This diagram shows the high-level architecture of the new ArcWeb Services 2005.1 portal.

During the third quarter of 2005, Esri plans to release ArcWeb Services 2005.1—a significant update to ArcWeb Services. The new version is designed to give users more account administration capabilities that will help in the management of groups of users. Many new services will be offered, including the ability to upload points, lines, and polygons for hosting by Esri and then combine this data with ArcWeb Services data.

ArcWeb Services are Esri's hosted GIS Web services. They offer a way to access GIS content and capabilities over the Web on demand. Because data storage, maintenance, and updates are handled by Esri, ArcWeb Services eliminate the overhead of purchasing and maintaining large data sets.

The ArcWeb Services 2005.1 enhancements will be available via a new online portal. This portal will include an author tool for creating custom layers and services using a customer's own data or other ArcIMS services; a content library that will make it easy to discover available content; a service builder for creating, managing, customizing, and publishing ArcWeb Services; and account administration tools that allow group administrators to manage groups of users.

Other highlights of the new release include the following:

• Users will be able to combine their own data with ArcWeb Services data.
• A new Data Manager Service will allow users to upload and manage not only their own point data but also their line and polygon data. In other words, an ArcWeb Services user can upload features, such as sales territories, display them on a map, and use them in geospatial calculations (e.g., Which territory am I in? Which store is closest?).
• Esri has made several improvements to the performance of ArcWeb Services, e.g., users will experience up to a 60 percent reduction in the time it takes to service street map image requests.
• New Location Services will make it possible to track employee/mobile device locations.
• The Route Finder Service will be enhanced to allow users to generate turn-by-turn maps.

In addition, as part of Esri's ongoing commitment to expanding the range of data available via ArcWeb Services, customers can expect several new data sources to become available soon. These data sources will include

• infoUSA Business Data, which provides access to name, address, phone number, and SIC code for 13 million businesses across the United States
• NAVTEQ data for the European Union
• Targus Info Phone Number Data that is used to support reverse phone number lookup services

For more information on ArcWeb Services or to get a 30-day evaluation, visit www.esri.com/arcweb or call Esri at 1-800-447-9778. Outside the United States, contact your local Esri distributor.