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BH&A At The FileMaker Developer Conference in Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, USA - July 13, 2007 - Once again this year BH&A will be attending the annual FileMaker Developers Conference in Phoenix, Arizona (July 13-17) with 4 of our staff being there. This conference is key for BH&A to continue developing new and exciting FileMaker skills.
“Last year’s FileMaker Developer Conference was one of our highest-rated ever, with satisfaction ratings as high as 93 percent– and 94 percent of participants said they could immediately apply what they had learned,” said Ryan Rosenberg, vice president of marketing and services, FileMaker, Inc. “Building on the success of last year, we are delivering more hands-on technical and business development workshops than ever before, all of which will have an immediate impact on developers’ skills and success.”
This year's FileMaker Developer Conference will include more than 80 sessions focusing on new tools and techniques, best practices and new approaches for developing databases solutions more securely, efficiently and creatively.
6 FileMaker 9 Certified Developers and 8 FileMaker 8 Certified Developers On Staff
Brussels - July 11, 2008 - Since the introduction of FileMaker Certification with the introduction of version 7, BH&A staff have been among the first developers to be certified with each release. FileMaker launched in February 2008 the "FileMaker 9 Certification" and we already have six developers who are certified for this version and eight developers who are certified for version 8 on staff. It's your validation that you are hiring an experienced FileMaker professional who has technical knowledge of the complete FileMaker product line.
Upgrade to FileMaker Pro 9 or FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced now and make huge savings!
> Order now through our secured e-shop!
So Nice in Nice ...
Brussels - Jan. 31, 2008 … at least at FileMaker's french-speaking conference from 28 to 30 march 2008.
Indeed, Fabrice Nordmann, BH&A's Technical Manager will be running a workshop on professional scripting. BH&A, one of the events' key sponsors, will in fact be there with a full-time team of four senior developers, ready to answer any questions participants are bound to have.
BH&A will also use this opportunity to launch a number of premières including a professional yet very competitively-priced solution, to migrate FileMaker 4/5/6 projects to FileMaker's most recent version 9.
If you want to be part of the show, and attend at similarly competitive conditions, click here, before February 18th: http://www.fmconf.com/
(If you can't make it, remember FileMaker will be running a Dutch speaking FileMaker summit from 11 to 13 April 2008 in Antwerp – but will it be as nice as Nice? http://www.fmsummit.info/)
BH&A has not moved… far!
Brussels - Nov. 26, 2007 - If BH&A's stable growth has been good news for its clients – through an increased number of highly qualified developers -, it has also meant the team has simply been running out of space.
True to its company culture, BH&A was keen to find a solution that would meet everyone's requirements.
Indeed, BH&A's central location was considered by most of its clients an asset, ensuring speed of response when site presence was needed.
In addition, whilst our first offices were acceptable start-up offices when we… started up, they clearly did not reflect the image BH&A has grown into: a growing, yet mature company, satisfying an increasing number of corporate companies and international associations.
Finally, we were well aware of the disruption moves can cause. So, ideally the new offices would have to be… just down the street.
Much more space, an attractive, stylish work environment, all this just down the road? Welcome to our new offices, literally 30 metres down the street, in the top floor of a huge totally refurbished 1950's showroom!
We're happy we've moved and look forward to sharing this with you. Feel free to drop by for a guided tour. And remember to update our details in your databases: we are now 467, rue Vanderkindere, in B-1180 Brussels. All other details remain unchanged.
FileMaker Pro 9 and Leopard
Santa Clara - Nov. 2, 2007 - FileMaker has released a downloadable update to make FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced compatible with Mac OS X Leopard as described below. Leopard is the stunning new version of Apple's Mac OS X which is transforming the Mac experience.
In addition to Leopard compatibility, the new 9.0v2 update addresses other issues, and we recommend all users of FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced download it.
Please note that this update does not fix issues with the FileMaker Pro 9 Instant Web Publishing (IWP) feature running on Leopard. We intend to make IWP compatible with Leopard in an update expected in December 2007.
We expect to deliver a Leopard compatibility update for our Server products in early 2008. FileMaker Server 9 and FileMaker Server 9 Advanced currently do not deploy properly on Leopard. In the meantime, FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced clients running on Leopard do work with FileMaker Server and Server Advanced running on Tiger or earlier versions of Mac OS X.
For timely news on the availability of compatibility updates for IWP, and for FileMaker Server 9 and FileMaker Server 9 Advanced, please subscribe to FileMaker News on www.filemaker.be.
