Is there no longer any ESRI GIS App building that you can do without an ArcGIS online subscription?

[RyanPaquette]

Want to replace existing web apps (data driven, mapping is secondary) from ArcIMS and non-GIS however all of ESRI app builders require a subscription to ArcGIS online. Is there no way to build GIS apps to run from our own GIS server without having to subscribe to ArcGIS online?

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

If you aren't concerned about mobile, you should still be able to get the Flex Appbuilder ArcGIS API for Flex | ArcGIS for Developers   which isn't tied to AGOL at all, and Robert Scheitlin, GISP​  has many custom widgets available Robert's Flex Viewer Widgets​   But keep in mind that support from esri has said

The latest release of ArcGIS API for Flex is significant in that it is the last planned release of this technology. While technical support will be available through June of 2016, maintenance will be discontinued. Customers should begin exploring web solutions that are based on ArcGIS API for JavaScript. More information regarding this can be found in the following blog article.

​using any of the APIs you can write your own (without being tied to AGOL at all).  And although you need to use AGOL to get the WebID to start up and Web AppBuilder developers edition, and if need to read a basemap from AGOL, you can use you own AGS services using the Loca Layer widget.

to get started with WAB-developers' edition...if you want to go this route (JavaScript), check out

Tips and Observations for getting Web AppBuilder -  Developer Edition Installed​

Tips for using the custom LocalLayer widget with WAB-Dev edition​

Using the Web AppBuilder​

Web AppBuilder Developer Edition - Customization Resource List​

the the last one include links to the first three, plus many others.

btw, ArcGIS for Developers   links to all the APIs

[SubuSwaminathan1]

Ryan,

My organization and many others I met at the esri UC this year feel strongly that Web App builder developer edition, Configurable app templates should be able to function free of AGOL.

NOTE: I am saying AGOL/using webmaps in products should definitely be possible and is an important option. However, Developers should also be able to use ArcGIS Server REST services directly. That should be a first class option.

Bottom line: Use of ArcGIS Server REST services directly in all ESRI apps, samples and APIs should be a priority. REST services usage should be fully documented with samples, examples and supported as much as webmaps/AGOL.

ESRI Customers who pay for ArcGIS Server are feeling shortchanged. They have paid for that product and should get full support for using it as they see fit. Please also note we are also using AGOL heavily and really appreciate the effort that esri has put into it and see it as a very important option rather than the only way of doing things.

If others support this thought process, please chime in.

Thanks

Subu

[YueWu1]

Hi Ryan,

The most popular Web App that we recommend that you can extent is Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS (Developer Edition) | ArcGIS for Developers 

The Flex Viewer and Silverlight Viewer we still support howeve based on our blog Final Release Support Plan for ArcGIS API / Viewer (Flex, Silverlight) | Support Services Blog we do recommend user move to JavaScript-based application.

Hope this can helps.              

[RobertBrundage]

I am in a workplace where I can not use AGOL.   I feel like ESRI has closed its doors to me as a GIS Manager and developer of Web tools.

[MichaelDavis3]

The underlying Javascript API has no AGOL requirement.  I guess Esri is recovering the investment to build the fancy app-builder tools through AGOL subscriptions. 

For mobile you can build and deploy runtime apps without using AGOL.  You could authenticate against an in-house instance of Portal, or you can purchase runtime license codes in 25 packs.

[SubuSwaminathan1]

Michael,

As you mention, there are technical workarounds around AGOL. However this question to me is a more big picture roadmap of where the whole esri platform/ecosystem is going.

If all or most development paths are going to lead only through AGOL, that is going to be painful to many users. I want AGOL to be an option but not be forced to use it. That includes app registration, web maps, named user model and all the rest of it. I would rather AGOL be an flexible option than a rigid constraint.

Anecdotally, I felt a number of esri uc attendees agreed with me. I also know a lot of esri users cannot afford to go the UC and cannot chime in person to esri personnel. So this question is a call to that silent majority to see if they agree or not.

Thanks

Subu

[MichaelDavis3]

I think you are correct that AGOL is at the core, or at least a component of, most of the push-button development tools Esri is releasing.  That said I'm pretty sure you can substitute an on-premise Portal instance for AGOL in most cases. 

Now that Portal is included with ArcGIS Server Standard and Advanced this is a very realistic alternative if you still want to take advantage of the push-button app-builders and other tools. 

For us the issue hasn't so much been the requirement to use AGOL or Portal in the development process, but the named-user requirement that comes along with it.  We keep running into circumstances where named users just don't make any sense (multi-person field crews doing offline collection, service accounts for various automated processes, citizen-science/crowd sourced data collection, etc...)

But this seems to be the way Esri has chosen to license (and generate revenue from) these capabilities...  

[SubuSwaminathan1]

Michael,

Portal is an option that we have considered. The advantages appear to be limited compared to the cost of ownership there. So we hesitate to go down that rabbit hole,

Flex and Silverlight viewers and the associated API's were successful because they made the ArcGIS Server investment more valuable and increased return on investment. 

I see great potential for Web App Builder developer edition and App Studio in that same vein of thought. Let me be very clear - I am not talking about the base JS API or the AGOL pushbutton options.

I am talking about the viewer like Apps that can be customized by users easily such as web app builder developer edition, Configurable apps/template, all the various JS API samples esri creates as well as new products like AppStudio which are moving towards AGOL and being required to use it.

I just expect more from esri compared to other large software technology companies. Maybe that is naive.

Thanks

Subu

[MichaelDavis3]

I get what your are saying.  As far as expecting more from Esri, I don't think you become the 4th largest privately held software company in the world by giving things away 🙂

Serious question about the costs of Portal though... I thought the Portal license was included with ArcGIS for Server Standard or Advanced at no additional cost, is this not correct?  It sounds like they give you a fair number of named users with that as well, although I don't know the specifics of how many.