Case Study: Esri achieves massive scalability and simplified BI with Microsoft Azure

Geospatial Firm Uses the Cloud to Boost Software Scalability and Simplify BI Analysis

Esri, a global leader in geographic information systems (GIS) used by 350,000 customers, needed to make its ArcGIS platform more scalable and easier for non‑specialists to analyze and share spatial data. As customer demand grew—both for peak-volume map access and for simpler BI workflows—Esri sought a cloud solution that would deliver elasticity, real‑time data, and broader usability across organizations.

Esri built ArcGIS Online on Microsoft Azure and integrated it with Office, Excel, SharePoint, and Dynamics to provide subscription-based, on‑demand mapping and analysis services. The move delivered dramatic scalability (scaling from 50 million to 150 million map impressions during Hurricane Sandy and supporting hundreds of millions of daily impressions), real‑time data access, simpler map creation for knowledge workers, and easier solution deployment and trust through a common Microsoft platform.

Esri

Simon Thompson

Director of Commercial Solutions