Architosh Staff ([email protected])

27 Feb 2002

 

New FileMaker Website, resources and Mobile 2.0 news

FileMaker Inc. has a brand new Web site. The database maker continues to grow and is extending its reach into "enterprise-level" territory and wireless device markets. This is good news for fans of the ease-to-use but powerful relational database software.

New FileMaker Mobile 2.0

If you own a Palm OS-based PDA, cell phone, or wireless device and you currently use FileMaker Pro you are going to love the improvements to FileMaker Mobile in version 2.0.

Currently FileMaker Mobile 1.0 is a sweet first version product. But the product has some limitations that you would think shouldn't be there. However, let's start with what is great even with version 1.

If you have used a FileMaker database before then you know that the way you view your data is only limited by your skills and imagination in creating different "Layouts". In FileMaker you completely control the way data is presented to you by graphically laying out the data fields which hold your data. If you use graphics or CAD software this skill is something you already possess.

With the Palm OS-based FileMaker Mobile software FileMaker takes care of the viewing part of your data, so you don't have to worry about constructing Layouts for a tiny screen. That could be challenging for many users. Instead FM Mobile 1.0 does it automatically and constructs a "Lists" view and a "Detail" view to allow you to work with each database record. You choose only the data fields you want to bring over to FM Mobile.

What FileMaker Mobile 2.0 does great is provide Popup Menus and PopUp list, something missing in version 1. This greatly speeds up completing or altering new records on a Palm device. Similarly there is a new Check Box capability as well. What takes the cake however is the new Date and Time Pickers -- something that should come over to the desktop version of FileMaker. Now you can quickly pick dates and times on a popup calendar and time dialog. Nice!

Another great feature is the ability to reorder columns in List view, resize those columns and Sony jog dial support. And this jog dial support will work with the HandSpring Treo as well.

Enterprises Using FileMaker Pro

FileMaker is continuing to land large enterprise customers and thanks to promising wireless, hybrid communication products like HandSpring's Treo, and Palm's i705, the future looks bright for FileMaker in the wireless market. Below are some of the larger FileMaker customers we think you will know of:

NASA

Adobe

Dun & Bradstreet

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Bank of America

The Salk Institute

UCLA

US West

United Airlines

United States Senate (US Gov.)

To see a complete list of some major FileMaker customers go here.

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