Skip To Content

Common clients of Portal for ArcGIS

In this topic

Portal for ArcGIS is designed to expand the use of maps and GIS applications within organizations. The following is a sample of the many clients you can implement to help people in your organization interact with maps and other items in your portal.

Applications include ready-to-use applications, configurable applications, and APIs.

Ready-to-use apps

Ready-to-use apps do not require any customization on your part to use them—just connect to your portal and take advantage of the functionality the apps provide.

ArcGIS for Desktop

ArcGIS for Desktop is the most sophisticated application in ArcGIS. It includes advanced capabilities to author, edit, and analyze spatial data. You can sign in to Portal for ArcGIS from ArcGIS for Desktop and use the maps and layers in your portal. Additionally, you can publish GIS services from ArcGIS for Desktop to your portal. These GIS services—such as map, geoprocessing, locator, and imagery—provide the foundation for much of the work performed in Portal for ArcGIS.

ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS for Desktop also includes ArcGIS Pro, which allows you to create and work with spatial data on your desktop. It provides tools to visualize, analyze, compile, and share your data in both 2D and 3D environments. You can connect from ArcGIS Pro to Portal for ArcGIS, and use the maps and layers in your portal. You can also publish hosted feature and tile layers to your portal. Map files (.mapx), layer files (.lyrx), and layout files (.pagx) you generate from ArcGIS Pro can be added to your portal content, allowing you to share your maps and data with others.

Collector for ArcGIS

Collector for ArcGIS is a field data collection and editing app for smartphones and tablets. Using Collector, you can create new features using the GPS or by tapping on a map, route to work locations, track your current location, and measure distance between locations.

Esri Maps for IBM Cognos

Esri Maps for IBM Cognos lets you add dynamic maps and data from your portal into IBM Cognos Business Intelligence reports.

Esri Maps for Office

Esri Maps for Office provides mapping capabilities in Microsoft Office through a Microsoft add-in. You can use this add-in with Microsoft Excel to create maps in Portal for ArcGIS that show data from your spreadsheets. Additionally, an add-in for PowerPoint lets you embed these maps into your presentations.

Esri Maps for SharePoint

Esri Maps for SharePoint provides mapping capabilities in Microsoft SharePoint through a map Web Part for SharePoint pages. You can use this to display content from Portal for ArcGIS in your SharePoint pages. It also includes workflows that allow you to spatially-enable and Geoenrich SharePoint lists or external data through Business Connectivity Services (BCS).

Explorer for ArcGIS

Explorer for ArcGIS lets everyone in your organization find, analyze, and share maps you create in your portal on their devices. You can visualize data, search for places and features on your maps, sketch on the maps to highlight important features, share maps with other Explorer users, and tell stories with interactive map presentations.

Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS

Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS allows you to monitor activities and events, track your field workforce, and assess the status of your daily operations. Using Operations Dashboard, you can create and share operation views using Portal for ArcGIS. Operation views include maps, lists, charts, and other representations of real-time and static data.

Operation views can be opened in the native or browser Dashboard app.

ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt

ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Qt allows you to build apps that use the Digia Qt Framework. For example, you can build and deploy apps to Portal for ArcGIS that incorporate capabilities such as mapping, analysis, and routing.

Configurable apps

Configurable apps are templates or software developer kits (SDKs) you can use to customize apps for your organization.

Application templates

Portal for ArcGIS includes a number of configurable templates from which you can create apps using the maps you create in the portal map viewer.

Briefing Book

Briefing Book is an ArcGIS JavaScript application you can configure to create reports that include ArcGIS web maps, videos, photos, and text. Store the briefings and reports in your portal and share them with members of your organization or the general public.

Industry-specific applications

You will find many industry-specific templates and applications on the ArcGIS Solutions website that work with your Portal for ArcGIS maps and data.

Mobile app developer toolkits

You can use the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android, iOS, or Windows Phone developer toolkits to create mobile applications to work with Portal for ArcGIS.

APIs

For information about APIs that work with Portal for ArcGIS, use the ArcGIS Applications and APIs shortcuts available from the Start menu where you have Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS for Server installed.