Is this an ad for subscription for Filemaker Pro for development. Or is this an ad for cloud hosting? I can never make sense of FM ads. Try not to laugh to hard, but I really need some clarity on this. Thanks.
Those are FileMaker Cloud 2.0 Licenses. A license includes the hosting, and FileMaker Pro/Go/Webdirect for each "user" or person that uses/accesses the server.
Looks like a mix of what's available for FUL, that is a license for each user including concurrent connections ?
Don't muddy the waters. Concurrent connections are not involved here.
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Soooo, its just for app development and not for deployment of a solution?
There is no difference with FileMaker. FileMaker Pro has the advanced features built in. So develop with, or use as a database client for your deployed custom app.
User is a user, even if the user is a developer. LOL
It's for app development AND deployment of solutions - the number of apps deployed depends on the plan as you can see in the image you included.
With FileMaker Cloud, your apps are hosted on a server in the cloud - hence the name - by FileMaker. A few years ago, FileMaker offered FileMaker Cloud, version 1.x, that was hosted by AWS.
This new FileMaker Cloud is version 2. Claris provides everything, FMPA and the server that's managed for you. All you need to do is create the apps and use them.
I may have made an error, but Claris himself is very good at mudding the water themself.
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lol ... no argument there. Sorry if that sounded "crass". I thought I typed more before I hit reply. LOL
I need to get away from my machine.
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Told you I was slow...... Thanks for the help. So let me ask another question, if you have the time answer. If I develop a solution can I sign up customers to use it and keep control of the deployed aspect? That is what is confusing to me. I am sorry but I have never been able to clearly follow FMI's advertising. What I am driving at is I have several solutions that I developed in FMPro for small construction related industries. And I am to old, but really to lazy, but really to old, to learn much more especially all the ropes for that sort of thing. But it reads to me that FM Cloud handles all that.
In the EULA, I believe it still does not all for having multiple clients data on one server. Except for the Solution Bundle Agreement.
Probably best to chat with Claris directly about what you are doing. They can answer the licensing side better.
Thanks, Really appreciate the input folks.
Indeed all the « machine » services are handled by Claris. You upload your app on your cloud instance and use it. Like plug and play. What is different is the need to create FileMaker user IDs and assign those users accounts.
If you have many clients with simple 1-3 files solutions, each will have to buy a bundle of 5 users, even if they only need 1 or 2. So its 95$ per month. It may sound much but one must consider that all the server hardware, the expertise to maintain, the FileMaker licenses client and server, the server os license etc are included. For small clients it could be a headache free solution, as long as they don’t have to follow certain regulations in their non USA country about data hosted in own country.
There is a distinction between selling solution hosting and selling software as a service (SAAS). FileMaker's EULA prevents you from hosting solutions from multiple clients on the same server. Last I checked, it does not prevent you from hosting your own multi-tenant files. I suggest you stay away from SAAS if you are unfamiliar with multi-tenancy. I also suggest you stay away from FileMaker Cloud if you intend to deploy a multi-tenant solution.
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The EULA and cost pretty much makes FileMaker impossible to compete within the SaaS market. We've tried it for years and, although we have SBA solutions, we're mostly working within AVLA as most clients require customisation, which is FileMaker's strength, but this requires a dedicated server, hence it has to target a specific type of customer.
We've tried to have open discussions with FileMaker about this and have suggested they need a third type of license between AVLA and SBA that allows some customisation of a vertical market product and shared hosting, but they are not interested in this market.
It is ironic, we now work on bigger projects that can take over 12-months to turn around, often for clients who are already FileMaker licensees and therefore we now sell significantly less licenses than we used to for our quick turnaround cloud/SaaS type solutions.
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Multi-tenant solution, I do not need that. What I do have is several small solutions that never require more than five iPads on my customer side. So I am wondering if I can host them on FM Cloud for small companies. So, I need to know if this is allowable and possible on FM Cloud. I do not want to do any of the server work. I did email FMI and the rep emailed me and I responded that day, but I haven't heard a word since.
As was already mentioned, one customer per cloud instance. I am fairly certain you could not subscribe to multiple cloud instances, so your customers would need to be the subscriber of the FileMaker cloud instance for their solution(s) file(s).
Unfortunately Claris doesn't make it easy for customers with less than 5 users. They seem not looking at these Another example is that the EULA does not care about users on shifts: if a customer has 3 shifts, then that means 3 users. I though they were addressing that case, but looks like not - well I am not aware of any changes.
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Thanks folks for the input. Now I understand.
The lowest tier is for up to 5 users. Typically at 2 or 3 users, it's worth getting that first tier, because you get the entire platform. If you end up picking up a couple more employees, your FileMaker cost doesn't go up.
I know many have different feelings on this, but this is how many products we have used operate with their user licensing.
This is how current FileMaker User licensing ( based on the website ) breaks down. Note, there are other options if you need more. Talk to a sales rep or a Partner Resller.
@2 users = $37.50/month per user
@3 users = $25.00/month per user
@4 users = $18.75/month per user
@5-9 users = $15.00/month per user
@10-14 users = $14/month per user
@25-49 users = $13/month per user
@50-99 users = $12/month per user
There are also additional discounts if you purchase for 2 or 3 years.
At around 15 users, if that's your entire employee count, it's worth looking at a site license. You have buy 25 licenses, but at the discount you get for a site license, it's most often more economical in the long run.
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To clarify the site license requirements. A license has to be purchased for every employee in the company, regardless as to whether they use FileMaker or not.
Hence, if you have cleaners, drivers, etc. on your payroll who never go near FileMaker, you still have to purchase a license for them within the site license agreement.
Mad but true. 
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