Esri has announced that ArcMap is not planned to be released in the upcoming 10.9 of ArcGIS for desktop applications. ArcGIS Pro (currently version 2.6.2) will be sole desktop application released. For many of us that have used ArcGIS Desktop for many years (erh…nearly 2 decades), this slow transition has been bittersweet. When ArcGIS Pro was first released, there were many deficiencies and superfluous workflows that did not have make sense at the time, but now have their place and requirement with the co-dependencies within the ArcGIS Enterprise platform. For more information, check out the Esri announcement here.
Do not fret if you still love using ArcMap. Esri will continue to support ArcMap and the ArcGIS Desktop suite until March 1, 2026 as part of the normal life cycle support for version 10.8.1. This should give you enough time to plan your migration, document business processes that may be effected, and develop upskilling strategies.
GBS has been assisting many clients with developing and implementing strategies and plans for migrating to ArcGIS Pro and leveraging its capabilities with ArcGIS Enterprise. Please contact us if you would like assistance developing a migration plan or adopting ArcGIS Pro into your existing business and GIS processes.