BH&A's E-Shop : Another Première For BH&A
Paris - Sep. 25, 2007 - Simultaneously to the launch of BeCreative (see previous release), BH&A has used the opportunity of its presence at Apple Expo to launch a customer-focused initiative, unique in the FileMaker Business Alliance world: BH&A’s e-shop.
Benoit Hauglustaine: “The purpose with our e-shop is to bring together in one easily accessible source not only the extensive scope of FileMaker products, but also a range of related value-adding products and services such as Layout Properties and FileMaker training modules”.
However, this is only the start for BH&A’s e-shop. Being online offers obvious, endless, possibilities. BH&A’s active team of well-know developers are looking forward to using this opportunity to efficiently market the extensive range of FileMaker applications and plug-ins.
Benoit Hauglustaine: “Apple Expo has been a wonderful catalyst for our teams it seems. We have used this opportunity to launch two of our most important initiatives this year”.
The e-shop goes on-line this Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
BeCreative® launched at Apple Expo
Paris - Sep. 25, 2007 - BH&A announced today it will be using Apple Expo as a launch platform to its latest software package targeted at the communication and advertising agency businesses.
“We have been successfully developing applications around the FileMaker platform for years”, comments Benoit Hauglustaine, BH&A’s General Manager Director, “but we have recently seen an increase in the number of requests we receive from DTP companies and communication agencies, all on the look-out for an integrated solution to the never-ending administrative job-tracking nightmare. Indeed, in the vast majority of these agencies and communication consultancies, a considerable amount of time,
non-billable time, is simply wasted in project follow up, from initial quote stage to final invoicing, through artwork purchasing, supplier quote integration, and the management of the dreaded time-sheets. “
Since it first launched its initial software package “Contacts&Events” back in 1999, BH&A has built considerable experience in developing complex, inter-related databases. This experience was instrumental in designing a package to answer these needs.
Cédric Willot, BeCreative’s developer and Product Manager: “Obviously, designing BeCreative hand in hand with agency people meant we could better understand their needs and focus on improving the most frequent processes encountered in these agencies. BeCreative simplifies their lives, literally.”
Donia El Messaoudi, BH&A’s Business Development Executive added: “We are excited about this launch. We believe there is a huge opportunity in an industry that is usually quite administration and paperwork averse. BeCreative answers their needs whilst allowing designers, art directors and account managers to stay focused on their core business, producing & selling creative ideas, not tracking projects.”
BeCreative will be available from November, 2.
For any further information, please contact
Cédric Willot +32.473.28.31.64 or cedric@bh-a.com
Full text version available on http://www.bh-a.com/becreativelaunchuk.doc
New Brussels FileMaker Training Dates with BH&A
Brussels - Sep 3, 2007 - Whether you're new to FileMaker, an experienced user, or a developer with advanced skills, BH&A's FileMaker training offers fast-track programs that deliver all the essentials you need to increase your skills and stay competitive.
Choose the training that's right for you !
Leading Belgian FileMaker development company attends leading European Apple show
Paris - July 18, 2007 - BH&A will be attending Apple Expo from September 25, 2007 (www.apple-expo.com). Apple Expo is the world's second biggest show solely focused on Apple products, and Europe's first. There could be no better place to demonstrate BH&A's leading FileMaker development capabilities. And, whilst this will be BH&A's first attendance, Cédric Willot, Contacts&Events' project manager, seems confident: "The solutions we will be showcasing at Apple Expo are unique. Contacts&Events is the world's first Association Management Software developed with leading international associations from the outset. Its growing success is currently being replicated by BeCreative's, a communication agency management software, which we will officially only be launching at Apple Expo, but for which we can't seem keep up with information requests".
BH&A At The FileMaker Developer Conference in Orlando
Orlando, USA - Aug. 4, 2007 - Once again this year BH&A will be attending the annual FileMaker Developers Conference in Orlando, Florida (Aug. 5-9). This conference is key for BH&A to continue developing new and exciting FileMaker skills.
"FileMaker users and developers can easily meet others who are in the same business or sector, or who have the same technical interests, or maybe to find an expert to help them solve that nagging technical problem.", said Ryan Rosenberg, vice president, marketing and services, FileMaker.
This year's FileMaker Developer Conference, to be held at the Grande Lakes JW Marriott Hotel & Resort, Orlando, will include more than 50 sessions focusing on new tools and techniques, best practices and new approaches for developing databases solutions more securely, efficiently and creatively. In addition to a wide range of technical sessions, the conference will offer a multi-vendor product showcase featuring FileMaker third-party solutions and products, under-the-hood sessions, meetings with FileMaker engineers, product managers, and technical support team members, along with many other social and networking events.
