ArcGIS and the IPhone

I took the following from James Fee's blog:

Q: Will ESRI support the iPhone?

Yes, we will support the iPhone as a mobile platform to get maps from ArcGIS Server and do queries and edits on data from ArcGIS Server. We plan on releasing an application for the iPhone later this year and then adding additional capability as part of our 9.4 release. In addition developers can build their own solutions for the iPhone using the REST APIs available from ArcGIS Server.

I didn't think this would be too far away.

On another mobile note. I'm in line for beta testing the Nokia OVI API. Its an interesting process. Nokia have a limited number of beta slots. Once considered you then need to explain the mobile application you plan to build and whether you can get it done in 2 months.

Where 2.0 Thoughts 2

Still mulling over the conference. Local search and mobile stick in my mind most. As Paul Ramsey (see earlier entry) mentioned, money and maps remains foremost in peoples minds. It still feels as though people are scratching around for good ideas. The big boys continue to lead the way. With but a few upstarts joining the exclusives party. For me chatting with attendees was my highlight. Half the expected number attended this year (500 I believe), which made for easier conversations and a more personal atmosphere.

I was surprised by the number of non-geo people there. There is certainly a wide appeal to mapping and the recognised growth potential.

3-D was much mentioned also at the conference. I still have mixed feelings about 3-D. Seems like eye candy to me. Like VRML. I think real apps will come out of this. But I care little about seeing a distorted map of my neighbourhood. Nothing I saw at Where made me change my opinion. Let's make useful apps which are also just cool looking.