ArcGIS Server 9.3 advancements announced already include better caching, a REST API, support for the Microsoft Silverlight environment (soon to come), backward compatibility with past ArcGIS Server versions, support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008, PostgreSQL, DB2 zOS and improved security of data (role based security).

ArcGIS 9.3.1 will come out in the beginning of May and to cheers of the crowd, Dangermond explained that users will not have to uninstall 9.3. This new version includes improved web mapping, faster dynamic maps and scales better to accommodate 1000’s of users. ESRI is making a major investment in expanding ArcGIS Online so that more services will be available. And ESRI is introducing the concept of “layer packages” which they believe will facilitate better data sharing. Layers referencing features can be packaged as an email or sent to the “cloud” as a searchable data file. “To me, this is a big deal,” said Dnagermond. Users will share the data and the knowledge acquired in creating their data. ESRI see users setting up a communities to share data but only those working on the project can have access to it. For those in secure environments this will be able to be used in their own back office environment.

ArcGIS Explorer 900 is being promoted as a dramatic jump in functionality and the “next generation of eobrowsers.” It follows the Ribbon interface from Microsoft (common in Office 2007), can flip back and forth between 2D and 3D within the same window. Most impressively it provides a presentation layer, like PowerPoint, such that you can organize maps in a presentation viewer.

ArcGIS 9.4 will be in beta in the summer. Changes in 9.4 include improving the desktop user interface and usability, performance and the addition of mapping templates. These templates are analogous to PowerPoint templates that are based upon sound cartographic principals so that users can deliver more professionally styled maps without worrying if they have adopted standard mapping conventions. ESRI has been working with universities and users to develop these templates. In addition, 9.4 will include more modeling capabilities and analytics; better CAD integration (AutoCAD integration with Geodatabase); image integration; multicore virtualization; generalization; and 3d analytics.