is microsoft competing with esri
Posted by Atanas Entchev at 3/20/2008 2:58 PM and is filed under AGX,blog,Microsoft,GIS,Software,ENTCHEV,Business,Opinion,ESRI,Technology,Virtual Earth,ArcGIS Explorer 
[UPDATE April 3, 2008] Check out this screenshot of the new interface of ArcExplorer Build 600. It sure looks like a Microsoft Office application, dunnit? <via James Fee>
This Google search string brings a lot of traffic to the ENTCHEV GIS blog, so I am going to milk it for even more traffic.
No, seriously, I want to address the question. In my opinion (I am not the first, nor the only one to say this), Microsoft and ESRI are on a converging course. Hints abound, the most recent in a James Fee post from the 2008 ESRI Developer Summit, about an upcoming build of ArcGIS Explorer (AGX) [bolding mine]:
“ESRI demonstrated build 600 (which isn’t the next version) and it has the new “ribbon” interface that you’ll recognize from Microsoft Office. Now tasks aren’t hidden in the table of contents, but available quickly and easily. It really does look like a Microsoft Office application which should help with its adoption. The usability of build 600 is really striking compared to the existing ArcGIS Explorer builds and even Google Earth.”
My answer to “is microsoft competing with esri?” is “No.” My supposition is that there is a Microsoft-ESRI merger or acquisition in the works.
I wrote about other events pointing to the same conclusion here and here, as did Directions Magazine here, Ogle Earth here, and James Fee again here. We even have pictorial evidence from Virtual Earth for Government
How can an app that uses the same UI principles as an office application be interpreted as being on converging course???
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If it were an isolated event, probably not. But in the larger context, I think it can.
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Microsoft is trying to license the ribbon interface, even as far as the 'idea' of the ribbon.
Merger? Because they're adopting the next generation UI? Get real. I'm pretty sure that ESRI choosing to use the ribbon interface stems from Microsoft and ESRI's strong business partnership. Microsoft wants the ribbon interface to become ubiquitous, so of course they are going to encourage and assist their business partners in adopting it. ESRI seems to be doing everything they can NOT to compete with Microsoft, going so far to provide a Javascript API for serving data from ArcGIS Server to Virtual Earth.
Of coure, your question was the opposite: is Microsoft competing with ESRI? I had the same discussion with a colleague regarding Google. Google and Virtual Earth are catering mostly to general users. They are providing a geospatial viewer that help regular people deal with everyday problems. Yes, they offer many options to technical users, but primarily to help technical users help regular people deal with everyday problems...
As for why ArcGIS Explorer is adopting the ribbon now... Well, they've already announced they are planning on using the ribbon UI for ArcGIS 10. ArcGIS Explorer is being developed in the UK, under a release schedule that seems to be agile, and their builds are independent of the rest of the ArcGIS platform. As such, they have a bit more freedom to experiment and diverge from the general flow of the rest of the development teams. My guess is ArcGIS Explorer is becoming a little bit of a prototyping platform for gauging customer responses to changes. By releasing ArcGIS Explorer with ribbons, they can get a feel for customer opinion, and let their users get used to the idea by the time 10 comes.
I think ArcGIS Explorer lends itself very well to the ribbon UI,, being very task oriented. I'm curious to see how the ribbon works for an application as feature-rich, customizable as ArcGIS Desktop, especially considering how much task workflows can vary between users.
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Hmmm...Do you really think after all of these years Jack in ready to part with his baby? I don't think so. Even though it is worth a fortune...
ESRI and Microsoft have always been business partners, however, I think ESRI realizes that they need to work even closer, especially after the ArcGIS 9.2 Visa compatibility fiasco. Perhaps this may lead to some sort of formal arrangement?
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Nobody is ever ready to part with their baby. Yet parents and babies eventually part, always part, sooner or later.
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