Application Development will center on the creation, implementation, and maintenance of client driven for the desktop as well as the internet.

We are focusing on the ESRI ArcIMS technology to provide a flexible environment in which the NPS can create customized modular functions which compliment existing ArcIMS functinality and roll out NPS specific applications.

ArcIMS supports data streaming and image generation. There are three client environments: 1) Intelligent browsers (ArcGIS, ArcExporer, etc.), 2) lighter weight client browsers (e.g., Netscape & Internet explorer with Java, JavaScript client processing), and 3) light weight client browser (e.g., Netscape & Internet explorer with server side processing JSP, ColdFucion, and/or ASP).

The ASP environment currently appears to be primarily limited to low volume sites. Also, ASP is limited to MS environments. The 2nd choice, ColdFusion, is platform independent and is what one of our partners (National Geographic) used to develop www.nationalgeographic/mapmachine.com. There is a fair knowledge base in the NPS with ColdFusion (PMIS, ParkProfiles, etc.). The third option JSP (Java Server Pages) comes native with the Iplanet webserver and appears to be the ESRI development standard for their Geography Network.