ArcGIS Indoors is a complete indoor mapping system for smart building management. This software company organizes computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM), site scans, and operational datasets into floor-aware indoor maps to support facilities, workplace operations, maintenance applications, and various use cases.
Why some companies choose ArcGIS indoors
ArcGIS Indoors is one in a line of ArcGIS products owned by Esri, a leading location intelligence platform provider. Esri was founded in 1969 and operates in commercial, utility, government, and manufacturing industries.
If your team has experience working with AutoCAD or Revit programs and you are looking to build maps for offices and workspaces, then ArcGIS Indoors may be a good fit.
However, if you are looking to design digital indoor maps for other industries or if you are unfamiliar with CAD then you may want to consider ArcGIS alternatives.
Top 3 ArcGIS indoors alternatives
This blog will cover three experienced providers who each take a unique approach to indoor mapping: Mappedin, Mapwize, and Inpixon.
ArcGIS competitor: Mappedin
Mappedin provides industry-leading tools for property owners and operators to manage their dynamic indoor maps and build digital wayfinding experiences into their customer-facing applications. Mappedin works with over 1500 venues in more than 57 countries around the world.
Why choose Mappedin?
Mappedin has over a decade of experience providing indoor mapping solutions to customers. The platform manages over 1.5 billion square feet of indoor space (that’s equivalent to 26,041 football fields) and has served over 250 million directions to people navigating the indoors. Along with vast experience, Mappedin offers intuitive, digital wayfinding software and a powerful map editor that simplifies map management for property owners, ensuring they can maintain accurate mapping experiences for their guests.
Top features of MappedIn
The Mappedin product offering includes 3D and 2D map views, interactive maps, Smart Search driven by machine learning, real-time edits and syncs, blue dot wayfinding, automated and optimized pathing, draft and publish mode, is Apple IMDF approved, and includes additional features to drive foot traffic at your venue.
Advantages
The Mappedin platform includes a solution for every need along with a self-serve map editor for customers to maintain their own indoor maps. Whether venues are looking for a powerful pre-built mapping application, or to create their own rich experiences, Mappedin is a great provider choice. Not only does this company design visually appealing assets with a strong UX across a variety of industries, but they also work closely with Apple to offer IMDF Exports and blue dot wayfinding to their clients. Mappedin is also the only indoor mapping provider to receive a SOC 2 (Type 1) report, an official report that validates the company's safeguards for mapping data, cloud service management, and the protection of customer data.
Also, anyone can start mapping for free and explore more advanced mapping tools with Mappedin Plus. Increase mapmaking capabilities based on your needs, and invite unlimited editors to collaborate when needed.
Disadvantages
While Mappedin has partnered with multiple indoor positioning providers, the company does not sell indoor positioning technology as part of their mapping offering. This is a disadvantage if you prefer to work with only one provider to create your location-based experience.
ArcGIS competitor: Mapwize
Mapwize is another SaaS-based indoor mapping platform. With Mapwize, users can visualize interior building floor plans with any device and organizations can view analytics including number of visitors, busiest areas, and more.
Why choose Mapwize?
Mapwize is focused on providing complete mapping tools and a positive customer experience with indoor wayfinding. The company strives to develop an open platform that allows for transparency and full understanding of their tools.
Top features of Mapwize
Customers using the Mapwize platform have the ability to easily access robust documentation. For those looking to build their own experience, this company has no shortage of SDKs to integrate with: JS, iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, and Cordova.
Advantages
Mapwize is based in Lille, France and has an excellent localization strategy. This mapping provider works across various industries and understands first hand the languages, culture, and unique differences as they pertain to European businesses. This can be an advantage, particularly for venues located in and operating in the EU.
Disadvantages
Mapwize solutions are not white-labeled, meaning that the company logo and brand colours appear on their front-end solutions. This can be a disadvantage for venues that want a cohesive mapping solution that fits seamlessly with their brand. While users can zoom in and out of the maps, Mapwize solutions are not 3D or fully interactive experiences. The maps cannot be tilted or rotated and the 2D appearance can make it more challenging for users to quickly familiarize themselves with the venue.
ArcGIS competitor: Inpixon
Inpixon is an indoor data company. Their platform and patented technologies empower users to harness the power of indoor data to create actionable intelligence. Inpixon specializes in capturing, interpreting, and visualizing indoor data to make spaces smarter, safer, and more secure.
Why choose Inpixon?
Inpixon's Indoor Intelligence and mobile app solutions are leveraged by a multitude of industries to optimize operations, increase productivity, and enhance safety. Inpixon customers can take advantage of industry-leading location awareness, RTLS, workplace and hybrid event solutions, analytics, sensor fusion and the IoT to create exceptional experiences and to do well with indoor data.
Top features of Inpixon
Along with offering indoor mapping, Inpixon also offers their own indoor positioning solution. Inpixon's indoor positioning solution leverages a suite of on-device blue dot indoor location and motion technologies in combination with Inpixon’s sensors to provide users with an advanced and accurate real-time indoor location and positioning services. They also offer wireless device detection to increase safety measures at your venue.
Advantages
Inpixon offers a full suite of indoor solutions, from indoor mapping to positioning, security, and analytics. This can be an advantage for venues who prefer to work with one vendor, rather than pull together several companies with their own unique expertises.
Disadvantages
Inpixon provides developers with the tools to build indoor mapping web and mobile applications but they do not currently offer any pre-built or out-of-the-box solutions. This can be a disadvantage for venues who do not have developer support or want to have their indoor maps up and running quickly. Also, Inpixon documentation is not readily available for users who want to evaluate the tools and understand the features and functionality of Inpixon's mapping SDKs before committing to a provider.
Still wondering which is the best ArcGIC indoors alternative?
The short answer: it depends.
While each of the providers discussed have the same goal of making the indoors easier to navigate, each indoor mapping company takes a slightly different approach. The best alternative will be the one that most aligns with the objectives of your project. Do you have a particular front-end solution in mind? Do you want to have the ability to maintain your own maps over time? Will you layer on indoor positioning or other location-based technology? Answering these questions will help to determine the right provider for you.
To learn more about indoor mapping or how Mappedin works with our customers, contact us.
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