ArcGIS is the complete mobile GIS platform focused on management, deployment, and use of geographic information in the field. It includes industry-leading mobile mapping and GIS capabilities:

• Map visualization for mobile devices
• GIS editing using device inputs or GPS
• Street routing and navigation
• Query and spatial analysis

ArcGIS includes a comprehensive suite of mobile GIS products that are designed for different application and platform requirements. These products share four key benefits for mobile GIS users:

• Increase accuracy of geographic information.
• Improve currency of business data
• Boost productivity of mobile field-workers.
• Ensure accurate decisions with advanced spatial analysis.
• Fit seamlessly into enterprise environment.

ESRI's mobile GIS strategy is to develop and maintain a complete mobile GIS platform that provides a range of products and services for out-of-the-box users and end customers as well as partner developers. Our goal is to ensure there are a range of options for deploying mobile GIS solutions with ArcGIS including these:

• ArcGIS Mobile
• ArcPad
• GeoCollector
• ArcGIS Engine
• ArcGIS Desktop
• ArcGIS for iOS

Yes and no. ArcGIS Mobile is not intended for consumer use; however, it is intended for the GIS community and other professionals (e.g., operational teams and field service, asset management, engineering, and mobile enterprise professionals) who need field or mobile data collection and inspection. ArcGIS Mobile is designed so that professionals can manage and administer the configuration and deployment of ArcGIS Mobile, while actual field or mobile workers can use their ArcGIS Mobile applications without need for GIS training.

No. Although ArcGIS Mobile and ArcPad target similar industries, they are positioned differently. When choosing between ArcPad and ArcGIS Mobile, it is important to consider your organization size and the required capabilities of your field staff.

Both products are positioned as ESRI solutions for mobile GIS. They are designed to boost mobile productivity and are used to support professionals with their field efforts. ArcGIS Mobile is designed for non-GIS professionals in large enterprise organizations with field staff that typically perform simple data collection and inspection tasks. ArcPad is designed for GIS trained professionals in small- to medium-sized workgroups who typically perform more advanced GPS/GIS editing tasks.

The help systems or ArcGIS Mobile are split between four areas.

1. Documentation and help for preparing mobile maps can be found in the ArcGIS Desktop Help System.
2. For managing ArcGIS Mobile projects and the mobile data access Web service, use the ArcGIS Server Help System.
3. Documentation and help for the ArcGIS Mobile application can be accessed via the ArcGIS Mobile guide that is included with ArcGIS Server.
4. Documentation and help for the ArcGIS Mobile SDK can be found in the ArcGIS Mobile SDK Help that is installed from the ArcGIS Server DVDs.

In addition, it is recommended that you visit the Mobile Resource Center for the latest online information. The ArcGIS Mobile team is continually updating the resource centre with enhanced help, forums, code samples, and an online blog of tips and tricks.

The ArcGIS Mobile application and SDK runtime use the same API to communicate with GPS receivers. They work directly with GPS devices that support the National Marine and Electronics Association (NMEA) protocol, which is a one-way protocol that ArcGIS Mobile consumes, enabling it to locate itself for use in navigating maps or creating new GIS features.

Given that ArcGIS Mobile supports NMEA, you can be confident that it is designed to be used with a range of GPS devices (including internal GPS chipsets embedded in devices, external Bluetooth GPS, and external USB GPS). NMEA does not enable ArcGIS Mobile to control the settings of a GPS that supports it. To do this, a third-party tool must be used that uses a two-way protocol, such as Trimble or SiRF.

Yes, both the ArcGIS Mobile application and the SDK runtime support real-time differential GPS (RT-DGPS). The GPS connection reads NMEA protocol, which contains positional information (including the geographic coordinate), and associated metadata details the type and quality of the position. The majority of GPS devices on the market today support RT-DGPS using Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as the North American Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

SBASs are satellite systems for delivering RT-DGPS corrections to each GPS receiver using the same signal as the existing GPS system. GPS receivers using these systems can increase their accuracy dramatically. To understand the expected accuracy of a particular GPS receiver, it is important to read the specification provided by the manufacturer and also to run your own local tests to characterize performance in your environmental conditions.

Environmental conditions impact the expected accuracy in a specific location. This is a function of the GPS system's reliance on a weak radio signal that is influenced by a number of factors including the atmospheric conditions; regional topography; and local environment, such as buildings and trees, which intercept or refract the GPS signals. What this means is that it is common for an RT-DGPS solution in tough environmental conditions to drop its connection.

