EDN Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

What is EDN?
ESRI Developer Network (EDN) is an annual subscription-based programme that provides software developers with the resources needed to build a wide range of custom GIS solutions. The objectives of the EDN programme include providing developers with tools that increase productivity and foster a collaborative environment, reduce the cost and complexity of doing GIS development, and maximize opportunities for developers on the ArcGIS platform. EDN subscriptions are available to all developer customers, not just ESRI business partners.

Who can purchase EDN?
EDN will be offered as a subscription service to both end users and ESRI business partners.

Who is authorised to sell EDN subscriptions?
ESRI and ESRI international distributors will sell EDN subscriptions. EDN will not be resold through ESRI business partner channels.

Besides software, what else do EDN subscribers receive?
EDN subscribers receive incremental software updates and releases, technical documents, samples, and developer utilities that will ship or be posted as applicable (either quarterly or when updates warrant new shipments).

Can business partners (US or International) resell EDN subscriptions?
No. EDN subscriptions will only be available through ESRI and ESRI international distributors.

Why would a developer want to purchase an EDN subscription instead of just developer software?
EDN is more than just a software package; it is a programme providing the developer with the software and technology resources necessary to successfully develop on the ESRI platform. An EDN subscription will reduce the cost and complexity of developing multiple solutions on the ESRI platform.

What is EDN's definition of a “single authorised developer”?
An EDN subscription is not licensed as single use or concurrent use. An EDN subscription is sold to an individual developer. Each developer who will be using the components of EDN must have their own subscription, hence the term “authorised.”

Who has access to the EDN Web Site?
The EDN Web site is available to the general public. Over time, premium content will be added for EDN subscribers only.

Why is ArcGIS Desktop not included in EDN?
ArcGIS Desktop as an end user product for GIS analysis and data creation. EDN is focused on developer tools for creating custom solutions. ArcGIS Desktop and EDN are complementary, as most developers will need access to ArcGIS Desktop to be efficient EDN developers.

Does the EDN subscription include upgrades (e.g., 9.1.2) that are released within that subscription year?
Software updates that are released during the subscription period will be sent to the subscriber.

Will ESRI be certifying applications/solutions built on EDN technology?
No. ESRI does not have the means or the staff to certify end user or developer applications.

Licensing

What are the general terms of the EDN license addendum?
The EDN license agreement allows each person with an EDN subscription to use all of the software that is included in the subscription for development, test, and demonstration purposes only. EDN subscriptions are licensed per individual developer; everyone who uses the products within an EDN subscription must have an EDN subscription license. In other words, one subscription must be purchased for each developer.

Permitted uses:

• Licensee may only use the type and number of copies of the Software, Data, Documentation, and ArcWeb Services included in the EDN Software Library during the subscription period for which the appropriate subscription fees have been paid to ESRI in accordance with the licensed configuration on file with ESRI Customer Service for Licensee's internal use and the terms of this Agreement.
• The Licensee may use each EDN subscription license for one (1) developer who may use the EDN Software Library and other resources of the programme solely for the purposes of research, development, testing, and demonstration of a prototype application to Licensee's customers and internal users. There are no deployment, run-time, commercial use, or production rights granted by the EDN subscription license.
• Licensee agrees that it will order a separate EDN subscription for each individual developer who accesses the EDN Software Library and EDN Web site. Licensee shall also order a separate EDN subscription for each individual developer of a consultant or contractor who requires access to the EDN Software Library in support of Licensee.
• Licensee may permit each authorised developer to copy and install the EDN Software Library on multiple computers for use solely by the authorised developer(s) covered by an EDN subscription, provided Licensee requires the developer(s) to use the software only as permitted by this EDN subscription license.
• Licensee may use, copy, reproduce, and redistribute the Service Pack(s) as part of Licensee's application. Any other right to use, copy, reproduce, and redistribute Software, Data, and Documentation or ArcWeb Services, including updates, is subject to the grants and scope of use in the applicable ESRI license agreement for full commercial use, and use of the EDN Software Library is limited to the permitted uses in this Addendum.
• Licensee may use the EDN Software Library at one (1) location for each subscription.
• Licensee may grant access to their server applications to Licensee’s customers and internal users only for acceptance testing purposes only, providing that the testers will not be doing any debugging, configuration, or maintenance.
• Licensee may grant access to server applications developed using the EDN Software Library to Licensee’s customers and internal users for acceptance testing purposes only, provided that the Licensee’s customers and internal users will not perform any debugging, configuration, or maintenance.

