I want to add content and I know I need to host it through an outside server. Does it have to be a gis server or can i host it through a simple web server? Thanks
Currently, if you want to add your data over the arcgis.com web map, it has to be a GIS server (specifically, ArcGIS Server). However, arcgis.com also supports several file types for upload and download. You can find out more in this help topic: Supported Content.
