See
Now you can have smaller version of the FileMaker Cloud for hosting 3 apps to 5 to 10 users.
Maybe a more compelling offer for new users?
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It's a major improvement.
Wow, the "essentials" offer is great value.
Well done Claris!
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Begs the question (also relates to another thread); What is an "app" according to Claris? Apps are often a folder full of related .fmp12 files which make up a solution such as a CRM, which is an app. Claris is offering to host 3 apps for the Essentials package.
Agreed.
However, in the context cited above (specs for Essentials package), I suspect that the term "App" is probably just a term that means "individual .fmp file" -- this is a guess on my part.
HTH,
-steve
Correct.
FileMaker provides over 15 so-called "app" templates with the FM product. Practically all the templates are attractive and useful especially to new users. Can you imagine how frustrated they might be to learn they may only utilize 3 from the Essentials offering?
I would assume that some solutions with multi file will be offered for Cloud Essentials as a one file version.
You know, whenever there is a restriction, people will try to work around and merging files is an option here.
Anyway, it's a great offer for smaller solutions.
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Yes! Finally an offer I can easily sell to my smaller customers. Never thought I would see the day. Well done Claris!
looks good!
But: We can not store some data outside of our country. Further on, support by amazon is very basic (nice wording) and the local FileMaker support is not really existent. This might be very different in other countries - but the last time we called support for one fms installation last year, it did not help
Therefore, we are really happy with a local support in our own language..
And they have already talked about “add-on” templates that merge into the same file.
But often a bad one; I've talked to Claris about this notion of app vs. solution and how people may be tempted to make architecturally bad decisions to stay within this 3-app restriction. It's the kind of thing that can bite the client in the long run.
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How many FileMaker files to use in a solution is an important topic.
Even more important to discuss with the Cloud Essentials launch.
Here is a post on community with some thoughts
https://community.filemaker.com/en/s/question/0D50H00006tijngSAA/what-is-the-best-architecture-for-filemaker-system-files
I see this has already been answered by @jormond. Before I noticed, I contacted my very helpful Claris Licensing Executive, asking:
"...how is an ‘app’ defined? As a solution (using 1 or more files) or as a file (which may only be part of an ‘app’)?"
She didn't know the answer and forwarded the question to 'the team', requesting an explanation be included in the FAQ's.
A member of the team replied:
"One app is one file! ... he’ll have to merge his files from 7 to 3 to start selling Cloud Essentials!"
This is rather sad. I think the different departments at Claris ought to get together more often.
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It will be interesting to see if this evolves over time. Claris at one point referred to them as "Solutions", then the next terminology was "Custom App" which started a few years ago. I don't really see Claris as being confused about this, it's more of a multi-generational mix of us having cut our teeth on different terms. Spices up the forums a bit. LOL
Yes. Usually it requires someone to tell me "hey, old man, we don't call it that anymore" for me to get with the program and adopt the most recent nomenclature. 
Though I don't discount these terms as meaningless, I've always been a little slow with tracking them.
Seeing this thread challenged me to see if I could recall the evolution of some of the terms I've learned along the way...
Starting with around v.2, the lineage I recall goes something like this:
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"I built a FileMaker File, which really helped the business."
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"We designed a FileMaker Database, which really helped the business."
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"We architected a FileMaker Solution, which allowed us to streamline the workflow."
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"They leverage a Solution built on the FileMaker Platform, which affords tremendous business innovation potential."
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"They built a FileMaker Custom App, which..."
I think my favorite was always "Solution". It made the most sense to me -- but then again, I thought of a Solution as a collection of FMP files that, together, comprised the whole picture. I would not have been comfortable with referring to a single file (e.g. just the UI file, or just a container storage file) as a "solution".
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Anyone knows if there is a downgrade path supported by Claris sales team?
If an SMB subscribed to the previous (and only) cloud offering since launch in October. Provided they meet the requirements for that new offering, can they get something like:
- Conversion to "essentials" package + extension of time (assuming they already paid the 1st year of the more expansive package)
- Conversion to "essentials" package + partial refund
- Something else I can't think of
Or are they stuck in the package they have and need to wait until the renewal date?
Thanks for sharing.
That is something Claris would only know. I hope they can do something for you. Seems like that should have some options.
I agree. The other terms don't provide a very meaningful description - indeed, they are likely to cause confusion. Something we would all agree on is that terminology is very important.
Generally I think FileMaker/Claris has also been of this opinion, and perhaps still is - searching FileMaker 18 help for 'solution' returns over 100 results. I suppose this could be replaced by 'custom app' (I hope not), but it won't be replaced by 'file'.
I expect a number of members of this forum were members of the FileMaker Solutions Alliance.
On the other hand, I suppose the term 'file' gives some extra justification for the rather unsatisfactory product name - 'FileMaker'.
Isn't the modular FileMaker techniques built on the fact that you can simply add another file with the module and just call a script in the other file to show card window and do something without changing much?
So now all those modules stuff needs to be copied into main file which makes it not modular?