FileMaker Resuscitates Database Market with Pro 10 - Comparative Analysis
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When it comes to the desktop relational database management system (RDBMS)
market, three names come to mind—Microsoft Office Access, Alpha Software’s
Alpha5 and FileMaker. While each of those products has its niche, they are much
more alike than they are different.
To compare those products it is best to look at the strengths of each to
determine where they fit in the market.
Microsoft Office Access is designed to work with other Microsoft
applications and presents a look and feel that is very consistent with the
Microsoft Office Suite of products. Access is also complementary to other
Microsoft software development tools and in many cases can be used to bridge
the gap between a desktop application and Web-based applications.
Access also offers Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which is similar to
Visual Basic 6.0 and used throughout the Microsoft Office programs. That makes
it easier to transition an Access application over to something more robust
using Microsoft’s Visual Studio. Developers can create a “compiled” MDE or
ACCDE version of an Access database to protect their intellectual property and
prevent end users from getting to the design portions of the database and
modify module code, forms and reports. When compared with FileMaker Pro
Advanced 10, Access proves to be a better choice for Microsoft-centric shops
that have a significant investment in Microsoft technologies and training.
Alpha Software’s Alpha Five V9 is similar to Microsoft Office Access in many
ways. Both applications can work with multiple data sources, and both offer a
“basic-like” programming language and support the creation of compiled
multiuser applications.
Alpha Five V9’s claim to fame comes from its rapid application development (RAD)
capabilities. While FileMaker and Access offer a GUI-based development
environment, Alpha Five V9 goes much further when it comes to capabilities and
design. What’s more, Alpha Five V9 offers the ability to create AJAX-based
applications, which allow developers to move Alpha Five V9 applications over to
the Web with unprecedented ease.
FileMaker Pro V10 also offers Web application capabilities but requires the
purchase of File Maker Server V10 Advanced for $2,999 to accomplish that task
and FileMaker’s Web application features are quite limited, when compared with
Alpha Five V9. For developers looking to make the transition over to Web
applications and leverage AJAX
technology, Alpha Five V9 proves to be a better choice than FileMaker.
FileMaker does have several strengths over its primary competitors. For
example, FileMaker Pro V10 works on both Macintosh and Windows platforms,
allowing developers to create databases for mixed environments without having
to do any extra work. Also, FileMaker proves to be an easier product to get
started with. New users can import in Excel spreadsheets and other data sources
to create “instant databases.” For the most part, FileMaker’s design tools and
database creation features are much easier to use than competing products. That
makes FileMaker a better choice for small businesses and workgroups that need
to get a database thrown together quickly.
When it comes to the RDBMS market, solution providers should not kid
themselves by thinking that they will make any money on selling those products.
Margins will prove to be razor thin, and there’s substantial competition from
retailers and e-tailers when it comes to selling boxed RDBMS packages.
Nevertheless, there’s a huge services and custom application development
opportunity with RDBMS.
Contemporary RDBMS software reopens the world to affordable custom
application development, where a solution provider can bill out for design,
training and implementation, configuration, and security services. FileMaker
Pro V10 proves to be a good product for creating all of those opportunities
with a minimal investment needed.
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