New FileMaker 7 Line Boasts New Architecture, Enhanced Relational Database Power
More than 100 new features make FileMaker Pro 7 easier-to-use, more customizable
Santa Clara, CA., March 9, 2004 -- FileMaker today announced the immediate availability of FileMaker Pro 7 (http://www.store.filemaker.com/), the most significant new version of FileMaker Pro ever, with breakthroughs in ease-of-use, customizability and developer productivity.
The company also unveiled the new FileMaker Pro 7 product line: FileMaker Developer 7 (now shipping); FileMaker Server 7; FileMaker Server 7 Advanced and FileMaker Mobile 7 (all planned to ship in early summer).
FileMaker Pro 7 lets users import, store and export any file or document ; PDFs, Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, digital images, video, music and more – within new, flexible Container fields. Also new is the ability to open multiple windows in the same database to give users faster and simultaneous access to different views of their information.
FileMaker Pro 7, for Windows and Mac OS X, has been redesigned using a modern, streamlined relational architecture, which enables users to simplify information management by storing multiple tables within a single file. The new Relationships Graph presents a visual "map" of the database and lets users create and modify relationships with a simple click and drag tool. To keep pace with rich-media management and other sophisticated solutions, FileMaker Pro 7 dramatically expands its data capacity to 8 terabytes per file or 4,000 times the old limit.
"For the individual up to large workgroups, the best database software just got better," said Dominique Goupil, president of FileMaker, Inc. "Our new FileMaker 7 line combines ease-of-use breakthroughs, such as the ability to store and share any file, with powerful new features. No other product line puts such flexibility in the hands of everyday users, letting them dramatically increase the productivity of themselves and their team."
New Advanced Security, Web Publishing, and More
Among its many advances, FileMaker Pro 7 delivers these new features to appeal to everyone:
Import, store and export more types of files including pictures, movies, music, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, and more. Easily create a digital library of documents, music and pictures, store proposals within client records, or link schedule files directly to a student.
Get faster access to information by opening multiple windows in the same database at the same time. For example, you can access a customer's record in one window and open another to view information for a different customer at the same time.
Dramatically increase database capacity with an expanded database size (8 terabytes) that is 4,000 times the old limit. Store virtually unlimited amounts of any type of information, including movies, pictures, and more.
Produce easier to read, more informative reports with calculation-based formatting, new background options, and new portal options.
Ensure more accurate data entry and safer updates with the option to confirm record and layout changes before they are saved.
Learn new database techniques from 30 ready-to-use, customizable Starter Solutions that provide a great resource for new ideas.
Extend richer solutions to the web so remote users can access your database through their web browser in a more intuitive interface.
In addition, FileMaker Pro 7 delivers power and productivity for developers and advanced users:
Manage databases faster and easier with the new relational model that allows for the consolidation of multiple tables into one file so they no longer have to be stored in multiple locations—even share scripts and security settings for an entire solution.
More easily create and modify links between data through the new Relationships Graph for a bird's eye view of all the relationships within a given file.
Develop and enhance more powerful databases with new developer features, functions, and calculations with a choice of over 100 new and enhanced developer features.
Data protection using the new, advanced security system by securing your database with accounts names and passwords and assigning custom privileges to each user or group of users.
Early Evaluator Customers, Developers Praise FileMaker Pro 7
"The biggest advantage in using FileMaker Pro is its flexibility, and I think FileMaker Pro 7 is a quantum leap forward, says Jim Randall, Database Developer, Industrial Light and Magic, San Rafael, Ca. "I'm especially excited about being able to work with multiple tables in a single file, and the ability to use one script to manipulate multiple tables," he adds. "And I'm especially happy to see that in FileMaker Pro 7 the 'one table away' problem has been solved -- you can now write to a 'related table' and to 'related table's-related table'. From what I've seen, FileMaker Pro 7 is a whole new ballgame. Speaking as a developer, I think FileMaker Pro 7 will save me uncountable hours of development time."
"My designs will be more streamlined and therefore the final products will be more elegant and require less overhead," states Michael Kern, IT Support Specialist, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. "The Relationships Graph is great," he enthuses. "I've used FileMaker Pro 7's new relational features to cut down – way down -- on all my relationships. Before, I had upwards of 20, 30, or even 50 relationships in some files, and similar ones in other files pointing the other way. Now I have a single file with multiple tables and a much smaller set of relationships. And with tables residing in one file and relationships working in both ways, there's no more need to open and close and switch and open and close."
