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How FileMaker Database Keeps Up-to-Date in the Mobile Era
The company aims to improve on FileMaker 15's success by adding mobility features, enhancing the platform's security and improving system-wide performance.
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The Same Basic FileMaker Database
FileMaker 15 comes with some nice enhancements, but it's still the same database application. FileMaker 15 is designed to allow companies to create custom database apps that can handle tasks, keep track of inventory and much more. FileMaker 15 is a major, under-the-hood upgrade, but it's not a groundbreaking one that will dramatically change how users employ the platform.
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FileMaker Has Added Touch ID Support
So, what has FileMaker 15 added? One of the key additions is Touch ID support. Those who create mobile apps for the iPhone or iPad can now use Touch ID as a security feature before users can get into apps. It's an important security add-on—a common theme in FileMaker 15.
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The Addition of 3D Touch Is Important
Although it took a bit longer for FileMaker to get Touch ID, the platform gained access to 3D Touch support rather quickly. With 3D Touch support now enabled, users can vary how hard they press down on the screen and have the software respond accordingly. It's an increasingly popular feature in Apple's mobile products and suggests Apple has committed to it well into the future.
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FileMaker Talks Up Automation and Integration
Developers will be happy to hear that FileMaker 15 now comes with in-product updates, as well as support for multiple undo (yes, it's taken this long to get that feature). In addition, FileMaker has added several new external SQL data sources, including IBM DB2.
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Starter Solutions Helps Users Get Down to the Basics
FileMaker unveiled a new offering in FileMaker 15 called Starter Solutions. Designed for basic needs, Starter Solutions is designed solely to help users manage contacts, content, inventory or tasks. The service appears to be a great way to get into FileMaker 15.
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Some Much-Needed Security Enhancements
FileMaker 15 adds some welcome security enhancements to the platform, including a new edit box that will conceal information users might not want displayed on their screens. FileMaker 15 now notifies developers when a user tries to connect to a FileMaker host or Website without a valid security certificate.
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FileMaker Server Now Supports SSL Certificates
It's important to note that FileMaker Server has received a much-needed (and long-sought-after) security improvement—support for SSL certificates. According to FileMaker, its Server version supports nine different certificate vendors and works with intermediate, SAN and wildcard certificates.
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Some Performance Improvements
There are some performance and productivity enhancements in FileMaker 15, the company says. Developers will now have a better log to identify performance bottlenecks in their programs and eliminate them. In addition, while building applications, developers will be able to filter and sort data while working on other operations, potentially speeding up development time.
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FileMaker 15 Is More Team-Friendly
FileMaker 15 comes with a new licensing model that will actually make it easier for development teams to work with the database. According to the company, teams of five or more individuals will be able to license the software far more easily and access the software, FileMaker Go, and FileMaker WebDirect, simultaneously. That will enable developers to test features and communicate in real-time, once again creating a better service to companies.
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The Same, Old Platform Support
FileMaker 15 supports the same platforms of old, including Mac OS X and Windows, along with iOS. FileMaker 15 also works on the Internet, where technically, the app could be accessible from other platforms. But getting the platform to work on Android requires jumping through some hoops.
Apple subsidiary FileMaker announced on May 10 the launch of FileMaker 15, the latest edition of a database application development platform that has been available since the early 1980s. While FileMaker hasn't been the most popular way to develop apps, it has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, thanks to the iPhone and iPad. In fact, the company's FileMaker Go has been downloaded more than 2 million times on Apple's mobile products. The service's support for Apple's iPhone and iPad has also helped swell the total number of "delivered" software copies to 24 million and for FileMaker to notch more than 1,200 business alliances. With FileMaker 15, the company is hoping to improve on its recent success by adding mobility features, enhancing the platform's security and improving system-wide performance. Simply put, FileMaker seems intent on enhancing the features that have helped it hang on in the industry for so long. Flip through the following slides to find out more about what's new and old in FileMaker 15.
- eWeek