MainSpring, Inc. was recently listed as an authorized FileMaker hosting partner! You may have worked with us in the past using our unique MainSpring Way for developing and maintaining your FileMaker software, but we wanted to delve in a little more about hosting and how it can be more than the mundane infrastructure to do that you are trying to get off your plate.
Hosting isn’t just about the savings in infrastructure and support for your server, there are other benefits to moving your FileMaker system into the cloud. As FileMaker has become more robust, more and more administrators are choosing to flip the switch on their local machines and move into the cloud!
By moving to the MainSpring FileMaker Hosting platform, you can resolve these issues immediately:
Running older and unsupported versions of FileMaker
This is sometimes overlooked. I get it! There is never a good time to upgrade—you don’t know where to start, you can’t afford the downtime since the system is integral to your organization, etc. After all, the system has been running fine for years—until it isn’t. At which time, a hardware, Operating System, and FileMaker upgrade may be required to resolve an issue. This can be costly and occur at the most inconvenient time. With the MainSpring FileMaker Hosting platform, you will always have the latest equipment, with the latest operating system patching, and monitored to make sure that your database is running smoothly.
Running your own in-house server
Most companies decide to set up their own servers because they think it will save them money and give them more control. However, offsite hosting is far less expensive than it used to be, and it requires little to no effort on your part to set up and keep it going. A good hosting company will keep your data safe, deploy a good backup strategy and keep all software and security patches up-to-date.
In my experience, unless you have a dedicated IT staff, there is often no one properly managing the server. This means you will likely be putting out fires and experiencing significant downtime instead of preventing the fires in the first place. Furthermore, the person called to manage the situation may be ill-equipped in resolving the issues quickly. Even expert technicians familiar with network and hardware troubleshooting are often not familiar enough with FileMaker to resolve issues, or, conversely, a FileMaker expert may not willing or familiar enough to work with the hardware or network—especially, if it hasn’t been kept up-to-date with the latest versions and patches or uses antiquated hardware. This is not uncommon (and rightfully so), as it is difficult to be an expert in both network troubleshooting and software. Keep in mind that two of the biggest threats to your organization’s data are human error and hardware failure.
Wanting to access data from outside of the office
Today, more than ever, users are accessing their company’s data remotely. Especially with FileMaker Go, which enables you to access your data via iPhone and iPad. Setting up FileMaker in the office is not that difficult, but once you leave the office, it is a different ballgame. There are network security concerns and network configurations to consider. Perhaps you will need to set up and manage a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to make it all work seamlessly. Accessing the server remotely may require you to take extra steps and log into the VPN software, etc. What you really need is a hosting provider that has this already setup for every user by default, without the need for special software or setup.
Setting up your own cloud-based system
Cloud-based virtual servers are the way to go. However, some of the most popular cloud-based systems are a step in the right direction but leave little to be desired when it comes to setup and management. You may be expected to set it up and manage the network yourself, which can be extremely confusing with little support.
MainSpring’s FileMaker Hosting platform
MainSpring solves all these issues by providing a remote, secure and managed cloud-based server/FileMaker setup at a low cost and with minimal effort on your part. Check out our comparison chart below.
