Apple iOS users can get the new FileMaker Go app for free
Version 12 of the database app is now accessible in Apple's App Store as a free download for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
FileMaker Pro users can download the latest iOS version of the program for free starting today.
FileMaker Go 12 lets iOS users access databases created by the full desktop edition of FileMaker Pro 12. Dedicated versions are available for the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad.
The new iOS apps coincide with new editions for the PC and Mac. Customers who want to try before they buy can download trial versions for both desktop platforms.
The latest iOS upgrade offers a variety of enhancements.
You can now multitask FileMaker Pro with other apps, letting you pick up where you left off. You can record video or audio from your iPhone or iPad and play it back through the app. You can also export your data from FileMaker into different formats, including Excel, CSV (comma-separated values), Tab (a delimited text file), and HTML.
And organizations that store their databases on FileMaker Server 12 can stream movies and music directly to an iOS device. Databases can be accessed on the iOS app by copying or e-mailing them from a PC or by connecting to them on FileMaker Server.
But it's the "free" part that's likely to prove the most appealing. Version 11 of FileMaker Go cost $19.99 for the iPhone and $39.99 for the iPad. Why offer the app as a freebie?
FileMaker spokesman Kevin Mallon told CNET that "FileMaker Go for iPad and iPhone are now free so that users can more easily trial both FileMaker Pro 12 and FileMaker Go 12 free and deploy FileMaker Go 12 much more widely throughout their companies and organizations."