FileMaker Press Release
New FileMaker Pro 8.5 Features Live Web Data on Demand
FileMaker ships 4 new Universal Application products with up to 116% faster performance for FileMaker Server 8.0 v4 and up to 91% faster performance for FileMaker Pro 8.5 on Macintosh Intel computers
As easy as it is to bookmark a web page, a live web page can now be
added to a record in a database using the new Web Viewer Control in
FileMaker Pro 8.5. Data in specified record fields, such as
customer’s address or product name, will drive the URL in the Web
Viewer. Set it up once and there will be a live web link for every
record in the database. Possibilities include street maps based on
a customer address field, shipping status based on a shipment
tracking number and stock performance charts based on a stock
symbol.
“Delivering web data on demand continues our tradition of setting
new standards in the database market,” said Dominique Goupil,
president, FileMaker, Inc. “With the new Web Viewer in FileMaker
Pro 8.5, we are leading the way users will harness Web data. And we
expect to reignite the workgroup database category with this
breakthrough benefit.”
Observes Raymond Boggs, vice president, Small/Medium Business and
Home Office Research, IDC, on the new FileMaker Pro 8.5 Web Viewer:
"The new FileMaker 8.5 version provides the up-to-date information
available through the Internet while still giving customers total
control of the application."
The new product line, which includes FileMaker Pro 8.5, FileMaker
Pro 8.5 Advanced, FileMaker Server 8.0v4 and FileMaker Server 8.0v4
Advanced all feature new Universal Application support and run on
Mac OS X on Intel-based Macs delivering up to 116% faster
performance vs. running on Power PC, based on the company’s
benchmark testing.
The new versions also run on Power PC-based Macs, Windows 2000 and
Windows XP.
Available exclusively within FileMaker Pro 8.5, FileMaker also
introduces the FileMaker Learning Center, a convenient way for
users of all levels to learn FileMaker at their own pace. The
FileMaker Learning Center includes free video tutorials, how-to
guides and many other resources.
FileMaker Pro 8.5 also offers powerful new object functions and
scripting capabilities, features that carry on the company’s
tradition of providing greater productivity for developers and more
intuitive solutions for users.
What beta evaluation customers and database developers are
saying about FileMaker Pro 8.5
“Currently we browse a FileMaker Pro products table for pricing
information, and also a Sharepoint server for detailed information
on the products, such as data sheets and white papers,” says Peter
Davey, Director of Professional Services, Toshiba Business
Solutions (
http://tbsfl.toshiba.com/florida/index.shtml)
,
Tamarac, FL. “With the Web Viewer Control in FileMaker Pro 8.5
we’ll be able to browse this data inline – which will be much more
efficient-- just click on an SKU for a product in the products
table, and immediately browse the inline data sheets!”
“We use FileMaker Pro as a data warehouse for an Executive
Dashboard project that we’re currently developing,” reports John
DeMillion, IT Director, Chester County Intermediate Unit (
http://www.cciu,org
). Chester, PA.
“With the addition of the Web Viewer, we’ll be able to easily
include web-based data in the warehouse for inclusion in the
dashboard. FileMaker Pro 8.5 is a great step forward in the
evolution of the product.”
“We’ve just bought some new Intel Macs, and the performance just
screams,” enthuses Sheila Mixdorf, General Manager, Bulldog
Marketing, Cedar Falls, Iowa (
http://www.bdogm.com/
). “We do a
lot of data manipulation, and FileMaker Pro 8.5 improves
performance in one data load from 45 minutes to 4 minutes.”
"The FileMaker Web Viewer displays visually stunning interactive
charts/graphs, data/analytic models, visual reports. exported as
interactive Flash/PowerPoint/Word/HTML files,” observes Database
Developer William R. Moseid, Model Masters, Murietta, CA.
(
http://fmpsolutions.com
).
"For us, FileMaker’s greatest strength is that it can be so much
more than just a database,” notes Chris Manton, FileMaker database
developer, BabelFix Ltd., (
http://www.babelfix.com/
)
London, United Kingdom. “Application-style solutions can provide a
unified environment combining advanced functionality with complex
linked data. To do this seamlessly, the trick is to do everything
possible within FileMaker, avoiding the need to switch to other
applications. The Web Viewer provides countless new opportunities
for exactly this kind of rich integration – and all so easily
available from right within FileMaker.”