Uses not permitted:

• A single EDN subscription may not be shared by multiple developers or other users who do not have an EDN subscription.
• The EDN subscription may not be used for production purposes and does not include the right to any deployments, run times, or server technology for production or other commercial purposes.
• Licensee shall not redistribute the EDN Software Library, in whole or in part, among other Licensee sites or among other individual developers at a single site, except for other developer(s) with an EDN subscription at the site.
• Publicly disclose results of benchmark testing except with prior written permission of ESRI.

What are some of the uses that are not authorised under the terms and conditions of an EDN subscription?
Some of the uses that are not authorised include data conversion/migration, GIS analysis, and map production.

When an EDN subscription expires, do the licenses expire or are they perpetual?
EDN licenses are issued on an annual basis and will time out unless the subscription is renewed.

Can unused EDN software be given away or sold by the subscriber?
No.

Can users upgrade their existing production or development licenses to an EDN subscription?
No. To subscribe to EDN, users would purchase an EDN subscription. Credits for existing software or maintenance are not offered.

On how many devices can the EDN software be installed?
EDN subscribers can install the software on any number of machines as long as they are the only persons accessing those machines. Some products require product activation, which may limit the number of machines in which the software can be installed.

Is it possible to transfer an EDN subscription to an address outside the country from which it was purchased?
EDN subscriptions are not transferable to other countries. If the subscriber is moving outside the country in which the EDN subscription was purchased, the subscription should be cancelled and a new subscription should be purchased in the new country.

Can a developer use his or her EDN software to create a deployment and send that deployment to another end user to evaluate?
No. The EDN software is only to be used by the subscriber. See terms and conditions above for more details.

Can an EDN subscription be transferred to another developer during the subscription period?
Yes. Similar to an ArcGIS Desktop single use license, an EDN subscription could be transferred to another developer within the same organisation at the same site. However, the original subscriber would not be allowed to continue using any of the EDN software; the entire subscription is transferred.

What is the difference between a development and testing environment license (not BP license) versus the EDN testing usage?
The development and testing environment license is currently being renamed staging license. The staging license allows for users to simulate a production environment for end users to “hit” to access a web site. An EDN license only allows for acceptance testing, not wide-scale performance and scalability testing and training.

Will Image Server be included in the EDN Software Library?
ESRI Image Server is not included in EDN.

Support

What support is included with EDN?
Support included with the price of the EDN subscriptions includes access to the EDN Web site. (Note: Currently all of the EDN Web site is publicly available. In the future, portions of the EDN Web site, such as software downloads, might be restricted to subscribers only.) All subscribers to EDN are required to purchase the minimum ESRI (UK) Developer Support Group subscription at a price of £2,000, which covers all the EDN products and includes for up to 10 DSG support ‘calls’ which can be taken on an as and when basis. DSG support includes for developer focused questions, relating to ESRI products, and can be submitted by phone, or e-mail.

How do I make my DSG support call?
EDN Developers may contact DSG through the normal ESRI (UK) Support service, stating that it is an EDN DSG call.

Can you purchase further DSG support after the initial EDN purchase?
Yes, you can purchase DSG at any time after the initial purchase of the subscription. For £2,000, you get 10 ‘calls’ .

Is EDN telephone technical support available?
Optional telephone technical support is also available at an extra charge. For £2,000, you get 10 calls over the course of one year.
Will we provide technical support to users who do not purchase the telephone technical support option (e.g., if a user needs assistance with installing the software or configuring the initial setup)?
If technical support is not purchased, then no support will be given. If users call Technical Support they will be referred to the EDN Web site.

