• Standard GIS framework, ArcObjects, on which the ArcGIS family is built
• Cost-effective deployment requiring only an ArcGIS Engine Runtime or ArcGIS Desktop license per computer
• Developer controls available in ActiveX, .NET, and Java that simplify application development
• A choice of standard developer languages including COM, .NET, Java, and C++ as well as a choice of Windows, Linux, and Solaris computing platforms
• Extensive developer resources including object models, utilities, samples, and documentation
  

With ArcGIS Engine, developers are able to add dynamic mapping and GIS capabilities to existing applications or build their own unique mapping programs. ArcGIS Engine provides well-defined, cross language objects called ArcObjects, the same objects on which the ArcGIS Desktop products are built.

ArcGIS Engine has the following two product components:

• ArcGIS Engine Developer Kit—contains the components and tools for developers to build solutions
• ArcGIS Engine Runtime—required infrastructure to run custom ArcGIS Engine applications

• Efficiently build and deploy custom ArcGIS applications on the desktop.
• Embed GIS logic in non-GIS-centric applications.
• Leverage the mapmaking capabilities of ArcGIS Desktop to quickly deploy GIS applications containing quality cartographic maps.
• Build focused GIS data editing applications that take full advantage of the capabilities of the geodatabase (using the Geodatabase Update extension).
• Build globe visualization applications that expose spatial and 3D analysis (using the Spatial or 3D extensions).
• Build geocoding and routing applications based on a nationwide U.S. data set (using the StreetMap USA extension).