Author: Justin Hesser

At Kyo Logic, we believe gaining a better understanding of our customers and how they manage data will ultimately lead to improved services and make us better at what we do. That's why we recently issued a survey that asked people their views about using shared databases at work.

As proponents of FileMaker development and its benefits, we were curious as to who uses FileMaker in their everyday work and how it compares to other systems that they use.

The overall purpose of this survey is to launch an on-going effort to understand what is most important when using databases in the work place. This research will tell us about FileMaker as well as many other systems found in offices today. As creators of custom database software systems, we want to make sure that we are focusing on the features and benefits that users find most valuable.

Many of our questions centered around our users, because it gives us a better sense of how FileMaker-based platforms are used. We want to know the industries our customers reside in and the size of their respective companies. We want to know which types of jobs our recipients have and how FileMaker helps them with their various daily tasks. Additionally, we want to know how their needs change as the size of their business changes.

We are also curious about the user experience. We want to know how easy their systems are to operate, which issues they encounter, how they collaborate and share information, and how they feel about the look of their interface. Understanding different types of people's preferences allow us to get a better sense of the interfaces they use and prefer.

One of the things that Kyo Logic prides itself on is the fact that we are constantly trying to learn more about our business and customers. For us, creating a survey wasn't just about finding out about a few users' preferences, but also opening a dialogue with people so that we can learn and innovate. This information will ultimately help Kyo Logic not only promote the advantages of custom software development, but also formulate strategies geared towards making our systems better overall for users.

Kyo Logic is always expanding and this summer we are opening an office right in the heart of Boston's financial district. This office will allow us to work closely with clients in the area and improve our relationship with all Boston-based customers.

President John Mathewson recently gave a statement regarding the move, expressing his optimism pertaining to its potential.

"We are thrilled to open our new Boston office to support our clients in the Boston metro area," he said. "We see Boston as a bright future for us and look forward to becoming more active in the Massachusetts software development community."

Boston's involvement in major industries such as healthcare, finance and business technology means that numerous local organizations have extensive data needs. Boston is home to some of the world's best medical facilities, financial firms and technology providers, but without proper resources to effectively manage pertinent information, many of these companies would not be able to live up to their potential.

That's why Kyo Logic has taken such a keen interest in the Bay State's capital. There are a number of prestigious colleges and universities in the area, so we know there are extremely smart people working throughout the city with a willingness to learn. This is why we have taken the opportunity to work with a number of local industry professionals and developers to improve the way they manage information. As FileMaker development continues to emerge as an ideal solution for creating custom database software solutions, we have spent a considerable amount of time working with Bostonians to enhance their FileMaker skills.

Now it will be even easier to do so. 

Our office will be at:

60 State Street
Suite 700
Boston, Massachusetts 02109

The benefits of big data are felt across the corporate landscape, but the nature of processing large quantities of information should, in theory, have the biggest positive impact on marketers. However, not enough professionals in the industry are taking advantage of it.

According to a study conducted by digital marketing technology company Silverpop Systems, only 45 percent of marketers are collecting behavioral data and using it to refine their marketing strategies. Considering the numerous benefits this type of information has to offer and the myriad ways marketers have access to it—through social media, for example—there is no real excuse as to why information isn’t being used to improve marketing efforts unless they lack adequate software to manage their data.

The advent of the information age has given businesses numerous new ways to connect with customers and, more importantly, monitor their behavior. Because of this, information flows from the consumer to the organization at a rapid pace. So if the collection of data isn’t the problem, the reason why over half of the marketing industry doesn’t capitalize on this valuable data must be their inability to properly process it within the organization.

A custom database software system is an ideal solution because it can allow companies to properly organize a data management strategy. This system can give users a real-time view of their information, which ultimately allows them to make smart decisions based on its merits. Developing a system in FileMaker can give companies a flexible solutions that properly fits all of their needs.

In the Information Age, the general thought has been that initiating a big data strategy is the be-all and end-all component of a successful business plan. The ability to collect large volumes of information allows companies to successfully improve the way they manage internal operations and interact with customers. However, it doesn’t exactly work like that.

An article in The Canadian recently examined a number of popular misconceptions about big data, one of them being that big data itself was a miracle worker. That’s not entirely true. An unnamed executive spoke with the news source about the important aspects pertaining to big data management, explaining that the way information is analyzed is much more important than simply possessing the ability to collect data.

“You must have technology and mathematical models,” he said. “That is, the biggest difference is in the analysis of [this] data.”

