Cytek Media Systems, an audio/visual company that specializes in designing, installing and integrating systems for education and government markets, uses FileMaker Pro software to track repairs, rentals, equipment barcodes, orders and installations as well as all customer communications.

Cytek Media Systems is an audio/visual company that specializes in designing, installing and integrating systems for education and government markets. The company has a network of salespeople in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as a rental and service department.

Cytek uses FileMaker Pro software to track repairs, rentals, equipment barcodes, orders and installations. This also includes managing all customer communications, contracts, equipment settings, repairs and on–site support.

The company is currently rolling out a new FileMaker Pro database that will dramatically reduce information entry and allow salespeople to collaborate over the Internet. It is designed to enable salespeople to go straight from customer quotes to orders while entering data just once.

"Ease of use and cross–platform capabilities are the main reasons our company uses FileMaker Pro," says Alan Apel, training and sales support manager for Cytek Media Systems. "Adding to the benefits, we are starting to collaborate over the Internet and FileMaker Pro is the ideal solution."

The company is enthusiastic about the new features of FileMaker Pro 11. "The Inspector is one the best new features of FileMaker Pro 11," says Apel. "Being able to tap into all the layout properties in one spot that previously required several different dialog boxes is fantastic. No more remembering shortcuts or finding the right pull–down menu–the Inspector consolidates everything into one convenient place. What a great time saver!"

Adds Apel, "The charting and Quick Find features will be used here day in and day out. The Quick Find feature, in particular, makes searches so much easier. One–stop search is a great idea. When showing staff how to find something in FileMaker Pro 11, it is now 11 times faster with Quick Find."

Apel has been working with FileMaker Pro since 1985 and has seen the program progress to the current version. "With each version, FileMaker adds a lot of new features. Typically, this leads to complexity," says Apel. "But FileMaker has the unique ability to add powerful new features and make FileMaker Pro less complex at the same time — that's rare in the software industry."

One–stop search is a great idea. When showing staff how to find something in FileMaker Pro 11, it is now 11 times faster with Quick Find."

One–stop search is a great idea. When showing staff how to find something in FileMaker Pro 11, it is now 11 times faster with Quick Find.

— Alan Apel, Training and Sales Support Manager, Cytek Media Systems