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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Yo</FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>ur questions are shared by many. This is
just my interpretation, but the information that Autodesk has revealed so far
indicates that:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>1. Studio will be strictly commercial (it contains AutoCAD
components) but Autodesk will be creating an open source "Studio Lite"
application for authoring maps.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>2. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>ArcSDE and WMS providers will be in the Open
Source edition, as will ODBC which you can use to access aspatial data in SQL
Server. The Essential FDO guide provides more information on this: <A
href="https://fdo.osgeo.org/docs/FET_TheEssentialFDO.pdf">https://fdo.osgeo.org/docs/FET_TheEssentialFDO.pdf</A>
Currently the providers not slated for OS release are Oracle, SQL Server
(spatial) and Raster. This last one is a bit of a sticking point, but I
believe that Frank W is working on a GDAL Raster provider.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>3. The OS version of the MapGuide code is the only
version. The Enterprise package that Autodesk is selling will of
course have additional applications and plugins provided with it, but the entire
community will benefit from enhancements to the core, which is on its own pretty
impressive. As a commercial entity, Autodesk is in this to make money, and
will be doing so with a combination of services and software sales, similar to
the Red Hat model.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=412400616-23032006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Jason</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> Buscher, Shane
[mailto:Shane.Buscher@nngco.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 23, 2006
05:45<BR><B>To:</B> users@mapguide.osgeo.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [mapguide-users]
Commercial vs. Open Source Functionality<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>All right, I'm a little frustrated at this point
trying to figure out the current direction of MapGuide OS and MapGuide
Commercial. I'm trying to choose between several competing technologies in
the web mapping arena, including ArcIMS, MapGuide OS, MapGuide Commercial, and
MapServer. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. Is the MapGuide Studio product going to
become strictly a commercial product? I see it expires in October.
If so, what authoring tool is going to be made available for the OS users, if
any?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. There's a lot of vaporware advertising going on,
especially in the data provider category. I have SQL Server, ArcSDE,
and WMS consumption requirements. These are documented as being supported,
but you quickly realize they are not post-install. Are these
functionalities only going to be made available in the Commercial product?
This is what it seems. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>What is the general direction for both OS and
Commercial? Are they going to be one in the same, with only support being
the difference between the two? Or, will Autodesk just add functionality
independently of the OS project, leaving the open source community to catch up?
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Maybe this is not the right forum to ask these
questions, but I don't know where else to ask. It's important to know the
direction of these products, as I'm looking for a long term solution.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks in advance.</FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Shane Buscher</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>GIS/Compliance Systems</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>Northern
Natural Gas</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>402.398.7841</FONT>
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