On the Right Track

We recently finished an iPad solution for Canterbury Track Cycling using FileMaker Go. Known as RacePlace, it records the results of their club racing, championships and special events and integrates smoothly with the website we built for them at the end of last year.

There are lots of nifty mobile apps out there, but there are a few things that make this one a bit different, mainly that we've used the mobile version of FileMaker - FileMakerGo.

Why use FileMaker Go?

• Using FMGo makes development fast... and fast in the world of custom software equals affordable
• The solution can also be used offline (no internet connection) or online making results uploadable to the website in real time as race meetings are in progress
• Anyone with an iPad can record the results which means the organisers are not dependent on any one person to ensure results are published in a timely fashion

If we'd a approached this project using web technologies (HTML5) the solution would have to be connected to the internet to be used fully, thus restricting the recording of the results to those with a 3G iPad.

The iOS (native app) platform was also an option, but the cost would have been much greater and speed of deployment inhibited. Approval from the App Store would have been needed before release of the initial version and any subsequent iterations.

All this means FMGo is a very viable alternative for SME's looking for a mobile solution to help run their business?something that may not have been an option in the past.