Simply put, if businesses lack adequate technology or other resources required to process and manage their information, they will fail to find success from their big data efforts. Organizations today can easily absorb tremendous volumes of data with very little effort. Advantages are gained based on what companies do with that particular information.

Having the best solutions in place to monitor data, store it and analyze its value and meaning is what will set a business apart from its competitors. FileMaker development can help. Using the platform to build a scalable custom database software system will allow organizations to accurately report on their information by viewing it in real time. This is what will truly assist companies with their big data initiatives.

The growth of big data has been spurred by a need for faster, more efficient operations that allow companies to better service their customers. So it's no surprise that big data has become such a hot topic in the travel industry.

Think of the pains you typically encounter when you travel. The long lines at the airport, the confusing nature of the baggage claim process and, once you finally get to their destination, simply checking into your hotel can be a hassle. Most people find the amount of time it takes to get from their homes to their destinations unnecessarily long. However, in today's age where security is of the utmost importance, the long wait comes with the territory.

Not all organizations are willing to accept this, which is why many are incorporating big data into their strategies as a way to alleviate some of the common travel pains.  

A recent study conducted by Harvard Business School professor Thomas H. Davenport gives credence to this trend. The results indicate that numerous organizations associated with travel are using social information among other valuable pieces of data to improve efficiency and decision making. Davenport said in a statement that this is a great opportunity for these companies.

"The travel industry stands at a big data crossroads today, with new technologies and techniques offering the potential to translate increasing volumes of data into higher profits and more efficient operations," he said. "Some leading companies are pioneering the use of big data and already seeing a huge impact. Airlines, airports, hotels, rail companies and travel sellers need to ask themselves if they have a big data strategy in place, and if it will allow them to be at the forefront of this opportunity."

Companies in the industry can improve their big data operations by building a custom database software system designed to collect, store and report on pertinent information.

We may be three years away from election season, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start thinking about the next President of the United States. More importantly, it's a good time to think about how the election will be covered, analyzed, predicted and ultimately won. Now more than ever, big data analytics will be a driving force behind elections . 

During the 2008 and 2012 elections , Nate Silver became a household name due to his ability to predict the outcome of the Presidential election with incredible accuracy. The professional statistician used a number of big data formulas to correctly project how each state would vote en route to Barack Obama's victory. While data played a massive role on the media side of the election, the politicians themselves were implementing their own strategies to gain an edge over their opponent.

In 2008, President Obama was praised for his innovative use of social media to fuel his campaign efforts. It helped him reach a new demographic of voters and some analysts say it may have proved to be the difference in the election. In 2012, Obama took his social media strategy to a new level, according to a report from All Things D, by implementing a big data strategy based off of his social information.

Now the news source is predicting that social media and big data strategies will become standard procedure for all candidates, and that the 2016 election could be won by whoever best leverages information. Gurbaksh Chahal, the CEO of intelligent advertising firm RadiumOne and author of the article, suggests that this is the same approach modern marketers take and that campaign managers and other political professionals who successfully emulate that tactic will, more often than not, ultimately represent the winning candidate.

"Social data is fundamentally changing how advertisers approach the art of marketing," he writes. "Now, we can track pretty much anything online—our campaign decisions are influenced by factors that extend far beyond the impression and conversion metrics that permeated the ad industry just five years ago. This data-centric shift in advertising has enabled political parties to hone campaign approaches toward predicting outcomes and undeniably, it is this elegant blend of social data, big data, and targeting that will determine the 2016 commander-in-chief."

These methods will likely become more refined as they become more popular. As more politicians, in addition to a greater number of marketers, see the results of these actions, it's likely that these strategies will only increase in popularity.

Of course, it should be noted that organizations and individuals that lack sufficient means to collect, manage and report on their data will not be as successful with this effort. The key to success in any big data strategy is the ability to effectively view information in real time. Politicians who are able to use a custom database software system to extract pertinent data from social media and other sources and use it as part of their campaign strategies will be more successful on election day. The same concept, when followed by marketers, can help companies improve their sales figures and overall profitability.

FileMaker development is an ideal way to make the best possible database systems for information management.

On July 17, our own Tim Neudecker will be presenting a live webinar as part of FM Academy. As proud members of the academy, this is one of the several webinars we host each year. The theme of this event will be protecting users and data in the cloud.

As businesses continue to shift from standard information management and storage systems to more innovative solutions like cloud computing, the need to enhance data security has grown drastically. The benefits of hosting and using applications in the cloud are plentiful, but the potential of this system won't be realized if it is compromised by security risks. That's why it's crucial for cloud users to understand best practices pertaining to the security of information processed and stored in the cloud.

