Disclaimer: The author take no responsibility on the authenticity of the information provided here. These have been collected from different sources.  For rough comparison, I have listed prices for some of the software packages. Most software companies offer substantial discounts for nonprofit, educational, bulk, and other discounts, and many do not provide "list" prices even on their own websites.

PLEASE NOTE that the following descriptions were written in 1999.  To find up-to-date software descriptions and reviews, please refer to the respective website of the GIS Vendor or the references I have given at the end of this page. Back to the Main Page
 

ESRI
Intergraph
AutoDesk
SmallWorld
MapInfo
Bentley
More Reference

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• All flagship products (Arc/Info, ArcView, MapObjects) are currently being re-engineered to take the advantage of COM, CORBA, ODBC, and commercial RDBMSs.
• Reprojecting to other coordinate systems/datum transformations can  be accomplished using AML (for Arc/Info), or Avenue (for ArcView). Forty-six map projections are supported in Arc/Info.
 

• Arc/Info runs on Windows NT or UNIX and is implemented as a true client to ESRI's Spatial Database Engine (SDE) universal spatial data server.
• Customization is generally required on all implementations. You can design and build the system using development tools including Visual Basic, C++, PowerBuilder, Tcl/Tk, and Motif. Or, use ARC/INFO's built-in scripting language, ARC Macro Language(AML).
• Arc/Info is supported by many additional sub-modules including:

• ArcStorm (Arc Storage Manager) is a storage facility and transaction manager for spatial information. ArcStorm is a feature-oriented, continuous geographic database that can be closely integrated with a commercial DBMS.
• ARC NETWORK: network modeling and analysis
• ARC COGO for coordinate geometry
• ARC GRID for raster geoprocessing
• ARC TIN for surface modeling and terrain analysis
• ArcPress for graphics metafile rasterization
• ArcScan for scan digitizing and scanning data entry
• ArcExpress for display speed acceleration

• Large installed user base (reportedly over 200,000 copies since its first release)
• Lots of data available in shape file format
• Includes charting window
• Thematics are very good
• Join with external tables through ODBC (dynamically updated)
• Runs on multiple platforms
• Available add-on packages including 3d display, networking, Grid-based analysis
• Multi-level undo
• Tabular analysis

• Shapefile Format: the Shapefile does not support text, compound geometries, arcs, Z-values, or even retain information on units of measures or coordinate systems. In addition, if you have 2 people connected to the same file (actually files since there are 3 of them) you can not edit without creating a new Shapefile altogether.
•  It stores all you maps, scripts, and project data in a project file called an APR.  APR gets pretty big when you start making some maps, and once it gets too big (20MB or so), it has been known to crash.
• No saved queries
• No buffer zones
• Hybrid data structure - Graphics stored in shape file format, attributes in DBF.
• Poor data capture and editing solution.
• Must customize with Avenue
• Projection Systems: integrating data from multiple projections in ArcView is not straight forward task; and from non-ESRI data sources, it is more difficult.

• ArcView IMS Internet/Intranet Deployment License is $10,500 per CPU; $10,000 additional Internet deploy license (12 months)
• ArcView Internet Map Server extension is $500
• ArcView IMS annual renewal fee is $2000 per CPU
• ArcView Internet Publishing Kit (Includes ArcView GIS, ArcView IMS, ArcView GIS Deployment License for one CPU and initial 12 months) is $11,695

• MapObjects IMS Internet/Intranet Deployment License: $7495.
• MapObjects IMS Extension: $500
• One MapObjects Developer seat: $1,995
• MapObjects in-house deployment Licenses: $250 each

• Programming MapObjects with Visual Basic: $800
• MapObjects IMS: $400

• Server (IMS) provides the ability to create dynamic Web mapping applications for distributing geographic data. IMS allows user to author, publish, and view live maps and data on the Web. The MapObjects Internet Solutions Kit includes three integrated applications: MapObjects IMS, MapObjects Professional, and ArcExplorer

• Works to view either Shapefile or Arc/Info coverages
• MapObjects IMS administration wizard simplifies the process of Internet-enabling of data. Within a GUI, administrators set permissions, establish data downloads, start and stop applications, query the status of an entire network of map servers, and link to sites where users can purchase GIS data.
        Weaknesses:

