FileMaker, Inc. (http://www.filemaker.com) has released the FileMaker 12 database software line. The line features new themes and Starter Solutions, iPad, iPhone and desktop design tools, and more. FileMaker Pro 12 Advanced adds additional development and management tools.
The FileMaker Go 12 for iPad and iPhone apps are available free on the Apple Appl Store. The free download of FileMaker Go 12 makes it amazingly easy for everyone to run iOS database apps created by FileMaker Pro 12, according to Ryan Rosenberg, vice president, marketing and services, FileMaker, Inc.
The new 64-bit versions of FileMaker Server 12 and FileMaker 12 Server Advanced improve performance on wide area networks, enhance support for large databases, and add fast file and multimedia-content streaming. Design features boost usability on iPad, iPhone and desktop.
Sixteeen new Starter Solutions speed creation of databases for managing contacts, projects, digital content, inventory and more essential business tasks. Starter solutions include ready-to-use screens optimized for iPad and iPhone.
Users can instantly change the look of solutions with 40 new professionally designed themes. Themes can be used with the Starter Solutions or applied to existing databases for a new look. Special touch themes are tailored for iPad and iPhone with fonts, colors, buttons and other iOS design elements.
Users can rely entirely on the included themes, or can customize every detail with new design tools such as gradients, image slicing, dynamic alignment guides, and configurable grids. Custom screen stencils lets you arrange information for iPad and iPhone screens.
FileMaker Pro 12 also features new Quick Charts to create on-the-fly graphs, and five new chart styles: bubble, scatter, positive/negative, stacked bar and stacked column charts. Enhanced container fields support drag ‘n drop to store many file types such as PDFs, video, photos, audio, and documents. Files can be stored in the database or linked. Managing linked files just got easier as FileMaker 12 now automatically organizes files on disk and can even encrypt them for extra security, according to Rosenberg.
Access to large files is faster as FileMaker 12 will now automatically generate thumbnails, and, when using FileMaker Server, will stream media files to connected clients. When running on the iPad or iPhone users can now record video and audio directly into container fields, and can stream out content using AirPlay.
The new 64-bit versions of FileMaker Server 12 and FileMaker Server 12 Advanced are built for speed and productivity, according to Rosenberg. Access to more memory can boost performance for larger databases, while enhanced WAN performance assists remotely connected users, especially those using iOS devices, he adds. A re-architected web publishing engine improves speed and stability when integrating custom web pages with FileMaker databases, while progressive backups ease server administration and improve solution reliability.
All FileMaker 12 products are immediately available. FileMaker Pro 12 is U$299/$179 upgrade, FileMaker Pro 12 Advanced is $499/$299 upgrade, FileMaker Server 12 is $999/$599 upgrade, and FileMaker Server 12 Advanced is $2,999/$1,799 upgrade. FileMaker Go 12 for iPad and FileMaker Go 12 for iPhone are free from the App Store. Additional pricing and upgrade information is available at http://www.filemaker.com .