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Frequently Asked Questions     Why should I consider a customized FileMaker solution rather than buying an off-the-shelf program? Does NightWing Enterprises support the current version of FileMaker Pro? What about prior versions? Are discussions with you about our business processes and our business data confidential? What options do you provide for technical support for FileMaker Pro? Where can we see what your work looks like - do you have any examples we can look at? Who will own the copyright to FileMaker Pro custom databases developed for us by NightWing Enterprises? Does NightWing Enterprises have any special credentials or industry recognition? How do your FileMaker consulting and development rates compare with other developers? Does NightWing Enterprises configure or sell computer hardware or systems? You are in Melbourne, Australia, and we are not. Are you able to provide FileMaker Pro consulting and development effectively over large distances?

Q1 Why should I consider customized FileMaker solution rather than buying an off-the-shelf program? FAQ list     If your business does not work in precisely the same ways as all other businesses, yet you have the same software as everyone else you may be working inefficiently? What are the real costs of squeezing yourself into other people's shoes, year after year? What are the lost opportunities? There are many commercial software products such as MYOB or QuickBooks that promise low-cost - but they rarely provide the most efficient or, ultimately, the most economical way of organizing your business when viewed overall. Also, they usually cover only part of your operations leaving other parts to be handled by some other system. If you are using off-the-shelf programs, your business model is almost certainly dictated - at least in part - by the way the programs work. This in turn diminishes your competitive advantage , while opportunities (for growth as well as for economies) are forfeited. It does not have to be so difficult. At NightWing Enterprises, we are specialists in building software that works the way *you* work - that provides the data you require *when* you require it. We offer FileMaker Pro custom Development services because we know the value of custom software. We understand that your business is not like every other business and we know that custom software can transform your business and put you back in the driving seat. Our select clients benefit from our extensive skill set as well as our consistency in delivering leading edge FileMaker Pro consulting and development services. We pride ourselves of being able to bring innovation, know-how and a rigorous work ethic to every project we undertake. We make a point of keeping abreast of the latest technologies and industry best practice because we believe that custom FileMaker solution you acquire now must serve you for many years. To make a change and to do things differently it will be necessary for you to substantially invest in the future of your business. When you are ready to do that, we're ready to build the systems to carry you forward. You will find additional information on why we think that FileMaker Pro is the best tool for this job on our Why Choose FileMaker Pro page.

Q2 Does NightWing Enterprises support the current version of FileMaker Pro? What about prior versions? FAQ list     Not only is NightWing Enterprises a FileMaker Certified Developer for versions 7, 8, 9 and 10, but we have extensively used every successive version of FileMaker Pro for more than a decade, so we have depth of knowledge of the behavior of the application. We draw on this insight and excpertise daily - and we are happy to share it with you according to your needs. As FileMaker consultants, although we have the skills to help you with any recent (or not so recent) version of FileMaker Pro, we nevertheless encourage you to stay current and to upgrade to a current version of the product. There are many reasons for this. One is that if you are benefiting from the technology provided by FileMaker Inc, we believe that as a matter of principle you should invest in the product and its ongoing development. Your contribution to the future of the product on which you depend takes the form of upgrading periodically. However there are other imperatives. Not only do the most recent versions work best with today's computers, they also provide improved power and flexibility - all of which contribute to the achievement of the best outcomes for you. We therefore mandate that all new development should be in the current version of FileMaker Pro (presently version 8.x). While we will offer support for existing solutions (including limited expansion or further development of existing solutions) in the immediate past format of FileMaker Pro, we believe that this should be done within the context of a responsible migration plan to bring your solution up to date within a reasonable and manageable timeframe. Such a plan is the best form of future-proofing.

Q3 Are discussions with you about our business processes and our business data confidential? FAQ list     Yes, absolutely. We place the highest premium on the security of your data and all our discussions with you will be held in strictest confidence. We understand that all our clients are deserving of our care and discretion. You can count on it. As a standard part of our service terms as FileMaker consultants and as part of our commitment to your protection, we observe secure data handling and data storage methods and procedures and our equipment and facilities are designed to offer protection for your valuable information. This is simply part of our service. If you are in any way concerned or if you are operating under legal constraints or requirements, we will, on request, enter into a formal non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement with you. This is standard procedure and is available to all our clients as a matter of course.

Q4 What options do you provide for technical support for FileMaker Pro? FAQ list     We cannot guarantee FileMaker technical support unless you are a current client of NightWing Enterprises with funds on account. If you send us questions which are not covered by account funds, they will receive low priority (ie paid-up clients always get priority). We encourage you to establish an account with us for support. This can be done in several ways, but the simplest is an ad-hoc account where you deposit funds and then ask questions as you find the need. The time we spend researching and responding to your questions is then billed against the funds on account and when the funds are exhausted you have the option to extend. If you will require ongoing support and desire priority service, we offer the option of a support level agreement. This enables you to set in place a retainer arrangement to reserve a fixed amount of time per month. The benefit of this approach is that is is economical and guarantees our availability to attend to your needs within a reasonable timeframe. SLA clients always receive highest priority in the handling of their support requests. If we have developed (or are presently developing) a solution for you, it is wise to plan ahead for support. We recommend that custom database clients enter into a support level agreement for ongoing support and maintenance of their solutions.

