Month: June 2013

On July 17, our own Tim Neudecker will be presenting a live webinar as part of FM Academy. As proud members of the academy, this is one of the several webinars we host each year. The theme of this event will be protecting users and data in the cloud.

As businesses continue to shift from standard information management and storage systems to more innovative solutions like cloud computing, the need to enhance data security has grown drastically. The benefits of hosting and using applications in the cloud are plentiful, but the potential of this system won't be realized if it is compromised by security risks. That's why it's crucial for cloud users to understand best practices pertaining to the security of information processed and stored in the cloud.

This webinar will explore exactly that, as well as the role FileMaker can play in protecting information. Some of the key areas Tim will discuss include how to limit access to various components of a cloud application and mitigate the risk of unauthorized users viewing sensitive data, as well as the best way to ensure the integrity of company information stays in tact. 

FileMaker Pro Developers and FileMaker Server Administrators are both encouraged to attend this event. We'll cover the various roles both sides can play in building business applications and managing them in a safe cloud environment. As time goes on, the cloud will only become a bigger part of business information infrastructure, so now is the best time to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to safely operate in this virtual environment. By learning these skills and applying them to application development and management practices, companies will be able to maximize the potential of their solutions.

The webinar, titled 'Protecting your Users and Data in the Cloud' will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2013 from 3-4 PM Eastern Standard time.         

Interested parties can register on this page. A confirmation will be sent to all registered parties after the process is complete. Please remember that access to the webinar will require specific system specs, depending on the platform used to logon.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet
Space is limited.  Click here to sign up.

The key to any successful company is the ability to provide customers with exactly what they are looking for. However, the only way an organization can actually do this is if it know what its customers want. Modern technology has increased communication between customers and the organizations they do business with, so it's up to the companies themselves to pay close attention to the nature of those conversations and use that information to shape their marketing campaigns.

Many discussions that traditionally took place in-person or on the phone have migrated to a digital format. Today, social media interaction allows consumers to quickly receive answers to their questions, and those inquiries give organizations valuable information which they can later use to fuel their engagement initiatives. 

Recently, this blog discussed the ways organizations can use data to try and cater to each specific customer. That can be done my using information pertaining to individual needs. When companies have a full grasp of their big data strategies, the possibilities are endless. 

An article in the online publication Pando Daily addressed this very issue. Veeral Rathod, the article's author, used a clothing retailer to exemplify the power of this practice.

"Let's say 65 percent of women who try on a size 6 end up buying a size smaller or taking in certain seams when shopping a particular brand," Rathod wrote. "Instead of relying on sales representatives to guide customers to 'size down,' vertically integrated retailers can take that insight and use it to adapt sizing and fit patterns to make it easier for customers to find the best fit the first time. Most importantly, the feedback loop is short enough that it becomes possible to make the change before certain expectations become ingrained among customers."

While acquiring full control of customer information is invaluable, doing so requires a tremendous amount of effort. That effort can be assisted, however, with the right software solutions. Using FileMaker development to create a system designed to better manage data will be a major help.

A custom database software system can be used to quickly enter all bits of information gleaned from online conversations with customers. Taking that data and creating custom reports from the system can give companies an idea of how to adjust their current operations. With the right data collection techniques combined with the best data management software, businesses can go a long way toward ensuring the success of this initiative. 

Kyo Logic will be attending this year’s FileMaker Developer Conference (DevCon). Here is session highlight.

Script Triggers, Workflow, and the User Experience
Presenter:   Thomas Kunetz (FileMaker, INC.)
Time:          Tues. August 13, 2013 3:45 pm
Track:         Design
Skill Level:   Intermediate

One of the most powerful paradigms in software development is event-driven programming; that is, a program that responds to events generated by the user or the host system, rather than relying on the user to complete a specific set of predefined steps to complete a given task. Script Triggers bring event-driven programming to the FileMaker Platform. Script Triggers execute scripts in response to user generated events such as entering fields or modifying values, and system events such as the first or last window opening or closing, or the passage of time.

This session explores the events that can be used to trigger script execution, and whether the event will trigger a script before or after the FileMaker application performs its own actions in response to the same event. The session will demonstrate how Script Triggers can implement a workflow in response to user interaction and help create a more pleasant and natural user experience. Finally, the session will look at techniques for debugging and troubleshooting event-driven scripts.

