Category: FileMaker

Through a series of announcements, Claris has revealed a host of new changes for FileMaker and everyone here at Kyo Logic is incredibly excited. For reference, Claris is changing the FileMaker name and bringing everything under the Claris umbrella. While the products remain the same, they now follow this new convention:

• FileMaker Pro is now Claris Pro
• FileMaker Server is now Claris Server
• FileMaker Go is now Claris Go
• Claris Connect is now Claris Studio

Claris wants to create a more cohesive, easier to understand identity. They also promise that this new structure will allow them to offer new and exciting products and tools. It’s also the perfect time for them to change the way customers can purchase these offerings.

Claris Studio (formerly Claris Connect) is Claris’s latest cloud-based platform (also, given the rebrand, get used to seeing the word “Claris” a lot). It provides most of the features of Claris/FileMaker Pro, all accessible from the web. Just as importantly, it makes accessing your platform via a mobile device or tablet much easier than it was in the past.

While FileMaker previously had more complex licensing, Claris Studio streamlines licensing models into a much more straightforward licensing model.  It also allows for the use of exciting, modern interface languages like Mongo (you may not know what it is, but trust us… your tech guys do).

Overall, this is a much more dynamic system that allows for more interactivity, more dynamic and customizable layouts (perfect for anything customer-facing), and offers new, even easier ways to connect to the other tools in your work environment. We’ve always recognized the power of FileMaker, but the new Claris Studio takes things to a whole other level.

If you have questions about what Claris Studio can do for you (or want to know more about how the changes from FileMaker to Claris will work for you), please reach out to us here. We’re happy to walk you through use cases and can even provide a free consultation!

This September, Claris had several new announcements and updates. Of course, we can expect to see developments and news ramp up as Claris continues to build towards their recently announced rebranding and overhauling suite of offerings.  In addition to the typical tweaks and fixes, there are some exciting changes that pave the way for the future of Claris

The Kyo Logic team is incredibly proud to announce the launch of our new website. We’ve worked tirelessly to create a new look and feel that accurately reflects our commitment to cutting-edge technology, intuitive UX/UI, and modern design.

This new, feature-rich redesign includes our recent highlights and case studies, additional information on all of our services and offerings, and exciting developments in the world of Claris and FileMaker. It’s a faster, snappier, and more responsive site… much like Claris is offering up newer, faster versions of FileMaker.

 

Speaking of Claris, they’ve got some very exciting updates in store this year that will positively impact the capabilities of our current and future clients– you can learn more here. We’ll continue to work closely with Claris to maximize the potential of their platforms and services, which translates to us maximizing the potential of the incredible brands we service.

 

We’re launching this site alongside a more modern suite of standalone offerings that give our clients more opportunities to better use FileMaker/Claris in a way that makes sense for them. We want to ensure that we’re taking advantage of everything Claris has to offer and giving our clients ways to maximize these new features and options.

 

Of course, this is all made possible because of our immensely talented team. These individuals have worked tirelessly to help shape the direction of not just the website, but our company as a whole. Both are a collaborative vision that are a testament to our success. And as exciting as all these new updates and developments are, we’re even more excited to show you what we have in store for the future!

 

Please browse our new site, and whether you’re a current or new client, learn more about what we can do to help you and your team. As always, please reach out to us here if you have questions or would like an in-depth consultation.

9/20/2023 – This month, Robert Naud we will take us through an Admin Api demo file published by Soliant, and discuss possible use cases and customization ideas. We will also discuss some things to know about the API itself, especially concerning the authentication, and will look at the available documentation. Meet with us and add yet another tool to your toolbox!

 

1/18/2023 – This month, Oliver Reid will be giving his critically acclaimed “Low Cognitive Load” presentation of MongoDB. Its purpose is to provide an overview of how MongoDB works, which is informative while not diving too far into technical details. As always, please feel free to come with any topics that you would like to discuss or present.

 

12/7/2022 – This month, we will be discussing how to set up a Linux Server for FileMaker and what options are out there for Cloud Hosting. As always, please feel free to come with any topics that you would like to discuss or present.

 

This September, Claris had several new announcements and updates. Of course, we can expect to see developments and news ramp up as Claris continues to build towards their recently announced rebranding and overhauling suite of offerings.  In addition to the typical tweaks and fixes, there are some exciting changes that pave the way for the future of Claris FileMaker. Users can expect more updates in line with this one as Claris continues to roll out their previously announced plans.

