DevSummit 2014: The Road Ahead

At the end of this series, we look forward.

Aside from learning about existing technology and all that’s new and exciting about it, the DevSummit is always the best place to discover what’s coming in the next year and beyond. This year is no different.

There’s the immediate future, where we’re looking forward to the new WebApp Builder; a JavaScript application designed to make building and configuring Web mapping applications quick and easy. Also, there’s the upcoming release of ArcGIS Pro, which you can learn more about on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

But there’s also the future beyond, where we look at current trends in the software and technology industry and how it’s affecting GIS and enabling new capabilities in our applications and solutions. The keynote is a prime example, which will be given by Chris Wanstrath, the CEO of GitHub on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

Esri is embracing open source and open standards more than ever. On the first day of the DevSummit, the new open data Web site is announced. On Monday at 4 p.m. you can learn about OpenStreetmap and how to pair it with Esri products and services. Leaflet and its ability to create lightweight, modular Web maps is covered Monday at 6 p.m. More Esri open source projects and solutions are showcased on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

The R language is getting a lot of attention lately for its usage in statistical computing. You can explore how this programming langauge fits into GIS at DevSummit on Wednesday at 1 p.m. This session will cover using ArcPy and the R statistical software package to develop a framework that integrates R package into ArcMap. Big Data is on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. and again at 1 p.m., introducing a set of tools that enable ArcGIS users to use Hadoop in patch processing large datasets using the MapReduce framework. More Big Data and Visualization on the Web is on Thursday at 10 a.m.

For all Big Data work and analysis of large datasets, the cloud is a critical factor. Use cases for ArcGIS Server and Amazon Web Services is on Thursday at 10 a.m. to discuss experiences, advice and lessons learned. To get an introductory session on using ArcGIS Server in the Amazon Cloud, don’t miss the session on Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Have you heard the term “The Internet of Things” - the idea of getting all devices connected to enable a wide array of possibilities? Maybe you're like me and you have heard the term, but you're not sure exactly what it means, or how it applies to GIS. Learn how the Internet of Things is integrated with ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor on Wednesday at 4 p.m. More innovations from Esri prototype lab is up on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

It’s not all about new trends and futuristic technologies. Mid-range changes to the GIS technology landscape and how Esri sees the way going forward is also on the agenda. The Road Ahead sessions will cover ArcGIS Online and Web Development on Thursday at 8:30 a.m., ArcGIS Pro on Thursday at 8:30 a.m., ArcGIS Runtime SDKs on Thursday at 10:30 a.m., 3D on Thursday at 10 a.m., ArcGIS for Server and Portal on Thursday at 10 a.m. and Esri’s App Strategy on Thursday at 10 a.m.

It’s a busy conference this year, maybe even busier than last year. This seems to be true each and every year. But no matter how busy DevSummit is, we all still have fun being here among fellow developers geeking out about the latest GIS innovations.

Enjoy the sun, sessions and the springs.

Read more posts in this series.