Next Version: MapObjects 2.0

• SDE for CAD
• SDE for Coverages
• SDE

• SDE requires that all data is migrated to a database from legacy storage. However, there are a lot of users who are not willing to step up to this solution yet. Many ESRI users do not even have a database and rely on coverages and Info tables for all their storage. SDE for CAD and SDE for Coverages allow the user to move into the SDE world without migrating the data to a spatial database. They are stepping stones to full implementation of SDE if you like because it is quite clear that the future for ESRI is SDE.
• SDE for CAD and SDE for Coverages allow the user to access the legacy data in its native format. In this way you can maintain your data in CAD format or Coverage (Arc/Info coverages, Libraries, Arc Storm databases, Shape files) format but manage it using SDE tools. These tools allow you to access data from all these sources in a single SDE client. The client could be ArcView, Arc/Info, MicroStation, map objects app, or custom.
• ESRI has several different development languages to deal with such as Arc/Info with AML, ArcView with Avenue, Map Objects with Visual Basic,  Arc Info 8.0 with Visual Basic, ArcCAD with auto lisp. And also support multiple operating systems in Unix, NT and DOS, and multiple hardware platforms and databases. SDE is the unifying piece for all of this.
• SDE requires a separate add on programming language for developers- SDE Basic.  Every time SDE or the client (ArcInfo, ArcView, MapObjects, changes a new version of SDE Basic is required.  If you have ArcInfo and ArcView, you will need 2 brands of SDE Basic on top of Avenue and AML/SML, and the calls for one are not identical to the other.

• SDE Administration: $800
• SDE with Avenue: $1,200
• Accessing SDE with ‘C’: $1,200

• ArcSDE utilizes SDE software's standard continuous feature model, which means, for example, that polygons crossing ArcStorm or ARC/INFO LIBRARIAN tile boundaries will be assembled on the server and presented to ARC/INFO clients as a single feature.
• In the initial release, the ArcSDE server is read only. It works through the defined layers in ARCPLOT and as a background layer in ARCEDIT. A further important feature of ArcSDE is that not only can ARC/INFO access all supported data types, but also ArcView GIS, MapObjects, and CAD clients such as AutoCAD and MicroStation can access this same data. In fact, virtually any third party or custom application that embeds SDE software's API can freely access ESRI customer databases via this open published access technology. For example, an ArcView GIS user can now display transactional ArcStorm databases over a TCP/IP network. Similarly, an SDE CAD Client user can display coverages as a backdrop to their drawings.
 
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Intergraph (http://www.intergraph.com)

Intergraph Corporation is publicly owned company with common stock traded on the NASDAQ market under the symbol "INGR". Intergraph expertise is on graphical computing such as Geographic Information Systems and Computer Aided Design. Intergraph is a pioneer of interactive graphics computing, offers full range of GIS hardware, software, and services for the open Intel/Windows NT computing environment.
 
 Products

 GeoMedia PRO introduced anopen GIS environment, enabling organizations to combine datasets from multiple sources to form an  enterprise solution for spatial data access and analysis. GeoMedia Pro  include data capture, maintenance, and management.
 
GeoMedia Web Map : is a unique product in that it can publish smart vector maps on the web by connecting live to one or more diverse spatial databases.

GeoMedia® Web Enterprise helps to create dynamic, custom web-mapping applications to analyze and manipulate geographic data. The server software includes sample applications for vehicle routing, crime analysis, rezoning notification, and site selection so one can start working with these templates right away.

MGE Intergraph's flagship GIS product, MGE meets all the spatial data needs of an enterprise. MGE improves GIS workflows by enabling users to view and analyze digital data and by adding smart features to CAD data. MGE is used by the transportation, utilities and natural resources industries, and by various state and local governments.

The program allows users to input, manage, analyze and present data, and with the addition of ODBC support, expands users' options for storing and using data. In addition to ODBC support, RIS is still supported in MGE 7. The MGE Data Client (MGDC) application, delivered with MGNUC 7.1, is designed to provide an integration path to consolidate data from the supported GeoMedia data servers [currently: Arc/Info, Arc/View, Oracle Spatial Cartridge, MGE, MGDM, MGSM, FRAMME and CAD] into a MGE project.

