This message is in response to the discussion on the Higher Education Listserv (highered-l@esri.com) about options for managing ArcGIS Pro licenses. To see the full discussion, you can visit the archives for highered-l@esri.com at LISTSERV 16.0 - HIGHERED-L List at ATLANTIS.ESRI.COM .
The issue is less a question of *whether* to enable Concurrent Use and Single Use license management for Pro as it is a question of *how* to do it without creating unintended consequences. We want to make it easy for you to use Pro without undermining the other changes we’re making to the Higher Education License program, or interfering with your ability to use new versions or new products.
Esri technology is evolving from a set of stand-alone products to an integrated platform. Identity in the form of a user name is fundamental to the ArcGIS Platform. It allows you to move seamlessly between web or mobile apps and Pro, with your content available to you regardless of what device you’re using or where you’re located.
This model based on identity is not unique to Esri. It’s fundamental to all products based on services, whether those are web services, cloud services, or services on an internal network. SAS, Evernote, and email are other applications you might use that also rely on a Named User identity.
ArcGIS Pro was designed from the ground up to be tightly integrated with online services and other components of the ArcGIS platform, such as ArcGIS Server and mobile apps such as Collector. That integration depends on a Named User identity. Thus, the Named User license model is the standard model for ArcGIS Pro. The Named User model is also the standard for new apps such App Studio, Drone2Map, and Insights.
There are some situations where Pro will be used while disconnected from the web, such as field work. In such situations, Single Use license management for Pro may be advantageous. One of the underlying principles for all the changes we’re making to the Higher Education License Program is to provide flexible options, because we recognize there are such diverse needs and styles.
However, I think this community will be better served in the long term if we can make Named User license management as convenient as Concurrent Use license management. In other words, I think if we suggest changes to the tools for Named User license management, the tools will improve. Esri’s Product Management team has been very receptive to requests from this community. Credit budgets in ArcGIS Online and the ability to assign credits when accounts are created are 2 changes based largely on feedback from our community.
As an example of one way to improve Named User license management, several people who are using Single Sign On have requested the ability to assign Pro licenses automatically to new users. That would eliminate the need to manually assign licenses, and enable a user to begin using the application right away without first requesting a license. I think that addresses the concerns expressed by several of you while retaining the benefits of using Pro with a Named User identity.
From a very practical standpoint, enabling SU/CU license management with Pro requires the integration of 2 different back-office systems. We want to do it in a way that enables you to manage your user accounts and licenses with self-service tools on My Esri and doesn’t require a phone call to Esri Customer Service every time you want to make a change. This becomes more important when the Education Enterprise license includes multiple ArcGIS Online Organizations and multiple instance of Portal, which is one of the primary changes planned for the modernized Education Enterprise license program (aka Site License Program).
We are keenly aware that many of you would like to use ArcGIS Pro in your upcoming classes, and we want it to be easy for you to do that. In the short term, Single Use or Concurrent license management may be a good option. In the long term, we think implementing Single-Sign On and Named User license management will be the best option.
To learn more about Single-Sign On, also known as “enterprise logins”, consult the ArcGIS Online documentation or the Portal for ArcGIS documentation.
And, as always, you can contact us at highered@esri.com with questions and share your ideas here in Esri Education Licensing Program group on GeoNet.
