Esri Announces ArcFM

New ArcInfo-based Application Offers Complete Solution for Utility Industry

Redlands, California--Esri is pleased to announce Arc Facilities Manager (ArcFM), a powerful new ArcInfo-based application for the editing, maintenance, modeling, and data management of utility information. ArcFM is an all-relational utility application product developed using ArcInfo software's open development environment and object-oriented programming.

"Historically, Esri utility users have had to customize ArcInfo extensively to make it easily usable and productive within the utility environment," says Jack Dangermond, president, Esri. "It is our sense that most utility companies want very specific industry applications that work without a lot of customization. While most of our customers appreciate generic GIS tools, there are huge productivity gains possible by having an easy-to-use, out-of-the-box solution developed on top of these tools."

Esri, with business partner Miner and Miner, designed ArcFM to meet the network management needs of electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities and other organizations working with land base data.

ArcFM: GIS for Utilities

ArcFM is an ArcInfo-based application that provides a complete solution for utilities. ArcFM provides powerful data management and editing capabilities for facility and land base data including core editing, modeling, and data management of an enterprise system. The editing functionality includes fast geometric coordinate geometry (COGO) and trigonometry calculations commonly associated with map feature management--without add-on programming or customization.

The standard templates for utilities include a data model and business rules stored in a technology-independent data architecture ready to be used off the shelf or modified with a powerful applications development/maintenance interface.

"ArcFM provides database creation and maintenance functionality to facilities, land editors, and database managers in an out-of-the-box solution geared for their needs," says Jeff Meyers, president, Miner and Miner. "ArcFM was built specifically for facility management and distribution and collection systems."

Facility management issues can be solved using ArcFM software's highly evolved computing solutions. Whether it's a gas utility looking for abandoned pipes, a water utility tracking leaks, an electric utility searching for problem cable lines, or a local government agency improving its parcel level land base data, organizations using ArcFM will have an advanced method for performing their tasks.

Esri has built a series of business and technical relationships with leading companies that provide solutions. BaySys Technologies, Esri's strategic partner in the water/wastewater industry will be working closely with Esri and Miner and Miner to extend the water/wastewater solutions using ArcFM. Partnerships such as these will help utilities to design and implement a completely integrated water management system with the vendors dedicated to ensure that all the systems work together.

Harnessing the Latest Technology

ArcFM is Windows NT-based and uses Visual Basic as its programming environment. By taking advantage of the Windows interface, users have a familiar starting point for working with software. ArcFM is built on a series of significant technologies:

• Object-Oriented
  Because ArcFM is built using object-oriented programming, modifying and maintaining the business rules that drive applications are made simple. The entire solution can be easily converted to another language, and application development is done using one common platform.
• All-Relational
  ArcFM is an all-relational extension and comes with powerful features including support for long and short transactions in a true versioning solution built with Esri's Spatial Database Engine (SDE) technology. ArcFM's version management system allows editors to work in the same area on different versions of the data and provides complete and powerful conflict resolution for final update of the SDE database. The all-relational solution gives utilities the means for taking enterprise GIS computing to a new level with client/server computing and enterprise data and application deployment.
• Open Platforms
  ArcFM features the very latest in open technology that brings a wealth of power to the utility user including open hardware and software standards, open database support, and an open application program interface. ArcFM can easily integrate with customer information systems, work management systems, SCADA, or any other existing information system used by utilities including major vendor solutions from CustomerOne, Logica, and SAP. Ultimately, this means utilities can provide spatial analysis and visualization that links across the organizational hierarchy.
• The RuleBase Engine
  ArcFM comes with a complete data architecture called the RuleBase Engine for controlling feature behavior. The RuleBase Engine gives users one common, customizable methodology for the data model, data control, and the interface. The methodology covers symbology, data editing, data management, data connectivity, and validity rules.

Esri's Solutions Approach

ArcFM joins Esri's family of end user solutions for specific markets. In 1997 Esri introduced NetEngine, a collection of developer's tools for geographic network analysis; ArcLogistics Route, a vehicle-routing desktop solution for businesses and organizations that deploy a fleet of vehicles; and ArcView Business Analyst, a powerful desktop mapping solution bundled with extensive data and tools to solve specific business problems.

These products have marked a new level of service for customers because they give users a customized approach to applying GIS for their markets.

What ArcFM Means to the Utility Industry

ArcFM will change the way utilities implement GIS. With the introduction of ArcFM, Esri users have a powerful tool to jump-start an automated mapping/facilities management system, delivering benefits in a fraction of the time of traditional applications development.

Whether beginning a new implementation or migrating from existing ArcInfo data and applications, ArcFM gives GIS managers, developers, and users a ready-to-use solution that can be used as is or tailored to meet specific business and operational needs. With ArcFM, rapid application development and low-cost software will allow utilities to quickly realize benefits of automation.