ArcGIS® 10 represents a significant milestone in geographic information system (GIS) technology. At version 10, ArcGIS is a complete system for geographic information. It is easier and more powerful than previous releases, and it is designed to be pervasive—people can access the system through a variety of clients regardless of their experience with GIS.
With this release, ArcGIS provides the tools, capabilities, and capacity to implement enterprise GIS using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software. The potential cost savings and improvements to efficiency are significant. This white paper provides a framework for planning a COTS-based enterprise GIS based on the real-world implementation experiences of the Esri Professional Services team.