Realtor.com dumps ArcWeb for Virtual Earth

Realtor.com Dumps ArcWeb for Virtual Earth

May 21st, 2007 · 19 Comments · ArcWeb, ESRI, Microsoft, Virtual Earth

Well I wasn’t very surprised when I read the following article on AllPointsBlog:

New features include a new mapping platform that uses Microsoft’s Virtual Earth

Many will remember almost a year ago, ESRI was pointing out that Realtor.com used ArcWeb Services and a customized ArcWeb Explorer client for their mapping. Well no more, ArcWeb is out and Virtual Earth is in. I’ve noted on this blog a couple times while search for a new house that the Realtor.com mapping site was way too slow to use. Not sure if this was ESRI’s fault or Realtor.com’s, but in the end, they abandoned ArcWeb and went to Live Maps.

So I guess that leaves Nature Valley as the “premiere” ArcWeb site?

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19 responses so far ↓

1 Lefty // May 21, 2007 at 10:29 am

This is no news. ArcWeb is so slow. We tried to use it when AWX came out, but no one liked it at all.

James, Nature Valley is my favorite granola bar so lay off making fun of them!
2 David Davis // May 21, 2007 at 10:58 am

Wow, that was the big one for them.

The world is beginging to move away from ESRI and toward Google/Microsoft.
3 Gretch // May 21, 2007 at 11:08 am

Why is this a surprise to anyone? ArcWeb is a non-starter in a world where you can get Virtual Earth and Google Maps mashups that are faster and look better (not to mention KML).
4 Jack Dangermond // May 21, 2007 at 11:08 am

Took 78 seconds to load the “premier” ArcWeb site…with a T1 connection.
5 Erin // May 21, 2007 at 11:10 am

James and I work talking about tracking hurricanes back when Subtropical Storm Andrea was off the coast. When he sent ESRI’s storm tracker to me, I laughed so hard. It is a joke compared to the other sites out there. Sure Meteorlogix is a great resource, but stuck inside that horrible interface and the slow speed of ArcWeb, makes that site unusable.

Someone needs to stick a fork in ArcWeb and do it soon.
6 anon // May 21, 2007 at 11:17 am

ArcWeb has been a joke since day one. I’m sick and tired of my ESRI rep telling me how great it is. My response is the same every time.

“It sucks ass”…
7 Larry Rennolds // May 21, 2007 at 11:53 am

Ah ArcWeb, the answer to a question no one asked.
8 Hobu's Lover // May 21, 2007 at 11:55 am

You guys are nuts! ArcWeb is da bomb.
9 anon // May 21, 2007 at 12:05 pm

James, you just crack me up. The Natures Valley comment at the end is just priceless
10 righty // May 21, 2007 at 12:33 pm

This is no news. ArcWeb is so slow. We tried to use it when AWX came out, but no one liked it at all.

Well, actually it is big news (Lefty, you are correct in that is obvious). But, it is big news nonetheless. This is a very public dissing of ESRI. And, think about the implications for ESRI. Every VirtualEarth sale is only small dollars in gain for MS. But, every ESRI Web Services loss is significant revenue loss for ESRI.

For example, if someone choses to go with PostGIS, QGIS, and mapserver (or some other lower cost GIS that offers the same services), that means ESRI just lost close to $20,000!!

This is a trend that could totally kill these guys.

Might we be seeing a trend of bricks falling off the facade of ESRI?
11 Pseudonode // May 21, 2007 at 3:22 pm

We subscribe to ArcWeb for use on the desktop only.. i.e. in ArcMap we use the ArcWeb map services (TeleAtlas, etc.) for quick cartographic pre-labeled basemaps. ArcWeb also provides some address matching services that we use. Are there better options for these purposes at equivalent cost (or no cost)?

Can the Virtual Earth or Google Maps services be used in ArcMap?
12 James Fee // May 21, 2007 at 3:32 pm

Virtual Earth can be used in ArcMap, but not Google Maps. There are a couple of extensions out there that will bring in VE imagery and mapping.
13 Alvin // May 21, 2007 at 4:08 pm

Time to shut the ArcWeb team down.

If ESRI were smart (and they aren’t), they have people trying to integrate their GIS products into Virtual Earth, Google Earth and the like. But no, the Server team runs the show and will bring down the whole deck of cards with them.
14 Dude // May 21, 2007 at 4:27 pm

@James:

What are these extensions you speak of and where can I find them?
15 James Fee // May 21, 2007 at 5:27 pm

Arc2Earth for one will do it. One other I can’t mention right now, but I’ve been testing it and it works perfectly.
16 Kinsley // May 23, 2007 at 9:55 pm

Could this be the begining of the “End of ESRI”? I mean what is the purpose when their products are being rejected? I can only hope Microsoft buys the desktop product as a front end for SQL Server 2008 and it doesn’t end up as an afterthought like so many GIS packages have become.

Damn you James, thanks for depressing me.
17 Petz // May 24, 2007 at 1:37 am

Kinsley:

I dont think that would happen. What does Microsoft want with such a nice market as GIS. And they would need to redevelop the complete code base and interface for ArcGIS anyway, seeing what a mess it is at the moment.
18 Petz // May 24, 2007 at 1:38 am

Kinsley:

I dont think that would happen. What does Microsoft want with such a niche market as GIS. And they would need to redevelop the complete code base and interface for ArcGIS anyway, seeing what a mess it is at the moment.
19 Johhnaaa // Aug 22, 2007 at 9:06 pm

“For example, if someone choses to go with PostGIS, QGIS, and mapserver (or some other lower cost GIS that offers the same services), that means ESRI just lost close to $20,000!!”

That’s one reason Cadcorp is doing so well - native PostGIS support and tools that are on par with ESRI’s at a quarter of the price tag.