New Web Integration and Productivity Features in FileMaker Pro 8.5
FileMaker Pro 8.5 for Windows and Mac OS X, features many new
capabilities to make databases more productive and “web smart” for
users while providing powerful new ways for developers to better
control database functions.
New features include:
FileMaker Web Viewer Control — This new layout object allows users
to easily connect databases with the critical, up-to-date Web data.
Links are easy to establish: simply enter the web address or point
to a field containing the web address. FileMaker Pro 8.5 also
includes ready-to-use built-in links for many popular web sites,
including Wikipedia and others so that users can add web sites
within their FileMaker Pro 8.5 records.
Users can also create links that will search through web sites and
display information based on data in a database. FileMaker Pro 8.5
offers several ways to learn how to use the new functions:
A Web Viewer Sample Database is included in the product to
demonstrate how to use much of the content listed above.
FileMaker offers the Web Viewer Gallery
(
http://www.filemaker.com/products/fmp/wvg
)
where users can learn more about ways to integrate Web Viewers into
their own solutions from examples created by FileMaker and leading
third-party FileMaker database developers.
In addition to linking to public web sites, the FileMaker Web
Viewer can be used to interact with web-enabled commercial and
custom solutions from within their FileMaker database solution. For
example, a database of sales information could be connected with an
internal web-based solution that displays shipment
information.
Beyond adding URLs, users can view virtually any type of content
in the Web Viewer that can be viewed in a Web browser
including:
• HTML
• PDF
• QuickTime
• Java applets
• Flash
• SVG charts
• PHP charting classes
• Fillable forms
• Word or Excel files (on Windows platforms)
Universal Application – All four new products are Universal, with
native support for next generation Intel-based Macs delivering from
up to 91% faster performance for FileMaker Pro 8.5 and up to 116%
faster performance for FileMaker Server 8.0 v4 compared to running
on Mac Power PCs.
FileMaker Learning Center — A world of information and resources
is now all within one place for FileMaker Pro 8.5 users of all
types and levels of experience. Just one click away within the
FileMaker Pro 8.5 Help menu, users will now have access to
centralized, updated information on FileMaker Pro 8.5 quickly and
easily.
New Object Functions and Scripts — Developers will be more
productive in creating intuitive solutions with new functions, such
as Layout Object Names, Go to Object script steps, Layout Object
calculations, Set Web Viewer script step and List function.
New Chinese Version —FileMaker Pro 8.5 will be available for
purchase in both simplified and traditional Chinese within 90 days.
Versions of FileMaker Pro 8.5 in Dutch, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, and Spanish are also planned to be available for purchase
within the next 30 to 90 days.
Pricing and Availability
All FileMaker Pro 8.5 products are immediately available. Existing
users of FileMaker Pro 8.0 and FileMaker Pro 8.0 Advanced may
upgrade to FileMaker Pro 8.5 for $99 (U.S. suggested list price).
FileMaker Server 8 and FileMaker Server 8 Advanced can get
Universal CDs that support Intel-based Macs for only $49. These CDs
are available for purchase on the FileMaker online web store or by
calling FileMaker customer service.
New users may purchase FileMaker Pro 8.5 for $299 (U.S. suggested
list price) and FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced for $499 (U.S. suggested
list price). FileMaker Server 8 is priced at $999 (U.S. suggested
list price) and FileMaker Server Advanced 8 is $2,499 (U.S.
suggested list price). FileMaker offers license discounts for
volume purchasers as well as for education and non-profit
organizations.
Users running FileMaker Server 8 and FileMaker Server 8 Advanced
on the Windows or PowerPC-based Mac computers, can download the
FileMaker Server 8.0v4 and FileMaker Server 8.0v4 Advanced
compatibility updates from the FileMaker web site. These free
compatibility updates address certain known issues in FileMaker
Server 8 and do not include support for Intel-based Mac computers.
Visit
http://www.filemaker.com/support/downloads/index.html
for more information.
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 (AAPL).
###
Customer contact:
800-325-2747
http://www.filemaker.com
Media contact:
Kevin Mallon
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
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