<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:p="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:a="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:s="uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" xmlns:rs="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" xmlns:b="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:c="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" xmlns:odc="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" xmlns:oa="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:q="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:rtc="http://microsoft.com/officenet/conferencing" xmlns:D="DAV:" xmlns:Repl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/repl/" xmlns:mt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/meetings/" xmlns:x2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" xmlns:ppda="http://www.passport.com/NameSpace.xsd" xmlns:ois="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" xmlns:dir="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" xmlns:dsp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" xmlns:udc="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:sub="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/" xmlns:ec="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" xmlns:sp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" xmlns:sps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:udcs="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/soap" xmlns:udcxf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" xmlns:udcp2p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/parttopart" xmlns:wf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" xmlns:dsss="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig-setup" xmlns:dssi="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig" xmlns:mdssi="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/digital-signature" xmlns:mver="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:mrels="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships" xmlns:spwp="http://microsoft.com/sharepoint/webpartpages" xmlns:ex12t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:ex12m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:pptsl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/SlideLibrary/" xmlns:spsl="http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/PublishedLinksService" xmlns:Z="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:st="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Part of the Cost-Benefit analysis should include technical support: How complete is it from the software maker and what user groups exist that offer support. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>GIS has a steep learning curve. The most successful programs have at least a small team of people using the same software, cooperating and sharing technical skill. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><br>I started digital mapping in 1986 in what was then the Dept. of Natural Resources. I used AutoCAD because Jody Miller in State Lands and Tom Watters in Beaches and Shores used it. They were the gods of mapping [and surveying] so I followed their lead. We shared tech innovations, tools and toys. When I moved to ArcInfo in 1991 the Manatee program was a step-child of the Marine Lab in St. Pete. They used ArcInfo under Unix – so I did too. I discovered true deities of GIS in Tallahassee – Linc Clay and Stan Hammer – also used ArcInfo under Unix. They pretty much insured my survival during the learning curve. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The best software in the world is worthless unless you know a team of experts willing to help you. A GIS person starting out alone with only tech support from the ‘factory’ has a tough row to hoe [don’t get to use that expression much]. Taking Unix out of the learning curve helps and a point and click object oriented interface helps – but you still have to learn GIS logic and theory. Only a masochist would start out with orphan software to prove how tough he or she is.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>When I start in any discipline I try to steal from the best: go with software that the most successful and helpful GIS shop near you uses. If your County has a MapInfo shop and a support group eager to help [like SHRUG is for ESRI users] then MapInfo may be the way to go. If you’re near a college that supports GRASS or other free open-source software, use that and hope they stay with it. If you can tie into an educational system the cost of ESRI software drops 90%. It is amazing: I can buy ArcPAD for $75 because I have an EDU mailing address. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I used SAS because I learned it at the Marine Lab in St. Pete. After moving to TLH I learned DNR had John Orndorf, a recalcitrant, curmudgeonly SAS genius. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>One co-worker tried to undercut SAS with a low-rent rip-off, BASS. It was as embarrassing as it sounds. After 6 weeks of testing and buying a subscription, he learned that it could not read more than 10,000 lines of data. In the end I negotiated an agency-wide subscription to PC SAS covering DNR in TLH and the Marine Lab in St. Pete., wresting it from the mainframe and 3270 terminals . It was far cheaper than BASS per user. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>That’s another consideration: the per-use fee drops on most software when used in an agency. Not all software uses scalable licensing. <br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>William B. Porter <b><a href="mailto:william.porter@famu.edu">william.porter@famu.edu</a> 412 5972<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Application Coordinator for GIS / Infrastructure<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Florida A&M University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>EIT / GIS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>1601 S. M L King <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Suite 303<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>TLH FL 32307<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> shrug-l-bounces@lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:shrug-l-bounces@lists.dep.state.fl.us] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Keith Sandell<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 04, 2011 6:23 PM<br><b>To:</b> shrug-l@lists.dep.state.fl.us<br><b>Subject:</b> shrug-l: ArcGIS Alternative<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hey Shruggers,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My purchasing department is making me do a cost benefit analysis of paying our annual maintenance to ESRI versus abandoning ESRI in favor of some other GIS software, if there is such as thing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Are there any comparable GIS suites out there that have the same, or greater, functionality as Desktop and Server 10?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And what is there cost to replace, and implement, 2 ArcInfo concurrent use licenses, 1 ArcGIS Server Std Enterprise license and 1 EDN license?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Silly exercise, but one I have to do nonetheless.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Keith Sandell, MBA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:gray'>GIS Manager, Corporate Analytics<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:gray'>Citizens Property Insurance Corporation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:gray'>2101 Maryland Circle, Tallahassee, Florida 32303<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:5.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:gray'>-------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:gray'>ofc. 850.521.8341 | cell 850.727.2897</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"If we are to achieve results never before accomplished we must expect to employ methods never before attempted." - Francis Bacon</span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>