For example, the Trimble GeoXT handheld can achieve submeter accuracy in real time when using either WAAS or EGNOS. This accuracy is only available when the GPS receiver can view the WAAS or EGNOS satellites. These satellites are at low elevation in orbit and can often be blocked, preventing guaranteed submeter accuracy. In this situation, customers often expect to use the postprocessed differential GPS (PP-DGPS) solution. Today, ArcGIS Mobile does not support PP-DGPS. Customers requiring a PP-DGPS solution should consider using GeoCollector for ArcPad, a hardware solution provided through the ESRI hardware solutions team and produced in conjunction with Trimble Mapping and GIS division.

ArcGIS Mobile is designed to communicate with ArcGIS Server through the mobile data access Web service. This is a SOAP Web service that ArcGIS Mobile clients use to communicate over any Internet connection that supports HTTP access. For wireless access, you can expect ArcGIS Mobile to connect over a Wi-Fi (802.xx), satellite, or cellular network that provides HTTP access.

On the market you will see a range of cellular services promoted: GPRS, EDGE, HSPDA, UMTS, EVDO, and so forth. These are different types of cellular data services that run over the core global system for mobile communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks maintained by the leading cellular carriers. Each of these provides HTTP access on the mobile device with varying upload and download speeds. Typically, download speeds are faster than upload speeds, but they do vary greatly based on geography and cellular carrier implementation.

ArcGIS Mobile is ideal for posting GIS edits from the mobile device to ArcGIS Server using any cellular data service. Although you can use ArcGIS Mobile to download GIS data from ArcGIS Server over these networks, it is important to understand the exact requirements of your application. Downloading large amounts of GIS data (100 MB or more) is time consuming over a cellular data service and may result in high costs, if charged on a per-megabyte basis.

Yes. ArcGIS Mobile is designed to communicate with ArcGIS Server through the mobile data access Web service. This is a SOAP Web service that ArcGIS Mobile clients use to communicate with over any Internet connection that supports HTTP access. You can access GIS data over your LAN or ActiveSync connection. This is ideal for those who do not wish to use a wireless network, do not have mobile devices with cellular support, or are in regions where cellular services are not available.

GIS data can easily be downloaded to a mobile device in the office through the connection to the internal network using either a dock with a LAN port or through a USB cable connected to your desktop PC running ActiveSync. Once out in the field, you can use ArcGIS Mobile without an Internet connection to view maps and perform GIS edits. Once you return to the office, you can use the same wired connection to post edits back to ArcGIS Server. This removes the complexity of having field-workers use the traditional check-in/out process with ArcGIS Desktop. This provides major advantages to simplifying deployment and field workflow scenarios.

There are two parts to consider for operating support. First, the ArcGIS Server mobile data access Web service works on Windows and Linux servers. It can be installed for .NET on Windows and Java on Linux. Second, for the ArcGIS Mobile application, ArcGIS Server Manager is a critical element. ArcGIS Server Manager supports only Windows servers as it requires .NET components to run.

ArcGIS Mobile Application deployments support:

• Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC and Smartphone
• Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard, Classic, and Professional
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, Classic, and Professional

The .NET Compact Framework 2.0 SP2 is required on each of these device types to run the ArcGIS Mobile Application. Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 devices include the framework in the ROM while Windows Mobile 5.0 devices do not. A redistributable download is available.

ArcGIS Mobile Application deployments support Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard, Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic, and Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional devices. The .NET Compact Framework 2.0 SP2 is required on each of these device types to run the ArcGIS Mobile Application.

ArcGIS Mobile SDK runtime deployments support:

• Windows XP
• Windows Vista
• Windows Mobile software for Pocket PC 2003
• Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC and Smartphone
• Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard, Classic, and Professional
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, Classic, and Professional

Yes. It is possible to push ArcGIS Mobile applications, data, and projects to mobile devices. Although, we provide a default deployment system through the ArcGIS Mobile deployment Web page which is part of the ArcGIS Server Manager, we also ensure that any customer can access the ArcGIS Mobile Application, SDK runtime, data, and project files directly from a directory on the server. From this location the customer can use their deployment system of choice to manage and push these items to their device.
ESRI has bundled the ArcGIS Mobile Application and the SDK runtime in a cabinet file (.CAB) so that the executable (.EXE) and dynamic link libraries (.DLL) are installed into the correct folders on the device. The ArcGIS Mobile project file that is used with the ArcGIS Mobile application contains a configuration setting for the location of any Mobile Service Cache and Mobile base map data. Depending on the deployment system used it is critical that these data packages are pushed into the correct folders that were specified in the ArcGIS Mobile project.
There are over thirty different deployment systems available today. Two worthy of consideration are the SOTI MobiController and the Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager:

Soti MobiController

Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager