On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 02:50:36PM -0600, Bill Thoen wrote: > I need to make a case for developing a map and data server using Open > Source software such as MapServer, Open Layers, PostgereSQL/PostGIS to > counter a proposal to go with ESRI's solutions. The client who this > would be directed to manages a lot of land parcels on which some > development is planned. As part of the support for this, the object is > to build an Internet-accessible server that maintains about 800Gb of > spatial and tabular data, that can provide interactive maps of the > properties, data downloads of selected areas and layers in shapefile, > AutoCAD and other formats. It also needs to generate 3D surfaces from > dense LiDAR data that's available. It also needs a database cataloging > system that can be searched for data held in the system. Finally, it > needs to provide different access privileges to various personnel who > will be using restricted data sets. > > So what I need are some *current* facts about what packages are needed > to do this completely with ESRI software and what it will cost. Have any > of you had to address this 800-lb gorilla problem recently and do you > have any advice or facts I can use to keep my contract?
I'd strongly recommend, if you haven't done this already, sending this to the osgeo-discuss list -- though I'd frame it less as a "how can I keep my job" and more as a "Does anyone have any comparisons of this type?" (List is at http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ). In this type of question, for the record, it seems to me like you'd need to do a pretty significant amount of custom development. It's possible that neither ESRI nor open source can do everything you need to do, but that if you're making a purely "$$" based argument, ESRI could win, simply becaues ESRI *is* packaged to do more of these things out of the box without any development effort. Good luck, and Best Regards, -- Christopher Schmidt MetaCarta _______________________________________________ Users mailing list [email protected] http://openlayers.org/mailman/listinfo/users
