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Tuesday, December 16. 2008

Geospatial "Client/Server" Losing in Language Battle

I read a press release posted to our website (you can post your geospatial press release directly here for free) titled: "Touch Screen BlackBerry Storm Now Runs ArcGIS Server." Really, I thought? You can run ArcGIS Server on the Storm? That's misleading! You run the software client on the Storm! The release uses the term "client" just once; the term "application" might have been used.

But then I realized, for one reason or another we've dropped that sort of language in the past few years. At one point we talked endlessly about 2-tier and 3-tier architecture (that latter included "middleware" another term that's not spoken or typed as much). Today we "run" Google Maps and Google Earth and MapServer and WorldWind and Virtual Earth and rarely distinguish between server and client. If I had to identify where that change started, I'd guess with Google Earth; it was the first widely used "download and install" geo client. I suppose this change in language is another step toward cloud computing/SAAS.

Posted by Adena Schutzberg at 07:27 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0) | Bookmark and Share

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You're still missing the point with your "Google Earth" example. That is still a 'thick-client' to use another marketing term since it requires the user to download and install an application. So you really are "running" GoogleEarth on your local processor.

The lack of differentiation is probably more exemplary in email clients - changing from POP/IMAP to using Web-based emails such as Yahoo Mail and GMail.

In Geo- as you point out that GoogleMaps through a browser is such an example of seamless interface on a portable device to a server software (Google's infrastructure). But this is the case for any mashup/application that may provide routing, local search, annotation without running that software locally.
#1 Andrew Turner (Link) on 2008-12-16 10:43 (Reply)
Actually, the GE analogy is apt: " View live GIS maps, GPS field map points with digital photos, and track vehicles and personnel using Freeance Mobile software on the BlackBerry Storm" So, you must install something...but it's not ArcGIS Server running on it...it's this Freeance Mobile software client thingy...
#1.1 Ron on 2008-12-16 11:09 (Reply)
But the press release claims that the Storm runs ArcGIS Server! This is not merely misleading -- it is false.
#1.1.1 Atanas Entchev (Link) on 2008-12-16 14:31 (Reply)
Adena, Atanas,

Stop actually reading the press releases! Be like everyone else and just publish them! ; )

Actually, thanks for the close reading. Raised a good point.

JM
#1.1.1.1 Jordon M. on 2008-12-16 15:16 (Reply)
I think Adena's post brings up an interesting observation. Her last line about this being another "step toward cloud computing/SaaS" is spot on.

When you think about it, we have evolved to a continuum of connected computing models. Many of the SaaS and cloud computing applications are thin client... the application runs on remote servers with a browser window. However, most thin clients have "stuffed crusts" with locally running JavaScript, Java, Silverlight or Flash, allowing much display selectivity and displays being performed locally.

So what is Google Maps on the iPhone or Blackberry... I don't know the specific architecture but I would expect the "stand alone" app on the iPhone is not all that different from the web-based application. Probably a very large number of the same local calls and services... just a different wrapper. Functionally, nearly impossible to differentiate.

At AWhere, we have a desktop application that is very thick, but it can access web-based data services (we are internally using the term DaaS... (Data as a Service). We are provisioning the same data services for our SaaS application as well.

Very interesting world we are moving into with the more and more ubiquitous nature of the web the operating theme!

Exciting!

Jim
#2 Jim Pollock (Link) on 2008-12-16 11:43 (Reply)

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