Will EDN replace the ArcScripts library and existing discussion forums on the ESRI Web site?
Yes. ArcScripts is being rehosted by the EDN Web site in the code exchange area. The developer discussion forums will continue to use the same discussion forum framework as we have today. The EDN Web site will host these forums.

Pricing

Are there any discounts on EDN Subscriptions for quantity?
There are no quantity discounts for EDN subscriptions.

Can a company purchase multiple EDN subscriptions?
Yes. A company can purchase as many EDN subscriptions as needed. Companies will need to keep track of multiple EDN subscriptions within their organisations. ESRI does not need to know the name of the person using the subscription.

Software

Will ESRI issue evaluations of EDN?
No. EDN subscriptions are affordably priced and provide a great value. Therefore, subscriptions should be sold to those who want to evaluate EDN.

Why was ArcPad Application Builder left out of the EDN package?
It was decided that EDN would only include developer products and not end user applications such as ArcGIS Desktop or ArcPad. Desktop applications can be purchased separately.

Are ArcIMS extensions included?
The ArcMap Server functionality is included, but the other ArcIMS extensions are not included with EDN subscriptions due to royalty issues.

Are ArcGIS Server extensions included with an EDN subscription?
Yes. The current ArcGIS Server extensions (Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, and StreetMap) are included with an EDN subscription.

Does EDN include ArcGIS Engine extensions?
Yes. EDN includes all the software and licenses that are included with an ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit including one run time of the Engine and the Engine extensions for testing.
If an EDN subscriber develops an ArcGIS Engine application, do they need to purchase a separate ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit prior to purchasing ArcGIS Engine Runtimes?
No, the EDN subscriber would not have to purchase a separate ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit, since it is already included in the EDN subscription.

Must I remove/unload my current ArcIMS/ArcSDE to load EDN, or can I change the registration codes without unloading the software?
You do not have to reload the software. Get your authorization file from the EDN service site for ArcSDE, then on your server that already has ArcSDE installed, simply rerun the ArcSDE postinstall. At the authorization portion, you will be asked to browse to your authorization file. Browse to the authorization file you received from your EDN registration, and you are set. The ArcSDE on that machine is now using the EDN authorization file (as opposed to the original ArcSDE full product authorization file).

If the client has a version of ArcIMS or ArcSDE older than 9.0, must he/she uninstall it before loading the current version of ArcIMS or ArcSDE?
Yes. You cannot have two versions of the same product on the same machine. You need to uninstall the older version first.

Will Image Server be included in the EDN Software Library?
ESRI Image Server will not be included in EDN in the initial release.

Do EDN subscribers receive usage reports for their ArcWeb Services just as regular ArcWeb Services customers do?
Yes. EDN subscribers have access to their usage reports from their account page at https://arcweb.esri.com/account.

Will EDN subscribers need to purchase a production license of ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit once they deploy an application or solution?
ArcGIS Engine developers/subscribers can develop a solution using the ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit from their EDN subscription. Once they have a solution, they can use ArcGIS Engine runtime to test the solution that comes with the EDN subscription. Once they deploy the solution, the end users will need to purchase their own ArcGIS Engine runtime. Developers do not need to purchase a production use license for ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit. We do not want to imply that EDN can be used for production purposes. But the ArcGIS Engine can be used to develop an application that can be redistributed; the end users simply need a deployment license.

Can ArcGIS Server run on a development server versus running ArcGIS Server on individual machines? A customer has acquired ArcGIS Server through EDN, so does that mean that the ArcGIS Server should only be installed on individual machines?
ArcGIS Server acquired through the EDN can be installed on a shared development server as long as only EDN subscribers are developing and testing on the server.

Sales

If a user just purchased a license of one of the products that is included in EDN, will they automatically receive an EDN subscription?
No. We do not have formal plans to include a grandfathering clause for recent purchases.

