As a small business manager, we don't have the budget to buy anything more than ArcView. So here is my idea. Perhaps it would be wise to implement a "Pay As Needed" license for ArcEditor or ArcInfo...or Extensions for that matter. Sure, you wouldn't get that ma$$ive check from your users....but I think you would promote the Jack Dangermond idea that GIS should be for everyone (not just those with the big wallets)! So here is what I am thinking... I have the need to build a new Geometric Network file 3 to 4 times a year tops. This requires me to have the ArcEditor license, which is way out of my price range....For that amount of money; you will likely never have my business. Plus, how do I justify spending that much money for something I use maybe 10 hours a year total? However, if there were a way where I could "Pay As Needed" to use a ArcEditor or ArcInfo license for a few hours, or for the day, I would sign up. (Given that the pricing is reasonable). This approach would only work if you really consider the price in which a small business could afford to use the software. I could just simply login with my ESRI account, and pay for a License by the hour or by the day. The same principal would be great for extensions too! This approach would allow the smaller guys to have just as much of a competitive advantage with ESRI software as the big guys with big wallets.
... View more
