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November 2011

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ArcGIS Available on the Android Platform

New App and SDK Put GIS Capabilities into More People's Hands

Google Android users can now access data and mapping capabilities on their smartphones using the new ArcGIS for Android application from Esri. ArcGIS for Android lets users find and share maps as well as deploy GIS data and functionality on their Android devices.

Download the free application directly from Android Market.

David Cardella, product manager for Esri mobile technologies, says that ArcGIS technology now runs on multiple mobile platforms and devices including iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, and Android.

"The Android smartphone and tablet market has really exploded," Cardella said. "We see these devices increasingly being implemented within organizations that want to extend their enterprise GIS from the office to the field. They want to replace their paper-based workflows and improve the currency and the accuracy of their data—all in an effort to make more timely and accurate decisions."

You can use the ArcGIS for Android app to

• Display and navigate maps.
• Search, query, and identify locations and GIS features.
• Measure lines and areas.
• Find and share maps from ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS for Server.
• Access dynamic, tiled, and feature map services.
• Collect and edit GIS data directly from Android smartphones and tablet devices.
• Add attachments such as images, movies, PDFs, and Microsoft Word documents.

ArcGIS for Android is a native application that serves as a mobile gateway into the ArcGIS system. It provides an intuitive user experience for querying map layers and data. People can also use the app to edit features and attribute information on the fly while collecting field data and performing inspections. The application also includes a legend and a Favorites feature.

ArcGIS for Android is built on Esri's ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK lets developers create custom spatially enabled applications for Android devices and is designed to use web services available from ArcGIS.

It includes a plug-in to the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), which provides tools, documentation, and samples to help developers create custom applications.

The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android lets users go beyond basic map viewing capabilities. For example, users can

• Develop applications that use their own authoritative data.
• Display data on an ArcGIS Online or Google Maps basemap.
• Interactively add graphics and markups to a map.
• Search for features or attributes within GIS data and display the results.
• Execute a GIS model using ArcGIS for Server and display the results.

Developers and Esri partners can easily build applications that work with their own published web services and use the SDK to create applications that can be deployed within their enterprise or to the public via Android Market. The beta version of this SDK is publicly available to all developers. Visit the ArcGIS for Android Resource Center for more information.