One of the key features of ESRI's new Internet mapping system, ArcIMS 3, is the ability to establish a common platform for exchange of Web-enabled GIS data and services.
Users can also develop custom desktop applications using the ArcIMS connector interface.
At right, ArcIMS clients offer unique data opportunities for integration of raster and vector data as well as local and Internet data. The ArcIMS Java and HTML client viewers process data on the client machine, performing many tasks without further interaction with the server. ArcIMS offers a large variety of options both on the serverside and on the clientside, which really distinguishes this product from other Internet mapping products. It's the ArcIMS technology that makes the Geography Network become a reality. Through the Geography Network, organizations can subscribe to data and services.