Geospatial PaaS allow developers to integrate location in apps

Esri announced the launch of ArcGIS Platform, a geospatial platform as a service (PaaS) for developers that need to integrate location capabilities into their apps, business systems, and products. ArcGIS Platform gives developers direct access to Esri's powerful location services using the APIs and web frameworks of their choice.

"ArcGIS Platform lets users build their own products or integrate Esri services into existing software," said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. "This PaaS makes it easier for software developers to access geospatial technology."

"With the release of ArcGIS Platform, developers now have access to professional-grade content and capabilities they can readily plug into their apps, allowing them to stay on budget while delivering enormous value by reducing time to market," said David Cardella, Esri product manager for developer technologies.

Scaling with developers and their apps, ArcGIS Platform lets customers leverage the same framework and services whether they're supporting dozens of users or millions of them.

"We're excited our partnership with Esri has continued with the integration of ArcGIS Platform," said Ben Brantly, VP of product at Salesforce. "Esri's collection of ready-to-use basemaps gives our users a solution to better understand their data by presenting it visually on a map. The capabilities of ArcGIS Platform allow us to continue to expand the value we provide to Salesforce Maps users by leveraging additional Esri location services as well as the adoption of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript."

Esri is unveiling ArcGIS Platform at a virtual event, where users like Salesforce and cloud-based drone management capability provider Airspace Link are speaking about how they use Esri's PaaS technology.

"Fused with local data, Esri's demographic and geocoding services help us deliver a product that promotes safe, compliant drone operations for our customers across the country," said Airspace Link Cofounder, President, and CEO Michael Healander.

Longtime Esri partner, SAP, is also featured in the launch event. “Location services from Esri’s ArcGIS Platform will be exposed through SAP’s cloud consumption model, which plays to the strength of what customers are looking for,” said Irfan Khan, President for Platform &Technology at SAP. “SAP’s Business Technology Platform provides an ideal integration point, allowing developers to more easily build innovative applications that combine real-time business data with geospatial intelligence.”