This webinar will explore exactly that, as well as the role FileMaker can play in protecting information. Some of the key areas Tim will discuss include how to limit access to various components of a cloud application and mitigate the risk of unauthorized users viewing sensitive data, as well as the best way to ensure the integrity of company information stays in tact. 

FileMaker Pro Developers and FileMaker Server Administrators are both encouraged to attend this event. We'll cover the various roles both sides can play in building business applications and managing them in a safe cloud environment. As time goes on, the cloud will only become a bigger part of business information infrastructure, so now is the best time to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to safely operate in this virtual environment. By learning these skills and applying them to application development and management practices, companies will be able to maximize the potential of their solutions.

The webinar, titled 'Protecting your Users and Data in the Cloud' will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2013 from 3-4 PM Eastern Standard time.         

Interested parties can register on this page. A confirmation will be sent to all registered parties after the process is complete. Please remember that access to the webinar will require specific system specs, depending on the platform used to logon.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet
Space is limited.  Click here to sign up.

The key to any successful company is the ability to provide customers with exactly what they are looking for. However, the only way an organization can actually do this is if it know what its customers want. Modern technology has increased communication between customers and the organizations they do business with, so it's up to the companies themselves to pay close attention to the nature of those conversations and use that information to shape their marketing campaigns.

Many discussions that traditionally took place in-person or on the phone have migrated to a digital format. Today, social media interaction allows consumers to quickly receive answers to their questions, and those inquiries give organizations valuable information which they can later use to fuel their engagement initiatives. 

Recently, this blog discussed the ways organizations can use data to try and cater to each specific customer. That can be done my using information pertaining to individual needs. When companies have a full grasp of their big data strategies, the possibilities are endless. 

An article in the online publication Pando Daily addressed this very issue. Veeral Rathod, the article's author, used a clothing retailer to exemplify the power of this practice.

"Let's say 65 percent of women who try on a size 6 end up buying a size smaller or taking in certain seams when shopping a particular brand," Rathod wrote. "Instead of relying on sales representatives to guide customers to 'size down,' vertically integrated retailers can take that insight and use it to adapt sizing and fit patterns to make it easier for customers to find the best fit the first time. Most importantly, the feedback loop is short enough that it becomes possible to make the change before certain expectations become ingrained among customers."

While acquiring full control of customer information is invaluable, doing so requires a tremendous amount of effort. That effort can be assisted, however, with the right software solutions. Using FileMaker development to create a system designed to better manage data will be a major help.

A custom database software system can be used to quickly enter all bits of information gleaned from online conversations with customers. Taking that data and creating custom reports from the system can give companies an idea of how to adjust their current operations. With the right data collection techniques combined with the best data management software, businesses can go a long way toward ensuring the success of this initiative. 

Kyo Logic will be attending this year’s FileMaker Developer Conference (DevCon). Here is session highlight.

Script Triggers, Workflow, and the User Experience
Presenter:   Thomas Kunetz (FileMaker, INC.)
Time:          Tues. August 13, 2013 3:45 pm
Track:         Design
Skill Level:   Intermediate

One of the most powerful paradigms in software development is event-driven programming; that is, a program that responds to events generated by the user or the host system, rather than relying on the user to complete a specific set of predefined steps to complete a given task. Script Triggers bring event-driven programming to the FileMaker Platform. Script Triggers execute scripts in response to user generated events such as entering fields or modifying values, and system events such as the first or last window opening or closing, or the passage of time.

This session explores the events that can be used to trigger script execution, and whether the event will trigger a script before or after the FileMaker application performs its own actions in response to the same event. The session will demonstrate how Script Triggers can implement a workflow in response to user interaction and help create a more pleasant and natural user experience. Finally, the session will look at techniques for debugging and troubleshooting event-driven scripts.

What you will learn:

• Script triggers and the events that trigger them
• When to use script triggers, or not
• Using script triggers to build solid workflow and a better user experience
• Debugging and troubleshooting an event-driven workflow

Highlighting another great session from this year’s FileMaker Developer Conference (DevCon).

FileMaker Go Year in Review
Presenter:   Matt Navarre (MSN Media)
Time:          Tues. August 13, 2013 10:45 am
Track:         FileMaker Go
Skill Level:   Beginner

Showing top 10 examples from a wide range of solutions that happened this year with FileMaker Go.

What you will learn:

• FileMaker Go where you expect it: business, medical, and in the field
• FileMaker Go where you didn’t expect it
• Sync, Server or Single User? Some great examples of each
• Which is the best approach – Simple or Powerful?