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When you host FileMaker Server locally, this can mean that you put off updates until you put your data at risk. Regular software updates, as most of us have experienced at one time or another, can be time consuming and always seem to come at the most inconvenient times. Keeping Your Claris FileMaker Server HealthyĬlaris recommends that you keep the FileMaker Server software updated to the latest version available. You can choose to set up hosting for yourself, but that means having a dedicated server as well as a FileMaker Server license and the personnel who know how to (and have time to) set up and maintain the system. Hosting your FileMaker files makes them accessible via your standard laptop or desktop computer, iOS devices (with FileMaker Go) or with a web browser on any internet-connected machine (with FileMaker WebDirect and custom web pages). Whether your office is fully distributed or you only have the occasional need for offsite access (during travel or while working from home), you will need to have a hosting solution for FileMaker. Perhaps the most common reason that businesses seek out FileMaker hosting services is to have access to their FileMaker data anywhere they go. Aside from the time-saving possibilities of outsourcing your FileMaker hosting to an expert company, there are many advantages to having this critical piece of your business hosted in the cloud. Some teams choose to host the file themselves, which means installing FileMaker Server software on a physical or cloud server, then maintaining that server with updates and patches.Ĭloud hosting with a company like PCI is a simple solution for anyone who does not have the time or resources to learn how to set up and maintain a server but still wants the benefits of a hosted FileMaker file. If you want to utilize FileMaker Go or FileMaker WebDirect, which allow you to access your FileMaker file from your iOS device or from a browser on any internet-connected computer, that file needs to be hosted somewhere. In today’s working landscape, you probably also have at least one person that either works from home or from the road who will need to get access to your FileMaker files.
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However, if you’re like most businesses that leverage the advantages of a FileMaker database, you probably have more than one person that needs to get to your data. If your database is only accessed by a single person in your company – or perhaps you are your entire company – and it’s always done on the same computer in the same place, you don’t need FileMaker hosting.
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