What you will learn:

• Script triggers and the events that trigger them
• When to use script triggers, or not
• Using script triggers to build solid workflow and a better user experience
• Debugging and troubleshooting an event-driven workflow

Highlighting another great session from this year’s FileMaker Developer Conference (DevCon).

FileMaker Go Year in Review
Presenter:   Matt Navarre (MSN Media)
Time:          Tues. August 13, 2013 10:45 am
Track:         FileMaker Go
Skill Level:   Beginner

Showing top 10 examples from a wide range of solutions that happened this year with FileMaker Go.

What you will learn:

• FileMaker Go where you expect it: business, medical, and in the field
• FileMaker Go where you didn’t expect it
• Sync, Server or Single User? Some great examples of each
• Which is the best approach – Simple or Powerful?

Be on the lookout for our friend Mark Richman from Skeleton Key doing an interesting session on Synchronization Tools at this years’DevCon 2013.

Buyer’s Guide: Synchronization Tools
Presenter:   Mark Richman (Skeleton Key)
Time:          Wed. August 14, 2013 10:45 am
Track:         FileMaker Go
Skill Level:   Advanced

FileMaker Go has increased the demand for FileMaker solutions that offer a mobile interface. Unfortunately, wireless and cellular networks still suffer from spotty coverage and inconsistent performance. A common solution – some method of synchronization – is often part of the puzzle. Picking the right synchronization tool can be confusing. Like most things in life, everyone has their opinion, all too often shaped by relatively limited experience. This session aims to make a mostly objective/somewhat subjective assessment of three popular and commercially available synchronization products, and to evaluate them on common criteria such as how easy they are to setup, quality of documentation, performance with different types and sizes of data, support for conflict resolution, etc. Much like a ‘Consumer Report’s Buyer’s Guide’, the goal of this session is NOT to pick the best product, but to educate the buyer on how to make the right selection for their scenario before they start developing.

Products and Technologies

• FileMaker Server
• Filemaker Pro
• Filemaker Go
• Networking
• Security
• Synchronization

What You Will Learn

• The lineup: a high-level overview of SyncDek Mobile, GoZync and MirrorSync
• The criteria: what we reviewed, what we tested and how we measured our results
• The results: the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred results of our reviews and testing
• The recommendations: which tool we’d recommend for various deployment/development scenarios

Kyo Logic is proud to announce that we have opened a new office in Boston Massachusetts! The new office is located right in the heart of the Government Center neighborhood of Boston right at 60 State Street. We hope that this expansion will help us to better serve our clients in the Boston Metropolitan Area, as well as the rest of Massachusetts.
Kyo Logic LLC 60 State Street Suite 700 Boston Massachusetts 02109

In 2002, the Oakland Athletics turned the baseball world on its head by changing the player evaluation process. By implementing the "Moneyball" philosophy, the A's were able to find quality ballplayers for less money by viewing their statistics from a different perspective. This allowed the financially challenged ballclub to compete with high-spending teams like the New York Yankees, despite a massive discrepancy in payrolls. 

The Moneyball philosophy has made a monstrous impact on the game in the past decade, as teams, analysts, journalists and fans have used different data analytics strategies to evaluate the performance of certain teams and players. Awards have been given out to players who would have traditionally been an afterthought because voters were able to look past the surface of their statistics. Teams that can't afford big-money players are more competitive now because they field teams based on statistics, rather than flashy names. 

This strategy isn't exclusive to baseball, or to sports in general. Businesses that know how to look deep into the heart of their information can unearth key insights that can help their organization succeed without having to use a substantial amount of their resources. Implementing solutions such as a custom database software system can give businesses the ability to analyze their information and use it to the best of their ability.

An article in ComputerWorld recently addressed this, comparing sports data analytics with that of traditional business. For example, by judging personnel the way the Athletics do, companies may be able to ensure a high level of productivity while keeping payroll costs to a minimum.

"Firms therefore need to look at the role of analytics to identify attributes that indicate success and then use techniques seen in sports to search the reams of external data available to identify potential candidates," the article says. "Once employed, the companies that are leading on analytics are increasingly using analytics to ensure high productivity, engagement and retention."

