Client: ESRI
Client Business Need: ESRI needed a powerful yet simple to use Internet Mapping Server product, which would be used in a variety of industries to provide end users with maps and comprehensive driving directions over the Internet.
Technical Challenge: Build a scalable server platform capable to cater city, state and national maps over the Internet as well as provide ability to generate comprehensive driving directions and find addresses nationally for Internet users. Also, need to utilize a nationwide streets database without heavy storage requirements, ensure high response levels, ease of use, ability to customize maps and spatial presentation.
Technical Response: The software makes use of C++, HTML, ASP, Java, JavaScript, COM, TCP/IP technologies and runs on Windows platform. Many leading edge technologies constitute the core of the product.
Webgate Middleware Engine, supporting complex distributed server configurations to ensure scalability of the platform. It also contains load balancing component to optimize overall server performance.
ActiveX and Java APIs makes possible building custom applications on top of RouteMAP server, as the APIs expose a rich set of functionality include map rendering, route finding and address locating. They can be used in a variety of environments including Active Server Pages, Java Server Pages and custom clients.
Dynamic Database Connection allows to plug dynamic database of locations directly to be plotted on your map via connection to Oracle, dBase, Microsoft SQL Server and Access, or any other ODBC-compliant RDBMS.
Spatial Data Compression Technology, allows large amounts of spatial information without large storage requirements. Compression ratios up to 1:50 achieved for efficient data delivery, capable of compressing all USA streets network (30+ million streets) with all attributes necessary for Routing and Geocoding, supporting extremely fast data queries and several cosmetic layers on a single CD,
Map Drawing and Data Visualization Engine, renders quality maps with rich symbols and uses advanced techniques such as color-coding to enable visual data analysis.
Routing Engine, capable of calculating nationwide door-to-door driving directions and rapidly displaying the route on the map using highly compressed network data structures. It also provides capability to solve traveling salesman problem (TSP), optimizing the order of route stops.
Address Locator Engine, capable of locating any street address or postal code either entered by user or when plotting a database of addresses. This technology uses fuzzy matching methods to allow user errors, as well as provide multiple candidates for more accurate results.
Client Result: As result of successful software development effort, ESRI was able to offer out-of-the-box Internet Mapping and Routing solution to the market, providing significant improvement of customer service (for example, a bank could provide their customers with maps and directions how to get to their branch).
