High-end imaging firm looks forward to enhanced client services with FileMaker Pro 9

From studio photography to advanced digital imaging to artist-edition digital prints, Black Cat Studios of San Rafael, California is a firm believer in the organizational power of FileMaker Pro. "We have been using FileMaker Pro for the last 20 years to manage the entire production process," says Bob Harlow of Micro Computer Consulting, the FileMaker Pro development firm that currently maintains Black Cat’s database system which covers every facet of daily operations, including job tracking, time sheets, billing and scheduling.

Moving to the new FileMaker Pro 9 will make Black Cat Studio’s operation even more valuable. "FileMaker Pro 9 is a fine improvement over 8.5," Bob continues, "particularly in the areas of keeping our solutions streamlined, organized, and easy to maintain and expand. Our favorite productivity features include the ability to group scripts into expandable and collapsible folders to keep our development better organized, and the ability to conditionally format objects or layouts without needing to create lots of extra data fields to control our displays."

Looking ahead, Bob is enthusiastic about the new external SQL connectivity features in FileMaker Pro 9. "We expect it will help us to integrate the web site and database more tightly," he predicts, "while protecting our internal job information, and letting us clear out a lot of dead wood in the code."