ArcGIS Server is a complete and integrated server-based geographic information system (GIS). It comes with out-of-the-box, end user applications and services for spatial data management, visualization, and spatial analysis. ArcGIS Server offers open access to extensive GIS capabilities that enable organizations to publish and share geographic data, maps, analyses, models, and more. With ArcGIS Server's rich standards-based platform, centrally managed, high-performance GIS applications and services can be accessed throughout an organization using browser-based, desktop, or mobile clients.
ArcGIS Server offers the following advantages: browser-based access to GIS; lower cost of ownership through centrally managed, focused GIS applications; integration with other enterprise systems; support for interoperability standards; and the ability to create custom applications and services for browser, desktop, mobile, Smart Client, and enterprise deployments using .NET or Java, Microsoft Silverlight, Javascript and Adobe Flex.
Optional extensions are available for data interoperability, network-based spatial analysis, spatial modeling, and three-dimensional modeling.