For product pricing please refer the vendor website
 
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• Very competitive price (<$5000) for one package that does the whole process of creation and maintenance.
• Includes Access Jet Engine that enables users to start without buying a new RDBMS.
• Support for Raster backdrop including BMP, CALS-1, FLIC&trade;, GeoSpot, GeoTiff, GIF, IG4, IGS, JFIF, JPEG, PCX, PICT, PNG, RLC 1, RLC2, TARGA, TIFF
• Includes VBA and a very strong API
• Includes "Mapping objects" to have some kind of continuous features across maps
• Includes Spatial and some Linear analysis
• Includes plotting capabilities
• AutoCAD Map Release 3 software contains the latest AutoCAD Release 14 improvements including an updated License Manager to support IPX-based networks, full AutoCAD support for Microsoft® VBA and ObjectARX APIs, and additional Release 14.01 maintenance work.
• More features found at http://www.autodesk.com/products/acadmap/features.htm - 1

• Beside AutoCAD files, it supports ESRI, MapInfo, Atlas and DGN files.
• Has editing capabilities in the native formats.
• More than 700 projections as well as user-defined.
• VBA and strong API
• File formats native to Autodesk World&trade; include: AutoCAD®
• (DWG), Autodesk World Geobase, and Microsoft Access (MDB).
• Seamless access to vector data in original formats, including ARC/INFO&trade; Coverages, Atlas GIS BNA, ArcView SHP, MicroStation DGN, and MapInfo MIF/MIF
• Autodesk World API to write data access software
• Bi-directional link to Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, or any supporting ODBC/DAO database.
• Insert and rectify a wide variety of raster images, including JPEG, TIFF, EPS, and other widely used formats.
• Includes ActiveX automation API and Microsoft Visual Basic® for Applications (5.0) internal scripting environment.

• Trying to compete as a desktop GIS, but not yet fully functional
• No address matching

• MapGuide Author is an easier to use set of tools to customize the program
• Report generation and reporting feature capabilities are made available through customization using Cold FusionÒ . Cold Fusion is a separate component developed by Allaire. It is shipped with Autodesk MapGuide Server. MapGuide uses Cold Fusion’s development platform to design customized reports.

• Where you have data to communicate via Web-browser, and the data changes quite often over time (which is the normal case in the GIS-arena), you ALWAYS have to translate the data to the Map Guide Format whenever changes are made. Author this data again.

• Smallworld Circ.it: provides the ability to manage the bandwidth usage and provide circuit inventory for a broadband network.
• Smallworld Model.it: provides the ability to engineer and document a physical end-to-end model of a telecommunications network from the inside-the-plant rack-mounted equipment (RME) to the outside-plant fiber, coax and copper components.
• PowerOnÔ : outage management software; It integrates with systems such as CIS, SCADA and AMR

• Objects representing features can be turned on or off in the display individually or in a group (e.g. surrounded by a polygon).
• Data driven graphics - The graphics are driven by the data base so if the data base is updated externally, the graphics will be automatically updated when Smallworld is brought back up.
• Three-tier Model: The client-server functionality allows Smallworld to use three-tier architecture from the old two-tier architecture. With this, system designer’s can remove the presentation layer out of Smallworld GIS which can either become a data repository or a service provider. The layers of this architecture are as follows:

• Database Layer: Database/datastore serving records or blocks. For instance an Oracle database or Smallworld datastore server
• Application Layer: Implements business logic and provides services to client applications. It is a client of the database layer. This layer is implemented with one or more Smallworld servers running a mix of services. These services are clients of the Database Layer.
• Presentation Layer: Heterogeneous mix of light-weight clients (web browsers, Visual Basic applications and so on).

• Unified Data Base - they store both graphics and attributes in the same data base which eliminates synchronization problems.
• Automation: The Smallworld Automation components use the Automation protocol, which is a part of the Component Object Model (COM), a standard invented by Microsoft and used in all Microsoft applications. Smallworld Automation comprises two providing a mechanism for connecting a Smallworld 3 session with various third party applications.

• The Smallworld Automation component allows developers using third-party languages to write applications that will integrate with Smallworld 3.
• The Smallworld Automation Client component allows Magik developers to control the behavior of other applications.