"With version 7, FileMaker is the most effective database tool for desktop and workgroup use and the most significant release in the history of the product. "We expect that many users who have developed systems in other tools like Microsoft Access would be well served to migrate their solutions to FileMaker," said Rich Coulombre, President and Founder , The Support Group, Inc (http://www.supportgroup.com ), a leading FileMaker developer /trainer with offices in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Other New FileMaker 7 Products
Available now, FileMaker Developer 7 is an enhanced version of FileMaker Pro 7 with integrated developer tools and utilities to help build better databases faster. New custom functions and file maintenance tools, and enhancements to the Database Design Report, script debugger, and customization options, give advanced users and developers the ability to streamline database development and maintenance.
FileMaker Server 7 is high-performance server software that efficiently manages shared database solutions. FileMaker Server 7 will feature a significantly remodeled server architecture that can host millions of data tables and leverage high-performance hard disk storage systems and multi-CPU servers (Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, Windows 2000, and Windows 2003 Server). FileMaker Server 7 will allow users to protect their data with industry standard security features, such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer), and perform live backups of data without interruption to other users. Administrators can leverage existing user accounts with external authentication based on Active Directory or Open Directory. FileMaker plans to provide a preview of the product this spring.
FileMaker Server 7 Advanced, which will replace FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited, is an enhanced version of FileMaker Server 7 that includes advanced web publishing and connectivity options to efficiently manage shared solutions from desktop to web. FileMaker Server 7 Advanced will support up to 250 FileMaker Pro connections and 100 Web connections. A standards-based web server application, it will allow FileMaker users to instantly publish fully interactive solutions to the web, or build custom web sites with XML and XSLT. Advanced Server 7 also supports ODBC and JDBC so other applications can share FileMaker data or take advantage of other data reporting tools, such as Crystal Reports.
FileMaker Mobile 7 is a companion version of FileMaker designed specifically for Palm OS and Pocket PC (support for Palm OS 5 and Windows Mobile 2003) handhelds that lets users take their information on the road. New within FileMaker Mobile 7 is support for FileMaker Pro based runtime applications and the ability to synchronize multiple devices to the desktop database. Users may also run scripts within FileMaker Pro before and after synchronization, all of which allows for a wide variety of powerful solutions within both business and education settings.
Pricing and Availability
FileMaker Pro 7 is available now at $299/$149 upgrade (U.S. suggested list price). FileMaker Developer 7 is also available now at $499/$399 after $100 upgrade rebate (U.S., SLP). FileMaker Server 7, priced at $999/$499 upgrade (U.S. SLP) and Server 7 Advanced, priced at $2,499/ $1,499 upgrade (U.S. SLP) are planned to ship in early summer. FileMaker Mobile 7, priced at $69/$35 upgrade (U.S. SLP) is also planned for shipment in early summer. FileMaker plans to ship FileMaker Pro 7-compatible versions of its Applications, with Tasks and Meetings planned by May, and Donations and Recruiter planned for summer.
FileMaker Extends Upgrade Program for 2.1 to 5.x users
FileMaker also announced today it is offering owners of early versions of FileMaker an extended upgrade program. For a limited time – until September 17, 2004 – licensed owners of FileMaker Pro 2.1, 3.0, 4.x and 5.x may upgrade to FileMaker Pro 7 at the same low upgrade price that FileMaker 6 owners are eligible for -- US $149, a 50 percent savings off the regular purchase price. After September 17, 2004, only licensed owners of FileMaker Pro 6 will be eligible for the US $149 upgrade price.
About FileMaker, Inc.
FileMaker Pro is used by millions of individuals and workgroups around the world to be more productive and efficient. Business, education and government customers rely on FileMaker to manage people, projects, images, assets and other information. In addition to being the number one-selling easy-to-use database software, the award-winning FileMaker product line also includes low-cost Applications that automate basic business tasks, ready-to-use Starter Solutions, and tools to create and share solutions from the desktop to the web. FileMaker, Inc. is a subsidiary of Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL).
Customer contact: 800-325-2747
http://www.filemaker.com.