BH&A Makes Headline News In "Informations Entreprise"
Paris - July 16, 2007 - Under the intriguing title "Apple's Secret Company" the French business magazine "Informations Entreprise" highlighted FileMaker in its July issue. BH&A's founder Benoît Hauglustaine, interviewed p.65, declared "the fact a French business magazine focuses on FileMaker is hardly a surprise, given the growing importance of FileMaker for SME's and international organizations in the world". He added "the surprise was for a Brussels-based company to make the headline of a French magazine, a testimony to the consistently high standards we have set ourselves, that seem to travel well".
New FileMaker 9 Product Line
Santa Clara - July 10, 2007 - FileMaker today announced the immediate availability of FileMaker Pro 9, a major new version of the most award-winning desktop database for Macintosh and Windows. FileMaker, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple, Inc.
FileMaker Pro 9 includes many new features, for end users and developers, to simplify creating, automating, sharing and reporting from databases, including a new Quick Start screen for new users to be quickly productive; Conditional Formatting, which highlights data based on parameters the user sets; and the ability to email a link to other FileMaker users, which they can click to instantly access your database.
The new version also offers easy-to-use tools so FileMaker users and workgroups easily can connect to the world of company and Web data residing in external SQL data sources: MySQL, Oracle SQL and Microsoft SQL Server.
“FileMaker is the acknowledged leader in easy-to-use database software which empowers workgroups,” said Dominique Goupil, president of FileMaker, in the press release. “With FileMaker 9 we go further. We make it easier than ever for developers and users to manage information in amazingly productive and creative ways. (...) FileMaker 9 is perfect for innovative organizations who realize the benefits of empowered self-service workgroups,” Goupil said.
Using the new one-way or two-way live connectivity to popular SQL sources, FileMaker Pro 9 users within any business or organization can safely and securely create custom reports, add calculations and other fields, and even build relationships with existing FileMaker data – just using the easy-to-use tools of FileMaker Pro.
FileMaker Pro 9 features many new capabilities to make databases more “connected” for users, as well as a suite of advanced but easy-to-use development and customization tools for developers. New features include:
• Connecting to a world of data, by easily creating links and integrating live MS SQL server, Oracle and MySQL data as if it were FileMaker-based data.
• Ease of use breakthroughs, including the FileMaker Quick Start Screen, which remembers your favorites and gives you access to the new videos in the FileMaker Learning Center, Send Link Database Sharing, a one-click feature that sends an email with a hyperlink so you share a database with other FileMaker Pro users, and Append to PDF, which allows users to consolidate multiple data reports into a single PDF file.
• More productive database design, including script grouping and editing tools, conditional formatting, auto-resize, enhanced layout objects, enhanced tab control and an improved Web Viewer.
New features in FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced that are focused on giving users faster and easier ways to create advanced and customized database solutions include:
• Enhanced Database Design Report and File Maintenance tools, making it even easier to modify and maintain databases.
• Improved Script Debugger and Data Viewer, for identifying and correcting script errors earlier in the design process.
• PHP Site Assistant Link, providing a one-click launch of the PHP Site Assistant included in FileMaker Server 9.
FileMaker Server 9 and FileMaker Server 9 Advanced feature one-click integration with the Web using PHP, a simple 20-minute or less install time for basic installations, plus the most significant redesign of the server interface ever. With FileMaker Server 9, users can generate a fully working PHP website using FileMaker data without writing code in just minutes.
Other major new features include PHP Custom Web Publishing for creating dynamic data-driven websites, shared access to live data from external SQL sources, and a web-delivered server console.
Sharing BH&A’s Continuous Growth
Brussels - July 6, 2007 - BH&A is happy to announce it has recently expanded its team of 6 FileMaker developers by hiring two additional highly qualified developers. This is obviously good news, not only for all BH&A clients as it extends the already high level of support BH&A has accustomed its clients to, but also for the community of smaller FileMaker developers on the lookout for temporary, quality, support. Whenever possible BH&A will be making these new resources available to developers who need help on short-term, labour-intensive projects such as migrations or web publishing implementations.
This unique approach benefits smaller developers, BH&A and customers. What more can you expect? Find out by calling BH&A, asking for Benoit Hauglustaine or Cédric Willot.
FileMaker Wins at 2007 Macworld Awards
London - June 29, 2007 - FileMaker today announced that it has won the Productivity Software award at the 2007 Macworld Annual Awards.
FileMaker Pro 8.5 was selected as the winning product for the Productivity Software category, beating other vendors including Google, MarketCircle, AEC Software and Accountz to the top spot at the prestigious ceremony held at The Gibson Hall, City of London.
