The Bing basemap seems to have been recently removed from the "Add Basemap" dialogue in ArcMap. I'm using 10.1. I've also heard reports from a coworker that a Bing basemap layer was replaced by a red exclamation mark in an existing document she was using.
Is this just a local problem on my end?
Yes,
Microsoft and esri will no longer provide the free service.
What's New for Arcgis Online March 2013 Register Bing Map key—Organizations who want to include Bing Maps in their map viewer basemap gallery can add a Bing Map key to their map configuration. This is related to the phasing out of complimentary use of Bing Maps. For more information, see Configuring the map.
You can sign up for the microsoft license at...
Microsoft Map Developers website
There is a patch available for 10.1 users, allowing proper use of Bing Keys to obtain the Bing Basemap.
To obtain the Bing Key, an MSDN / Bing account is required for gathering either the 90 day free trial or a Basic (paid) or Enterprise (paid) subscription.
