The next release of ArcGIS is scheduled to be available in Q2 2009. ArcGIS 9.3.1 will focus on improving the performance of dynamic map publishing and increasing the sharing of geographic information.

ArcGIS Server 9.3.1 will offer high-performance dynamic mapping.

High-Performance Dynamic Map Publishing

The map service in ArcGIS Server will be optimized at ArcGIS 9.3.1 to produce high-performance dynamic maps. ArcGIS Server customers who use dynamic Web mapping or combine dynamic and cached maps on the Web will benefit from these improvements. These services will out perform ArcIMS services across all supported platforms and provide significantly better-looking maps. Within ArcGIS Desktop, there will be tools in ArcMap to inspect and optimize maps prior to publishing to ArcGIS Server.

Better Sharing of Geographic Information

ArcGIS 9.3.1 improves the sharing of geographic information by allowing users to share services, as well as geographic datasets, using their ArcGIS Online account. This means that packaged data can be published to ArcGIS Online Web services where others can find it through a search. Packaged data can include content provided by Esri, as well as content contributed by others, and users can control the scope of access to their online data and can either limit it to intraorganization sharing or open it up to the public.

Enhanced Support for Java Developers

Java developers who want to extend the ArcGIS framework on the ArcGIS Desktop/ArcGIS Engine (Java SE) and ArcGIS Server (Java EE) platforms will be able to create custom geoprocessing tools, server object extensions (SOEs) for ArcGIS Server, class extensions for custom behavior, custom renderers for customized rendering of data, plug-in data sources, and custom layers.

Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) support will also be provided in the form of wizards to generate boilerplate code based on the developer's specification. This will facilitate quick and easy development of the extensions. ArcGIS 9.3.1 will also include an autodeploy feature that will allow Java developers and their end users to automatically deploy their Java extensions.

Easy to Install

Users who have ArcGIS 9.3 installed will be able to upgrade to ArcGIS 9.3.1 without having to uninstall ArcGIS 9.3. In addition, ArcGIS 9.3.1 is 100 percent compatible with ArcGIS 9.3 for all aspects of ArcGIS, including geodatabases, maps, and APIs, so users will be able to easily migrate or work in mixed environments of ArcGIS 9.3 and ArcGIS 9.3.1 within the same organization.

More Information

For more information on ArcGIS 9.3.1, visit www.esri.com/whatscoming.