We have been using FileMaker Pro for over 10 years so obviously we love it. Its ease of use is legendary. This means we can develop powerful systems very quickly (and therefore more cheaply than with other databases).

So what’s so great about FileMaker Pro?

This is the number one thing that appeals to users of FileMaker Pro. It is so easy to customise your database to meet your requirements. This ease of use has not happened by accident. FileMaker Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple Computers. FileMaker Pro is built upon the design principles that make the Apple Macintosh so easy to use.

Don’t ask yourself ‘what can we do with FileMaker Pro?’ Ask yourself ‘what would I like to achieve?’ More than likely it can be achieved with FileMaker Pro.

FileMaker Pro is the best data management companion for Microsoft Office. Workgroups, from 2 to about 250 members, need a more robust alternative to tracking information with spreadsheets or other personal software. Not only are spreadsheets prone to errors in data entry and formulas, but there is no easy or accurate way to share updates and control multiple versions. The likelihood of significant errors greatly increases with the number of users and versions of data. FileMaker databases can help avoid these pitfalls and are easily and elegantly sharable.

FileMaker Pro can instantly convert Excel files into functional and modifiable data solutions that allow individuals to sort, search, report, track, link, and summarize information with ease.

FileMaker solutions can be exported back into MS Excel for charting, graphing, and exchanging data with others while maintaining all formatting and formulas. In addition, users can mail merge in Microsoft Word with FileMaker Pro records, display and edit Word documents within FileMaker Pro records, and create large e-mailings to Microsoft Outlook or Entourage.

Whether your team consists of two or 250 people, everyone can have the latest information at their fingertips using the computer on their own desk. The information is stored centrally but everyone can see and change the data. Changes happen instantly so everyone sees any changes as soon as they happen.

You don’t have to worry about your data getting corrupted. FileMaker automatically stops two people from changing the same data at the same time.

FileMaker systems run exactly the same on both Windows and Apple Macintosh computers. You can even have a mixture of Windows and Mac OS computers on the same network sharing the same FileMaker system.

Instant Web Publishing provides direct access to FileMaker databases to search, edit, update, and delete records via a Web browser – without the need for separate Web server software. The built-in Web Companion provides a rich FileMaker Pro experience over the Web, allowing you and your coworkers to quickly and easily collect and share information.

Some additional custom development can add further features to the browser based user.

Support for industry standards such as ODBC, SQL & XML - Customers can share data with users that don’t have FileMaker Pro and exchange data with other applications, solutions, and data sources. By utilizing support for XML and FileMaker software’s general ease of use and powerful data management tools, users can gather, analyze, and share data for use with a virtually limitless number of applications, solutions, and formats.

FileMaker Pro files can also be served to ODBC compliant applications, use FileMaker Pro’s query tool to bring in data from any ODBC compliant source, or simply import/export files from any other standard file formats (Lotus, Text, DBF, DIF, SYLK, etc.).

FileMaker Pro’s QuickTime Graphics import capabilities allow users to access all QuickTime supported cross-platform graphic file formats from JPEG, GIF, to Mov files.

Databases can be developed much quicker and therefore cheaper with FileMaker than other systems. Large corporate IT/IS departments can save huge sums of money by building prototype systems in FileMaker Pro before committing to large-scale developments with applications such as SAP.

Take your database with you on the road and synchronise changes when you return to the office.

 

FileMaker is the top-selling retail desktop database for both Windows and Mac OS. This is not a flash-in-the-pan technology that will have disappeared in six months time. There is a huge customer list and an established support network.