have access to all data, functionality, and reports for one year. Content included in the initial release of the product includes Globexplorer premium imagery, detailed street information, and access to the Michael Bauer Research data at two levels of geography.

What is offered in the Day Pass?

The "Day Pass" enables users to create up to 5 report packages in one 8-hour day. These passes cost $450/€333; a considerable savings when looking at numerous locations.

What is the cost of a subscription and the subscription period?

The cost of a one-year subscription with unlimited report and map generation is $7,500 or €5,550.

What currency is used? Dollars? Euros? How is the rate of exchange calculated?

All transactions are in U.S. Dollars. If a customer chooses to purchase a subscription through a distributor channel or purchase order, the exchange rate to U.S. Dollars will be used at the time of the transaction.