• Object model is proprietary
• Customization through a proprietary development language known as MAGIK. A more complete discussion can be found at http://www.smallworld-us.com/technology/tech/tech_Magik.asp

• New thematic type: Continuous Thematic Shading based on grid technology, enables analysis unconstrained by pre-existing geographic boundaries. Using an inverse distance-weighted interpolator, it populates the surface values from MapInfo point tables.
• Other Grid analysis via Northwood Geoscience’s "Vertical Mapper"
• ODBC enhancements: Live database access gives users the capability to connect to data sources through ODBC but to then cache and update the source directly with no intermediate copies stored locally. The key advantages of this feature are improved multi-user access to central databases with reduced local data redundancy and enhanced data integrity. Access to dBase, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, ASCII; Oracle, Informix, Sybase, Ingres, SQL Server, and other ODBC compliant databases.
• Includes Seagate Crystal Reports
• Much data provided with product
• Enhanced cartographic annotation capabilities
• Gravity Modeling via Spatial Insights "Trend Map"
• Upload MapInfo TAB files into a SpatialWare database: Informix-Universal Server (IUS) with SpatialWare DataBlade, or DB2 Universal Server with SpatialWare Extender
• Redistricting window
• Dynamically updated queries
• Tabular data manipulation and access is straightforward
• More features found at http://www.mapinfo.com/software/mapinfopro/details/index.html

• Large installed user base
• Numerous solutions available from third parties (Telco, Crime Analysis, ProAlign for sales territory planning; deciBel Planner for mapping and propagation solutions for RF Engineers)

• Spatial queries are difficult to construct. Some knowledge of SQL is necessary.
• Poor graphic import/export
• File based
• Collection and editing is limited
• Hybrid data structure.
• No saved queries

• Write capability directly to SpatialWare layers
• Ability to export style samples
• Ability to specify text rotation
• Complete features can be found at http://www.mapinfo.com/mapx/html/mapx_features.html

• MapXtreme Java Edition is a multi-platform solution that is highly-scalable, performance. It is available at a cost of $24,495.00 for a 4-CPU server license, and can be downloaded free for a 30-day trial at http://www.mapxtreme.com

• Develop using Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP)
• Inclusion of the latest version of Hahtsite which provides a robust distributed application architecture
• Write or "insert" and "update" data from MapXtreme to SpatialWare.
• Supports scaling the application to multiple servers.
• Complete features can be found at (http://www.mapinfo.com/mapxtreme/mapxtreme_nt_features.html)

• Mapping Engine - MapX, MapInfo's mapping OCX is the mapping engine for MapXsite.
• US Streets - MapXsite includes MapXsite Streets for the entire United States
• Geocoding Client and Server - MapXsite includes complete geocoding functionality (the process that actually places address locations on maps) with MapInfo's MapMarker.
• Java applet - Optional with the MapXsite Developer Edition, the MapXsite Java Applet provides developers with additional tools that allow for the creation of a more dynamic interaction with the maps.
• Publisher - Provides templates which enable you to seamlessly integrate dealer locator application into the look and feel of the existing web site, and immediately incorporate changes as the site evolves
• Application Server - Manages the client interaction with the mapping engine.
• Session manager - Supports scaling the application to multiple servers.
• More info at http://www.mapinfo.com/mapxsite/index.html

• MicroStation/J: MicroStation/J inherits all functionality of MicroStation SE, but is based on the new JMDL kernel, which includes Sun’s Java Virtual Machine. Purchasers of new licenses of MicroStation/J are entitled to an additional license for one of the engineering configurations for building engineering, geoengineering, or manufacturing and mechanical engineering. The first edition of MicroStation/J will use the Bentley DGN file format for data storage. In subsequent releases, Bentley will introduce the concept of component modeling for creating fully associative engineering models that encapsulate real-world behavior, not just a geometric representation (see ProjectBanks below). MicroStation/J kernel and the Java run-time environment are written in C/C++ and run at native compiled speed. Some modules and applications can be written in Java. Find a good FAQ at: http://www.bentley.com/products/mstation/j/qanda.htm
• ProjectBank: ProjectBank is client/server software that manages engineering project information at the component rather than file level. When released, ProjectBank will work with existing versions of MicroStation and AutoCAD. Users will be able to store both DGN and DWG files in a ProjectBank and extracted for editing by MicroStation and/or AutoCAD. After files have been edited, only the changed information is returned to the ProjectBank. See more information at http://www.bentley.com/products/projbank/projbank.htm/
• EEM—Enterprise Engineering Modeling: new Bentley "buzzword" for the automation of engineering, architecture and related disciplines.