Claris’s major announcement is the release of Claris Studio. Part of their new lineup of offerings and naming convention, Claris Studio replaces Claris Connect. It offers the same functionality: insights through charts, reports, and dashboards. 

Claris Studio allows users to run reports, create charts, and more. Data is updated and reflected in real-time across the Claris platform. Features include:

• Dashboard: Claris Studio’s dashboard allows for quick and easy access to a holistic view of your data.
• Forms: Collect and view data.
• Spreadsheets: Aggregate data and sort or filter it by specific parameters.
• List-detail: Organize information into a list, with the ability to view or edit.
• Kanban: Track project progress.

Claris has also promised that users can expect other features and functionality to be added in the future.

Update 19.5.4 is here and it brings several helpful updates. The most notable of these is the in-software news updates.

Highlights include:

• In-product Notifications: Claris can now share the latest news directly in the FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server software. Users can be alerted to new changes and updates as they roll in.
• macOS: The quick start experience is no longer available.
• New Files: FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server can now open files that could not be reopened after modifying the settings in the File Options dialog box with a limited access account.

Other recent updates include:

• • Use a Single Claris ID: A single email and password can be used to log into Claris Pro, Claris Studio, and all other Claris products. It’s a simple but appreciated quality of life change.
  • New File Extension: Apps created with Claris Pro now use the extension “.claris”. Claris server can now host these files.

• Claris Go App: Claris Go will soon be available on the app store for iOS and iPadOS.

Kyo Logic will continue to bring you exciting Filemaker news and updates. If you have any questions about these changes, or you’d like to know how FileMaker can work for your business, you can reach out to us here.

Data storage is a critical component of any modern business. Virtually every piece of information from customer invoices to employee resources is stored digitally. While this makes for incredibly convenient access, it also makes this information susceptible to loss. Corruption may render files inaccessible. Employees may accidentally delete or modify critical files. Malware can infect or steal data. Flooding or fires can even destroy the physical server that stores the data.

Backing up data consistently and following best practices can help mitigate the impact these losses can have on business operations. If you’re using Claris FileMaker, there are also a number of features you can utilize to put these practices into action.

Ensure your data is backed up often. For any number of reasons, from power outages, to floods or fires, to human error, data can be lost. It’s important to have this data backed up elsewhere, in the event that your data server is somehow rendered inaccessible.

Data should be backed up at least every 24 hours. This ensures that, even in the event of a catastrophe, teams will still have access to relatively up-to-date information. Depending on the nature of the industry and how often critical pieces of data are updated, some businesses opt to back their data up more often.

Claris FileMaker can automate this process to help protect data and guarantee timely backups.

Backup data off-site. It’s incredibly important that your primary server and backup server are not in the same location. If a catastrophic event impacts the viability of a server in one location, the other server will not be affected.

Encrypt sensitive data. While accidents can certainly happen, it’s also important to encrypt data. Encryption ensures data cannot be changed or stolen, either by malicious third-parties or employees making accidental changes. Encryption acts as a second layer of protection that ensures the safety of your backups.

FileMaker offers encryption features that make this process seamless.

Utilize security measures. Password protect important data or employ a system where only necessary users have relevant access. This helps prevent attacks from third-parties, but also ensures employees won’t accidentally access information they shouldn’t be able to access.

Claris FileMaker includes the ability to password protect information and grant or deny specific users (or groups of users) access.

Account for endpoints. While your database may act as a single source of truth, it’s also possible that employees out in the field are using their personal devices or company-assigned devices to access your platform. In some instances, namely when reception is poor, the data updated on these devices may not reflect in real time. Backing up individual devices can help to create a more robust and accurate backup.

If you’re looking for ways to back up data or want to know more about FileMaker, Kyo Logic is here to help. You can reach out to us here.

After building a custom platform, it needs to be hosted somewhere. That is, all that information needs a place to “live” so it can be accessed through the web. Claris offers its own hosting solution for FileMaker called Claris Server. It’s a fantastic option for FileMaker-based platforms specifically because it integrates so seamlessly into the rest of the FileMaker ecosystem. However, there are other options available that offer their own advantages and disadvantages.

Note that there is another option: businesses can choose to host the content themselves. This typically requires dedicated employees, purchasing servers, and having space to store them. Going with a third-party option is generally more cost-effective and streamlined. Businesses may opt to use one of these hosting solutions if they’re already paying to have these companies host their website or other data.