Why would an EDN subscriber want to join the ESRI (UK) Partners & Alliances Programme?
The ESRI (UK) Partners & Alliances Programme offers additional benefits that are not part of EDN. Business partners can take advantage of marketing privileges such as a company profile on the ESRI Web page, inclusion in industry solution brochures. Partners can also participate in events such as the annual Business Partner Conference and other regional conferences as applicable and can exhibit at the User Conference. Financial benefits currently include a discount on ESRI training and the ability to license other ESRI software separately for production or marketing/development use at greatly reduced prices. Authorised value-added resellers can resell selected ESRI products domestically, and OEM developers can embed ESRI software in their solutions and redistribute their solutions internationally.

Does EDN replace the ESRI (UK) Partners & Alliances Programme?
No. The ESRI (UK) Partners & Alliances Programme provides additional resources and benefits such as

• Marketing
• Ability to resell complete solutions (if the business partner is a value-added reseller)
• Ability to embed and redistribute ESRI technology (if the business partner is an OEM developer)

What’s the difference between a license and a subscription?
A subscription is a period of time in which the user receives the benefits of the subscription. Licenses are what are issued to the subscriber to run the software included in the EDN binder for the term of the subscription. A user purchases a subscription. The EDN subscription includes licenses for the EDN software.

Why would an ESRI partner buy an EDN subscription?
An ESRI partner would want to purchase an EDN subscription to get access to all of the benefits of the EDN program including the software for ArcGIS Server, ArcIMS, ArcSDE, and ArcGIS Engine for a very affordable price. In addition, EDN subscriptions give the partner an easy way to purchase and manage licenses of ESRI development software for their individual developers.

How does a business partner marketing/development (M&D) license differ from an EDN subscription license?
An EDN subscription license can only be used by a single authorised developer, whereas business partner M&D licenses are single use, concurrent use, or server based (depending on the software). An EDN subscriber can install the EDN subscription licenses on any number of machines as long as he or she is the only one accessing those machines. Business partner M&D licenses can only be installed on single machines. EDN software can only be used for development and testing but not marketing and sales. Business partner M&D licenses can be used for marketing and sales purposes.

Will EDN subscriptions be resold through the partner channel?
No. EDN subscriptions will only be sold through ESRI and ESRI international distributors.

Can an international customer buy EDN directly from ESRI or through an international distributor?
Customers will purchase EDN from their local ESRI distributor.

Will the EDN product be made available for purchase by international users on the Web?
No. International customers will need to purchase from their local ESRI distributors.

Will business partners with existing development licenses drop maintenance on those licenses when they purchase an EDN subscription?
We believe there still is a market for the existing licenses and maintenance purchased through the Business Partner Programme. However, we believe that most development partners will also subscribe to EDN.

Will every individual developer (person) need to sign the EDN license, or will this be signed once per organisation?
The organisation will sign the EDN license and will be responsible for the individuals complying with the terms.

Do we have any knowledge about similar programmes from competitors?
Yes. We believe that EDN is very competitive to offerings from our competitors.

Will customers who have an internal development team want an EDN subscription?
Yes, definitely. This is one of the many types of developers who could benefit from EDN subscriptions.

Is EDN one thing and the Partners & Alliances Programme another?
Yes. They are two separate programmes.

Does a developer need to have an ArcGIS Desktop product to develop with EDN?
No. However, we believe that most organisations will need to have at least one ArcGIS Desktop license.

Can EDN subscriptions be used for sales/demonstration purposes?
EDN subscriptions can be used for demonstrating the applications that were developed with EDN. EDN licenses are not to be used for sales or marketing purposes.

How do we regulate the number of developers using EDN within the organisation - by periodic audits or on trust?
Registration numbers will be linked to the single authorised developer, and the files will have time outs and expiration dates. The EDN addendum includes provisions that give us the right to conduct audits.

To subscribe to EDN, does the customer have to be in the Partner & Alliance Programme?
No. You do not have to be in the ESRI (UK) Partner & Alliance Programme to purchase EDN subscriptions. EDN subscriptions are available to both end users and partners. The Partner & Alliance Programme and EDN are two separate programmes.

Why should a developer buy the ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit instead of EDN?
The ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit is a perpetual license and includes technical support.

If a developer organisation buys two EDN subscriptions, will ESRI provide two EDN binders?
Yes. But we can provide one binder if your organisation does not want two.

When will EDN be released?
EDN is available now.