ESRI has an umbrella licensing policy tailored to small municipality and county governments. The Enterprise Licensing Agreement (ELA) is a three-year contract at a fixed price, based on population level. The fixed price includes all levels of server and desktop GIS software, online training, software maintenance, and more.
ESRI software is more expensive than the office suite software that we're used to. In addition, upgrades are included for one year, then a yearly software maintenance fee is charged to continue support and upgrades. Individual licensing is currently used in Iberia Parish, with the result that different departments likely use different versions. In enterprise GIS, it is important that all departments use the same version.
The advantages of the ELA are explained in audio presentations (podcasts) on the Enterprise License Agreement web page. Some advantages include unencumbered access to the software by the enterprise, which fosters additional adoption. By using an ELA, all departments would have access to the latest version of the software without additional fees. Mobile GIS is included in the ELA. ELA participants also may have preferential pricing for ESRI partners' products, such as NAVTEQ street databases. Access to these resources makes it easier to incorporate GIS into business processes.
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