Amazon Web Services. Amazon offers hosting services that support a wide variety of platforms. AWS is scalable and offers very flexible pricing options. AWS offers a range of services, and their databases can host FileMaker. AWS also gives subscribers a considerable degree of control over their usage. Additional servers can be up and running within minutes, if needed. AWS works with both relational databases and NoSQL.

Microsoft Azure. Microsoft offers a similar cloud solution with features that closely parallel AWS. Their databases also support NoSQL and relational databases. However, they do tend to be more expensive than AWS. 

Google Cloud Databases. Google also offers hosting. However, it is only available as a cloud platform. Cloud hosting is easy-to-use, scalable, and nimble. However, because your information is only available in the cloud it is susceptible to data loss, data leakage, or even theft. Connection issues or outages could render your information inaccessible.

IBM Cloud. IBM provides database solutions that support PostgreSQL and MySQL. However, like Google, these offerings are cloud only.

FileMaker Server. For businesses utilizing FileMaker, FileMaker Server is truly the best option. It offers out of the box compatibility with FileMaker. It allows clients to open FileMaker files. Data can easily be shared with FileMaker databases and websites or other touchpoints.

Kyo Logic offers hosting solutions, and we’d be happy to walk you through these options and more. You can reach out to us here for a free consultation.

Claris FileMaker Pro and Zoho are both popular database solutions. If you’re shopping around for a database that works well for your business, deciding between the two may feel overwhelming, or even confusing. But, there are several important differences between the two, and knowing these differences may help make your decision easier.

Zoho

Zoho CRM’s Creator Tools are a low-code development platform designed for drag and drop application building. It comes with over 60 applications prebuilt, making it easy for those with no knowledge to snap something together (relatively) easy.

This accessibility translates to its entry fees. Zoho has a free trial that’s fairly limited: it only allows for a maximum of two users and three applications. However, it does allow small businesses to take it for a “test drive” at no cost. 

It also allows for slightly more flexibility in terms of pricing. Although it’s cost for individual users is more expensive ($25 per month per user for Zoho vs $19 per month per user for FileMaker Cloud), Zoho allows for single person accounts. FileMaker Cloud requires 5 users at minimum.

Zoho offers unlimited users which (pricing notwithstanding) makes scalability easy as businesses grow.

Zoho offers one major thing FileMaker does not: native Android support. There’s a Zoho app for both Apple and Android devices, making it easy to access regardless of the device employees are using. While Android users can use FileMaker, they have to do it via FileMaker’s web tool, WebDirect (as opposed to an application).

Claris FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro is also a database solution, this one a RDBMS (relational database management system) with its own front-end GUI. Frankly, it may not be as simple out-of-the-box as Zoho. Zoho prioritizes making things as easy as possible, while FileMaker can be incredibly powerful in the hands of the right developer. It may not be as intuitive for the average person, but virtually any database solution is possible through FileMaker.

Claris Connect also allows FileMaker Pro to interface with virtually any existing application. If your team already uses Outlook or Slack (or any other number of software), FileMaker Pro can easily communicate with them. It effectively slots into your existing infrastructure. It’s that simple.

That flexibility and simplicity can also be found in FileMaker’s reporting features. FileMaker Pro automatically creates table, list, and form views as databases and forms are added. Scripting and customization can all be done within the GUI with very limited coding knowledge.

FileMaker Pro also allows for scalability. The platform itself allows for nine simultaneous users, which at first glance, isn’t many. But FileMaker Server means that you can rent out servers as you grow, for hundreds of consecutive users accessing the database.

It should be no surprise that FileMaker Pro’s security measures are equally as flexible. Administrators can restrict users down to the most granular level, so departments or individual employees can access some databases, layouts, or fields and not others.

Conclusion

Zoho is a great alternative for smaller businesses and those who have no experience with building out low-code and no-code platforms. For small businesses that anticipate fewer than 4 users, it may even be cheaper.

Of course, Zoho doesn’t scale as well from a pricing perspective. FileMaker’s minimum of 5 users at $19 per month is  a total of $95. That’s already $5 less than 4 users on Zoho. As the number of users increases, so too will the pricing disparity.

While Zoho can be great (especially for smaller businesses), FileMaker Pro offers better pricing and potentially more flexibility and options in the long-term. This is especially true in the hands of a capable development team. If you want to learn more about developing custom platforms for your business, you can contact Kyo Logic here.