Tony Speakman, northern regional manager who received the award on the night commented: "We are delighted to win the award for Productivity Software of the year, especially against such fierce competition. To receive the industry's acknowledgment as a leading provider of software that improves productivity for business users is a great achievement. FileMaker is a popular solution and this award recognises the benefits of this technology and its importance to IT professionals." The award category for Productivity Software was an editorial nominated award for technology that improves productivity for business users. FileMaker Pro 8.5 is the number one selling easy-to-use database software for Windows and Mac OS that helps users to manage people, projects and assets through an intuitive point-and-click interface. Now in its twelfth year, the Macworld Awards is firmly established as one of the most important events in the UK Mac calendar. The awards are voted for by Macworld readers and editors and are considered a benchmark throughout the industry. The awards recognise those products and vendors which have made a significant contribution throughout the past year taking into account the most important technologies used by businesses and consumers.
New FileMaker Business Alliance
Brussels - May 7, 2007 - In its relentless quest to better serve its ever-growing customer base, FileMaker announced recently it is replacing its progressively outdated FileMaker Solutions Alliance with two brand new programs, giving both business partners and developer communities the focus they deserve.
BH&A, currently one of two FileMaker Solutions Alliance Partners in Belgium (the highest level in the Alliance), is therefore proud to become a FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum Member, ensuring its trusted customers enjoy the highest level of professionalism they are entitled to expect from Alliance business partners.
Needless to say, BH&A's developers will join FileMaker TechNet, FileMaker's on-line community of developers, ensuring its customers constantly benefit from the latest knowledge available.
Benoît Hauglustaine, BH&A's general manager, summarized this change: "Highlighting the shift in focus from 'solutions' to 'business', the move's expected impact is to further increase BH&A's visibility as a reliable business partner for companies in search of quality, tailor-made, knowledge management software solutions."
LayoutProperties
Lyon, France - Mar. 23, 2007 - BH&A, in partnership with DLSystems, announces the publication of a file intended for FileMaker developers: LayoutProperties.
Developed by Fabrice Nordmann, working for BH&A, this revolutionary navigation technique saves precious time for developers and considerably reduces the risk of errors.
The principle: rather than placing the way in which layouts must be displayed in scripts or in their parameters, this is embedded directly in the layouts.
Thanks to the functionalities of FileMaker 8.5, the layout can become an object in the sense that it is understood in the object-oriented programming. This technique makes it possible to largely overcome the limitation of FileMaker 8.5 – that it does not allow to set a property for a layout’s object.
This is not a plug-in, but rather a grouping of custom functions, scripts and a layout to copy in your file. No field is required for LayoutProperties to function! Implementing LayoutProperties in your application takes no more than five minutes.
Reasons for buying LayoutProperties
If the general principle is in the public field, the LayoutProperties file includes many advanced features that will immediately make this modest investment cost effective (the most spectacular are indicated in bold in the list below):
- Move window
- Resize window
- Adjust window (and get rid of full screen/Windows version annoyance)
- Trigger script (third party free plug-in required)
- Popup window
- Window uniqueness (a layout can be set so as to close every other window when displayed)
- Window title
- Zoom level
- Zoom lock
- Status area show/hide
- Status area lock
- Text ruler show/hide
- View as (form, list, table)
- Window mode (browse, preview, find)
- Memorise user's modification within a session (resizing, zoom, status area, etc.)
- Go to an object
- Restore tab panels state
Bundled with layout properties, Fabrice Nordmann's 'restore tabs' technique allows you to store and restore all selected tab panels (visible or not) on all layouts: no more ‘switch to default tab’ hassle.
- Hard code or use formulas
This is revolutionary as it allows you to overcome FileMaker 8.5’s limitation, which is that it does not allow a property to be set for a named object. Thanks to this feature, the layout itself is able to behave according to your data!
- Simplified syntax
Several properties include a simplified syntax. For example, if a window should pop up with a height twice as big as the original window, simply write "*2" instead of a long calculation! Simply use ‘+’ and ‘-’ to zoom in or out instead of many Case statements.
- Audit function
LayoutProperties includes a powerful audit function that allows you to see the layout properties immediately, without switching to layout mode.
By adopting LayoutProperties, you immediately gain hours of development time. By freeing yourself from the context, you considerably simplify your development work. You radically reduce the risk of error. You make the navigation and display of your applications more flexible. Put more simply, by giving the model its own display characteristics, you eliminate the risk of errors related to programming scripts or to the quality of the data of your interface.