FileMaker development can give companies the ability to take their data analytics to the next level. By creating a robust software system designed to identify key bits of information and report them in real time, organizations will be able to ensure that their data is working for them. In highly competitive industries, the ability to discover new insights with the help of information management software can mean the difference between a success and failure at any organization. 

Most people have figured out the way online advertisements work. You search for baking recipes on Google, and the next thing you know you are inundated with adds for bakeries or rolling pins. Data is processed quickly and turned around in a way that helps businesses target users who may be interested in their organization. 

While this concept is still relatively new, it has proven thus far to be successful. Now it is evolving.

Earlier this week, an article in the New York Times blog examined the ways marketers are increasing their efforts to obtain pertinent data and use it to enhance the way they run their campaigns and target various customer types. While information is always going to serve as the base of any digital marketing effort, the way in which it's managed has greatly improved in recent years.

"The amount of information available to advertisers has increased exponentially, from credit card and telecommunications companies and even from brands," wrote Tanzina Vega, the article's author. "Instead of using old retargeting methods, such as showing someone an ad for a car that person just viewed online, brands are using new technologies to help them decide, often in advance, whether a consumer should be shown an ad for, say, a luxury car or an inexpensive car, or any car at all."

Brands are focusing on processing power and coming up with new ways to use their data, according to Scott Hagedorn, an executive at a data marketing company, who spoke with Vega about this phenomenon. And while the focus shifts from obtaining information to finding better ways to use it, software is becoming even more important. 

To succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace, businesses need to ensure they are equipped with custom database software systems that can help marketers discover new uses for their information. 

The way we collect, manage, report on and analyze data has changed dramatically in concurrence with the emergence of new technology. In the past, information needed to live in lavish environments in order to be effective. However, modern tech has allowed users to simplify the data management process.

One of the key terms pertaining to this phenomenon is "hub-and-spoke," which describes the type of data infrastructure necessary for managing a successful operation in today's business climate. According to a new study from Forrester Research, this is the future of information management, as it helps organizations maximize the value of their data.

Forrester analyst Brian Hopkins spoke about this in a corresponding report, indicating that the old ways of managing information have become cumbersome and unnecessary.

"Yesterday's correct data architecture involved centralized warehouses, marts, operational data stores and a lot of ETL [extract, transfer and load.] Because data warehouses were expensive, building one and forcing all data into it was a logical approach," he said, suggesting that new-wave methods have become more conducive for today's needs. "Hub-and-spoke … features rapid analytics and extreme-scale operations on raw data in an affordable distributed data hub. Firms that get this concept realize all data does not need first-class seating."

To go along with simplified data infrastructure, organizations must have a system in place designed to effectively manage and report on their information. By initiating FileMaker development, companies can build custom database software systems that will allow users to control their information. This will complement all modern storage and infrastructure strategies and allow companies to truly get the most out of their data. 

Businesses that want to better understand customer habits, so they can create and develop more fine-tuned advertising campaigns, can benefit from custom database software systems. With tools such as FileMaker development solutions, organizations can sift through large amounts of information and draw conclusions on customer habits. From there, the right marketing approach can be taken to ensure that a company finds success while still meeting customer needs.

Giovanni DeMeo, VP of global marketing and analytics for Interactions Marketing, explained to InformationWeek that his company was able to use Big Data to gain insight on the connection between weather patterns and consumer shopping habits.

Specifically, Interactions studied which products had the most significant sales increases and decreases during specific weather events. The company also took into account how geographic location, time of day, day of the week and a retailer's proximity to competitors' locations had an effect on shoppers' habits. The results showed that one day prior to statistically similar weather events, sales in 28 product categories jumped from 20 percent to 261 percent over the same day one year earlier.

"Anything with more than 20 percent or greater increase in sales, over sale-day [the] previous year, gives us the opportunity to identify those categories, and have enough time to communicate with retailers and manufacturers," DeMeo said.

Having information like this allows businesses to create campaigns that educate customers. Depending on the type of product or services sold, they could be more useful depending on what type of weather patterns are occurring, DeMeo explained.

Weather is just one of many details that could affect consumers' purchasing habits, which is why custom database software could be so critical to an organization's advertising campaigns' success.