New FileMaker Pro 8.5: Live Web Data on Demand

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

Auckland, New Zealand -- July 11, 2006 -- FileMaker today announced the immediate availability of FileMaker Pro 8.5, the first desktop database to provide built-in integration with live web data (http://www.filemaker.com.au/releases/fm8.5rel.html).

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 (for FileMaker Pro 8.5, go to http://filemaker.com.au/products/fmp/universal_app.html and for FileMaker Server 8.0v4 go to http://www.filemaker.com.au/products/fms/benchmark.html). 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
“This latest release of FileMaker offers us, and our customers, some exciting new developments. The performance on Intel Macs is remarkable and really speeds up our productivity. The ability to name and target objects is another wish-list come true item that our developers are finding invaluable, and the built in web browser offers us a great new way to present particularly graphical information to our customers, ” says Murray Benn, Managing Director, Denbigh International (www.denbigh.com.au)

“The web viewer allows us to embed web based information directly into our solutions and that is a remarkably valuable thing - no need to switch to a web browser. This is going to be something we can give our clients for a quick win. From a developer point of view the new functions for dealing with Layout Objects are a winner - there's instant saving in time and reduced complexity there, and it gives us more control…brilliant. What you can do with the web viewer is surprising. Think beyond just web pages, and you'll find that you can use do some neat stuff like displaying documents, graphing, embedding Flash animation or applications, or providing other interface tools... basically it gives us as developers a whole new set of programming tools that we can use inside FileMaker, “ reports Craig Saunders, Managing Director, Digital Fusion Ltd (www.digitalfusion.co.nz).

"Yet again FileMaker is early to the party in supporting the latest Apple Hardware and software. They were among the first to ship a Mac OS X version, and now have a speedy new Universal Binary version of FileMaker Pro out for Mac OS users. And Goya is looking forward to exploring the multitude of new possibilities made available by the new WebViewer function in FileMaker Pro for our clients,” comments Nicholas Orr, Developer, Goya Pty Ltd (www.goya.com.au).

"One of the best new features in FileMaker 8.5 is also one of least obvious ones. You have always been able to 'sum' numeric fields for a set in a relationship, now you can do something similar with text fields and the new 'List' function. This makes something previously so tedious become routine,” enthuses Kent Lendrum, Director, KAMAR Ltd (www.kamar.co.nz).

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.au/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 up to 91% faster performance for FileMaker Pro 8.5 and up to 116% faster performance for FileMaker Server 8.0v4 compared to running on Mac Power PCs (For FileMaker Pro 8.5, go to http://filemaker.com.au/products/fmp/universal_app.html and for FileMaker Server 8.0v4 go to http://www.filemaker.com.au/products/fms/benchmark.html).

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 centralised, 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, 7.0 & 6.0 (limited time offer, see www.filemaker.com.au/promos for more details), FileMaker Pro 8.0 Advanced and FileMaker Pro Developer 7.0 and 6.0 (limited time offer, see www.filemaker.com.au/promos for more details) may upgrade to FileMaker Pro 8.5 or NZD$299 (ex. GST). Customers upgrading from FileMaker Pro 8.0 and FileMaker Pro 8.0 Advanced to FileMaker Pro 8.5 can also apply for a rebate through www.filemaker.com.au/rebates.

FileMaker Server 8 and FileMaker Server 8 Advanced can get Universal CDs that support Intel-based Macs for only AUD$75 (inc. GST). These CDs are available for purchase by calling FileMaker customer service (0800 444 929).

New users may purchase FileMaker Pro 8.5 for NZD$499 (ex. GST) and FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced for NZD$889 (ex. GST). FileMaker Server 8 is priced at AUD$1,775 (ex. GST) and FileMaker Server Advanced 8 is $4,425 (ex. GST). FileMaker offers license discounts for volume purchasers as well as for education and non-profit organisations.

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.au/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).

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