Esri Launches R&D Center in New Delhi, India
Esri opened a new R&D Center in New Delhi, India in March 2019. The New Delhi team includes data scientists, enterprise developers, product engineers, and GIS analysts, is working on data science, deep learning, and geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) solutions to revolutionize spatial analytics and help overcome some of the world’s biggest challenges. The team will also develop the next generation of Esri’s ArcGIS Enterprise based on a microservices architecture.
Esri’s worldwide network of 15 research and development centers stretches from Beijing, China, to Zurich, Switzerland, to Melbourne, Australia. As part of its acquisition of indoor positioning system (IPS) provider indoo.rs in February 2019, Esri opened an R&D center in Vienna, Austria, that is focused on developing cutting-edge IPS capabilities.
These centers are evidence of Esri’s commitment to advancing location intelligence technology. “By locating strategic R&D centers around the globe, we are able to continue to engage talent worldwide to expand the capabilities of the Esri Geospatial Cloud,” said Esri president Jack Dangermond. To learn more about the Esri R&D Center in New Delhi.
Mapping the Great Indoors
In February 2019, Esri acquired indoo.rs, GmbH, a world leader in indoor positioning system (IPS) software, and announced ArcGIS Indoors, a new mapping product that enables interactive indoor mapping of corporate facilities, retail and commercial locations, airports, hospitals, event venues, and universities.
Mapping, managing, navigating, and planning indoor spaces is a rapidly emerging market that promises to decrease costs, increase safety, and provide a better workplace experience for inhabitants. The IPS market has skyrocketed in recent years, and integration of IPS technology will benefit all levels of an organization.
The acquisition will provide users of Esri’s ArcGIS platform with embedded IPS location services to support indoor mapping and analysis. A former Esri partner, indoo.rs has worked with organizations such as international hub airports, major rail stations, and corporate headquarters. Existing indoo.rs customers will now have access to ArcGIS, adding powerful GIS software to indoor mapping applications.
The indoo.rs headquarters will serve as a new Esri R&D center based in Vienna, Austria, that will focus on cutting-edge IPS capabilities and provide support for IPS functionality in ArcGIS Indoors and across the ArcGIS line of products.
ArcGIS Indoors provides floor-aware 3D maps and focused apps that support owner/operators, maintenance and service personnel, security staff, employees, and visitors. The initial release of ArcGIS Indoors will include the indoo.rs IPS capability to enable ArcGIS Indoors mobile apps to work with iBeacon-based IPS systems, which provide “blue dot” accuracy on mobile devices. ArcGIS Indoors supports other IPS formats, such as Apple’s indoor position service, and will add support for other IPS providers in coming releases.
ArcGIS Security Updated
To implement the highest security standards across its entire suite of products, Esri is using the most robust, widely accepted security protocols, including Transport Layer Security (TLS) for privacy and data integrity. The ArcGIS platform uses the TLS protocol as a key component of its security for web and service API connections, including connections between other Esri software products.
In April 2019, Esri required TLS 1.2 connections for ArcGIS Online services. For some users, action was required to ensure continued access to ArcGIS Online services. Esri released patches and instructions on updating existing software to support these connections.
ArcGIS Pro is already TLS 1.2 enabled, while ArcGIS Desktop required a patch or configuration change to support TLS 1.2 connections. For workflows that access ArcGIS Online basemaps, story maps, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, hosted items, or other ArcGIS Online services or host a GIS portal with ArcGIS Enterprise that connects to ArcGIS Online, the software that accesses ArcGIS Online will need to support TLS 1.2 connections to those services. In addition, ArcGIS apps, custom apps, or third-party apps built on ArcGIS Runtime SDKs that access ArcGIS Online from desktop or mobile devices will need to support TLS 1.2 connections.
If your organization is raising its network security requirements to demand TLS 1.2 or later and disabling previous TLS and SSL versions, ensure that your software and operating system environments are updated to support those new internal IT requirements with TLS 1.2.
Visit support.esri.com/tlsproducts for a list of affected products and information on actions you may need to take. To stay up-to-date on security, privacy, and compliance-related announcements for the ArcGIS platform, subscribe to the RSS feed in the ArcGIS Trust Center.
Jack Dangermond Honored in the Netherlands
Esri president and founder Jack Dangermond was appointed an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau in a ceremony that took place on April 2, 2019, immediately after he spoke at the Geospatial World Forum. Jan Hamming, mayor of the Dutch city of Zaanstad, made the presentation on behalf of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
This honor recognizes Dangermond’s special merit in the national and international geo world. The Order of Orange-Nassau was established in 1892, and it is not often given to someone who lives outside the Netherlands. However, Dangermond’s worldwide work combined with his work in the Netherlands with the National Planning Service in Zwolle, the Kadaster, and many other organizations—along with his special ties to the Netherlands as the birthplace of his parents—were factors in bestowing this honor.
