Filemaker hosting options

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First,

[UPDATE: I think I am in the wrong business – I think I should no become a Filemaker hosting company. One can make some good $$] I have never seen software so easy to install and use as Filemaker Server. Open one port on your fire wall  (5003) and you have a hosting solution and very stable (you never touch it and it backs up and backs up etc. etc faithfully. Truely Apple software – do keep in mind as you read – that I am quite biased to doing it on your own. But I will try my best to be objective.

However, if you have nightmares from other products and don’t want to worry at all, here are some links given some research I have conducted of hosts who do it all for you.

Things to think about are (I would never do this – I would get my own server in hindsight)

  1. html or IWP hosting – do you want web clients?
  2. do you want filemaker native ONLY clients?
    1. what about iPad Filemaker Go clients. They are sold in bundles of 5
    2. what about web users or Webdirect (assuming you have FM 12+) clients? It actually works quite well now (finally)
  3. do you want to use plugins or have the ability to add them?
  4. do you need php code access for future expansion and customization?
  5. how do you want to pay – monthly?
  6. do you need server side script. If you want a script to run every night like sending emails etc. – add $5/mo says one company. Every hour? add $10/mo. What if you needed it every 5 minutes like mine which runs this or that and checks every 5 minutes kicking off this or that as required? CHA CHING – up goes the price
  7. shared or your own dedicated cloud server? Well really – if you answer the questions above- this will determine if you are able to do it with a shared server.
    1. Certain functions require your own dedicated host.
    2. If it is virtual or not is not really that important – that is how they build the computers on their end
  8. can you brand yourself on these servers? On your own server, you can have people access ‘filemaker.mycompany.com’ for example.
  9. I like hourly(8am – 5pm), daily and weekly backups. Most hosting gives daily
  10. do you need odbc access? That requires FM Server advanced which is more money again.

All these are factors in choosing and pricing an online hosting company. Remember that when reading this, I am spoiled as my clients all have their own internal servers and we do all sorts of weird and wonderful things, like auto-emails, auto excel integration, plugins into address books etc. So I am biased to having your own server. Keep reading anyways.

  • http://www.filemakerhosting.ca/shared-hosting/subscribe (fellow Canadians)
    • Canadian prices so it will seem higher – virtually free if you are an american at this exchange rate (same as directimpact.ca by the way)
    • anything other than bare minimum is an extra charge
    • I have heard good things from a filemaker agent about them
    • 30 day trial
    • You can even get remote access to your own virutal server via windows – so not bad
  • triple8.net
    • nice prices seems very fair for the simple executions and FM GO is not guaranteed but included.
  • http://www.oditech.com/filemaker-hosting/
    • regular offering but normal (what I consider) high prices
  • http://www.pointinspace.com/
    • 25 users PLUS 25 go users for one price? Nice. $29/mo (Basic plan)
      • but 2 databases for basic package
    • hourly server side scripts!
    • AND you have 2 mysql database you can mess with if you require them
    • webdirect requires your own virtual server – sad but true
  • productive computing. They have to be on this list somewhere
    • dropbox access to 2x daily backups is nice
    • regular “filemaker cloud” rates (high prices) and no FM Go included
    • yearly discounts
  • do it on your own
    • you can pay once ($2800 our right) or $600-$800 / year
    • plus you need a computer
    • a geek to open up port 5003 and perhaps 443/80 if you do web stuff
    • it took me 10 minutes to get things up and going. I love Apple for that – sooo easy

Source articles:

  • http://fmforums.com/topic/87377-reputable-and-trustworthy-filemaker-hosting-services-in-southern-california/
    • http://fmforums.com/blogs/entry/67-cloud-computing-remote-hosting-and-filemaker-pro-databases/ (this link works)
    • http://www.filemakermania.com/filemaker_hosting.html
  • google