If you or your organisation are looking to collect and engage with your own geospatial data, you’ve come to the right place. Say hello to the ArcGIS Mobile Worker license, designed for on-the-go use of ArcGIS in the field. But before we begin, let’s briefly map out the ArcGIS licensing structure.
The ArcGIS system employs six user types to help organisations license their use of ArcGIS products. Each user type is role-based, offering different functionality and costs which reflect their advantages.
Creator, Professional and Professional Plus licenses allow users to map, analyse and manage geospatial data. Think of these as the bread and butter of the ArcGIS licenses. Viewer, Contributor and Mobile Worker licenses support collaboration across an organisation, by connecting GIS users of all levels to one central system.
With ArcGIS, there are six licensing options with different capabilities and privileges. Find out more in the ArcGIS licensing in six user types blog.
A choice of six licenses means a range of options at your disposal. With that in mind and fieldwork season right around the corner, we will walk through the features, benefits and applications of the ArcGIS Mobile Worker license.
Strap on your high-vis and helmet!
What is the ArcGIS Mobile Worker license?
The Mobile Worker license exists to suit ArcGIS customers who want to expand their use of GIS beyond the office walls. This user type allows users to engage with field-collected data using ArcGIS mobile apps. If an organisation wishes to collect their own geospatial data, they can obtain Mobile Worker licenses for their on-site teams to achieve this.
To make the most of Viewer, Contributor and Mobile Worker licenses, an organisation must have at least one Creator, Professional or Professional Plus license so that data can be shared, analysed or mapped.
Comparing the Mobile Worker to other ArcGIS licenses
Sitting in the middle of the six user types means that the Mobile Worker license offers the core functionality from the Viewer and Contributor licenses. Therefore, Mobile Workers can view apps, maps and dashboards, as well as review and edit features using ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise – so long as they have the appropriate permissions.
In addition, Mobile Workers can take advantage of the ArcGIS mobile apps. These include: ArcGIS QuickCapture, ArcGIS Survey123 and ArcGIS Field Maps. In other words, Mobile Workers can collect and update data from the field, receive work assignments from the office and navigate either online or offline to suit their needs.
While Mobile Workers focus on field data collection and engagement, they rely on Creator or Professional users for the creation of items like data layers, maps and apps. Running analysis or using ArcGIS Pro also requires a Creator user license or above.
ArcGIS Mobile Workers benefit from Viewer and Contributor license capabilities, with additional access to the suite of ArcGIS mobile apps.
Benefits of the ArcGIS Mobile Worker License
So, we’ve established that the ArcGIS Mobile Worker license is useful for organisations that employ field operations. But what does this look like on-site?
This license enables users to work from one common operating picture, where mobile workers can be assigned tasks, conduct on-the-go field inspections, and access data collection apps to contribute to a central system. This system can then be accessed, viewed and managed by users in the office with Creator, Professional and Professional Plus licenses through Esri’s cloud solution, ArcGIS Online.
In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to monitor what is happening and where is more important than ever. Using the Mobile Worker license, mobile crews can collect and receive live information and perform surveys to record changes – all without pen and paper! This reduces note-taking errors and streamlines the process of on-site data collection and analysis from within the office.
Updates can be made to the system – which is kept automatically up-to-date – at any time, from either end! This improves collaboration and communication among mobile workers, but also across the wider organisation too.
Pretty handy, don’t you think?
ArcGIS Mobile Workers benefit from Viewer and Contributor license capabilities, with additional access to the suite of ArcGIS mobile apps.
Thanks to its versatility, the Mobile Worker user type license is suited to roles across a wide range of industries. Organisations can benefit from this in different ways – for example, Cornwall Council used ArcGIS Field Maps to build an effective mobile solution for inspecting ash trees.
Check out our Customer Stories page to find examples of how our customers have used our different license options, or visit these other resources:
→ Mobile Worker User Type product page for more information on the Mobile Worker license
→ User Types Documentation for a breakdown of each user type license
→ ArcGIS licensing in six user type choices for a blog style comparison
→ ArcGIS user types webpage for a detailed comparison matrix