But above all, the reason why we have decided to distribute this file commercially is to encourage you to advance this technique further. We are convinced that these properties that have already been taken into consideration can be improved and that other layout properties can be envisaged. By buying LayoutProperties and passing on your improvements, you receive the improvements made by other developers that have been passed on to us. Regard this as an open-source platform with an entry ticket, one that will enable us to support developers and co-ordinate future improvements.
When you buy LayoutProperties, you are buying the right to unlimited use. It costs 199€ – about the same as you would bill for the cost of two hours of development. With LayoutProperties you will gain much more as from the first week of use!
Preparing for Windows Vista
Santa Clara , California (USA) - Mar. 20, 2007 - FileMaker has released an updater for FileMaker Pro 8.5 and FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced that addresses certain Windows Vista issues.
FileMaker do not recommend the use of any other FileMaker product on Windows Vista. FileMaker Server 8.0 and FileMaker Server 8.0 Advanced will not install. We have not tested any previous versions of FileMaker database for compatibility with Windows Vista.
For notification of FileMaker patches and updates, and other important news, please subscribe to FileMaker News.
FileMaker do not intend to release a Windows Vista update for FileMaker Server 8.0 or FileMaker Server 8.0 Advanced. However it is our plan to maintain compatibility with Windows Vista in future FileMaker releases.
FM Conference 2007
Paris, France - Dec. 18, 2006 - Fabrice Nordmann (BH&A) has been invited as a speaker and workshop presenter at the third french speaking FileMaker Conference that will be held at the Novotel Lyon Gerland in Lyon (Rhône, France), March 23 - 25, 2007.
FileMaker Press Release FM Conference 2007 - 3rd French Speaking FileMaker Conference
Paris, France - Dec. 18, 2006 - La Source multimédia, with the support of FileMaker France, is pleased to announce the third french speaking FileMaker Conference that will be held at the Novotel Lyon Gerland in Lyon (Rhône, France), March 23 - 25, 2007.
The conference will give consulting and/or in-house developpers as well as end-users, the ability to increase their knowledge and share their experiences using the FileMaker product line.
During two days, 8 sessions and 10 workshops will cover a wide range of the FileMaker products capabilities:
Sessions:
- FileMaker Pro 8.5 tips & tricks - Ugo Di Luca (DL Systems)
- Advanced programming - Marc Lamouret (Turbopige)
- Using the new FileMaker Pro 8.5 web viewer - Jean-Luc Bévierre (FileMaker)
- Using FileMaker with AppleScript - Jean-Marie Hoornaert (H2O)
- How to manage the FileMaker security - Vincent Gilet (RSG Technology)
- FileMaker and mobility - Yann Liqueur Salzédo (Infografix)
- Data modeling - Fabrice Nordmann (BH&A)
- FileMaker "under the hood" - Thomas Kunetz (FileMaker)
Workshops:
- Building an Instant Web Publishing solution - Jérôme Manin (UPVD)
- Object oriented programming with FileMaker - Fabrice Nordmann (BH&A)
- Automation and VisualBasic with FileMaker - Marc Auduc (Actilan)
- Advanced using of the web viewer - Olivier Devriese (La Source multimédia)
- Administering FileMaker Server - David Clot (FileMaker)
- Development quality - Benoît Jolly (Active Développement)
- Flash integration in FileMaker 8.5 - Manuel Chamoulard (Interface)
- How to use the DDR (Database Design Report) - Alexandre Vial (EODe)
- Tips & tricks for rapid programming - Pierre Colin (Interface)
- FileMaker API PHP overview - Sébastien Vautrain (La Source multimédia)
On Friday, prior to the conference, two "experts" pre-conference sessions will be presented during 2 hours, providing a high level expertise to the attendees.
Pre-conference sessions:
- FileMaker naming conventions - Thomas Kunetz (FileMaker)
- Contractual liabilities of the FileMaker developer - Michel Lansard (Editomac) and Thibaut Michalon (Cabinet Mark & Law)
For more information and registration, please visit http://www.fmconf.com
FileMaker Expressions
Murrieta, California (USA) - Sep. 1, 2006 - Matt Petrowsky unveils "FileMaker Expressions - (Text Extraction Via Calculation)". In this video Matt Petrowsky presents a very powerful set of custom functions which can extract text based on using regular ole FileMaker functions.
"The concept is very powerful and can be used in a variety of ways. Hold on to your hat as we take a look at this powerful custom function from Fabrice Nordmann!" says Matt.
For more information, please visit http://www.filemakermagazine.com/videos/filemaker-expressions-text-extraction-via-calculation.html