40 Years of Innovation with Claris FileMaker - why this matters
Claris FileMaker turned 40 in 2025, which is a remarkable achievement for any software product - especially as the development and evolution of the platform remains as vital and relevant to businesses now as it did back in the 1990s. Many of the senior members of DataTherapy Development Team have been using FileMaker since the 2.1 release. This is especially impressive if you remember the scope of technological change which has occurred over the last 25 years through the lens of the Claris' Parent Company, Apple:
- The modern macOS (then called Mac OS X 10.0 'Cheetah') was released in 2001.
- The first Intel based Mac was launched in 2006.
- The first iPhone was released in 2007.
- The first iPad was released in 2010.
- The first Apple Silicon based Mac was launched in 2020.
Ever since the FileMaker 2.1 release up to the modern FileMaker 2025 release, the platform has always supported the current macOS and Windows OS releases, while maintaining forward compatibility. What other IT products are are so business critical and yet have achieved such rude longevity?
What is the secret to software longevity?
FileMaker is a fantastically adaptable and flexible platform that can quickly evolve as your business grows to make your operations more efficient:
- FileMaker has a native app client for Windows, macOS, ipadOS and iOS. It also has WebDirect for browser access which supports browser access for Linux, Chromebooks and Android devices. Therefore, regardless of your choice of platform (or if you choose to change it) you can still continue to leverage the platform.
- FileMaker is not simply an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), but is a combined UI designer, intuitive Scripting Engine and Database Engine combined in a single app for rapid application development. This seamless integration allows for new business apps to be created, prototyped, test and deployed for live use with unprecedented speed.
- FileMaker Server can be run on-premises using macOS, Windows Server or Ubuntu Linux platforms, via private cloud server providers (like DataTherapy Hosting Service), or on the official Claris Cloud service. The flexibility of deployment options means that it can be easily scaled depending your business' specific performance, security and scaling requirements.
- Claris with Apple's backing has been aggressive at pivoting to incorporate new technologies - from mobile devices support, cloud hosting, support for web data transfer standards like JSON and most recently integration with LLM and AI service providers.
How Claris FileMaker use has changed over the last 20 years
Back in 2005, most FileMaker solutions would have been deployed on an on-premises server on a LAN, dial-up was the most common form of home internet access in the UK and a Handspring Treo was the ultimate smart phone.
In 2025, most FileMaker solutions are deployed on cloud servers, we have fibre broadband to home and offices int the UK, and both iPhone and Android smart phones support 5G wireless broadband as standard.
Despite all of the technological advances over the last 20 years, FileMaker for many organisations still acts as a 'single source of truth' for running their business operations.
Need help to empower your business with FileMaker?
At DataTherapy, we specialise in building custom apps for business using the Claris FileMaker platform. Whether you need training, support, cloud hosting, integration with AI or are ready to go all-in on developing a new app from scratch—we can help.
β Certified Claris FileMaker Developers
β UK-based team of full-time professionals
β Platinum Claris Partner
β Experts in secure, on-premise and private cloud deployment of FileMaker
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Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how local FileMaker can help your team move faster, work smarter, and stay fully in control of your data.