Q5 Where can we see what your work looks like - do you have any examples we can look at? FAQ list     There are many samples and examples of our work available for download from the demos sections of our web site. A majority of our demos are unlocked and provide insight into advanced or innovative techniques which we have developed and/or enhanced. We make these resources available for the benefit of prospective clients and also as a service to fellow developers within the international FileMaker community. Our philosophy as professional FileMaker Pro consultants is one of encouraging the increase of skills and the advancement of the art of programming - especially with respect to FileMaker Pro. Anything we are able to contribute to this end only serves to make a great product even greater. We benefit, our fellow developers benefit - and you benefit. In a spirit of sharing, we therefore publish a selection of techniques, discussion papers, articles and resources, as well as participating in a number of forums and lists relating to FileMaker Pro. You may already be aware of the various resources we make available, but if not, be our guest and browse our resources, demos and demo archive pages.

Q6 Who will own the copyright to FileMaker Pro custom databases developed for us by NightWing Enterprises? FAQ list     In general, international copyright laws vest the copyright ownership of custom computer software in the developer of that software. Therefore unless otherwise specified and mutually agreed, NightWing Enterprises retains all rights to software which we develop. This includes the rights to reuse, resell, or otherwise modify or distribute the code in your solution in whole or in part. In practice, we design the bulk of any given solution specifically to meet the requirements of a given client and we do not use prefabricated code or templates. Your system will be an original work. As a matter of course, your contract with us will provide you with a non-exclusive, non-transferable ongoing license to use the completed work and all its components' associated deliverables. Although you will not be permitted to on-sell or sub-license the system/s we create for you, you will be permitted unlimited use of the system/s. You will, of course, retain ownership of any logos or other designs you provide to us, as well as any and all of your own data as loaded into your database system. If in due course you decide that you would like to acquire the full rights to the system we have built for you (for example if you would like to redevelop it independently or on-sell it as a commercial solution), you will be required to first negotiate an agreement with us for transfer of ownership of the solution.

Q7 Does NightWing Enterprises have any special credentials or industry recognition? FAQ list     Yes. NightWing Enterprises is proud to be a member of the FileMaker Business Alliance, an international organization which represents the best professional FileMaker developers throughout the world. As Business Alliance members, we have been through a process of review by FileMaker Inc., to ensure that we meet the requisite standards of technical proficiency, client service and professionalism. NightWing Enterprises is a FileMaker Certified Developer for FileMaker 7, FileMaker 8, FileMaker 9 and FileMaker 10. This means that we have undergone a rigorous independent testing process to demonstrate the breadth and depth of our knowledge of the full range of technical, theoretical and practical matters that are the stock in trade of true FileMaker Professionals. We are proud of this achievement and demonstration of our capability. In addition, NightWing Enterprises' lead developer, Ray Cologon was recipient of an award for Leadership and Technical Excellence in FileMaker Pro. Ray was nominated by his peers among the FileMaker develper community for this honor, which was awarded at the 2005 FileMaker Developer Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Q8 How do your FileMaker consulting and development rates compare with other developers? FAQ list     When you hire us, you are paying for our expertise, acquired over many years, as well as for our time 'now'. We encourage you to compare the prices charged by different developers, bearing in mind that we have taken great pains to be leaders in our field with regard to skills and the resources we bring to your project. The value we provide is therefore many times greater than that you may find elsewhere. We are one of a select few companies providing leading edge FileMaker consulting and development expertise worldwide. Although we are mindful of the international marketplace and set our rates accordingly, we are aware that our rates compare favorably with those of other developers who provide services and expertise at a comparable level internationally. Some of the solutions we have designed have been in use for over a decade. Our extensive experience in the creation of professional class FileMaker solutions for businesses in various parts of the world enables us to develop quickly and deliver greater functionality and greater depth and quality than our competitors. This means that regardless of rates, the costs vs benefits of a solution we design and build can be expected to work in your favor. Your investment in a custom solution which equips your business to move confidently and efficiently into the future can be expected to pay off both directly and indirectly over the life of the solution.

Q9 Does NightWing Enterprises configure or sell computer hardware or systems? FAQ list     No, we do not in general sell computers, operating systems or general computer software. Nor do we sell networking or other related equipment or technology. However as part of our service we will, on request, provide our clients with advice and recommendations about the configuration of systems to run their custom FileMaker applications. We recognize that it is important that the environment you operate within is optimized for the best results and so we take a holistic view of our relationship with you. If we believe that your systems may be compromised by inadequacies in the hardware or operating systems of your computers or networks, we will draw these to your attention and recommend measures to address any shortcomings. We understand that software cannot do its job in isolation.

Q10 You are in Melbourne, Australia, and we are not. Are you able to provide FileMaker Pro consulting and development effectively over large distances? FAQ list     Our clients are located in all corners of the globe and many of them are on other continents and have never met with us in person. Yet our track record of delivering first class service to clients is the same whether they are ten miles or ten thousand miles away from us. We are skilled communicators and are adept at using a variety of methods of communication over long distances to get the job done efficiently. We use email for much of our exchanges of information with clients and find that this is an excellent medium because it is rapid, yet creates a ready reference of information exchange that aids clarity. We routinely transfer FileMaker databases and associated files via email (as attachments) and via direct connections (ftp) between our servers and yours. There is rarely a need to exchange physical media. Moreover we will utilize various technologies for remote access (VPN, Citrix, TS, Remote Access WAN connect etc) to gain direct access to databases running on your workstations if the need arises. As a client of NightWing Enterprises you will receive the highest quality of service and will achieve results that equal the best of breed, regardless of your proximity to our headquarters.

Image taken in transit to the annual FileMaker Developer Conference.

NightWing Enterprises is a member of the FileMaker Business Alliance and a FileMaker Certified Developer.

NightWing Enterprises
ABN 22 207 533 285
www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker
PO Box 20, Dallas, Victoria, Australia 3047
Ph +61 3 9016 3347  •   Fax +61 3 9309 8273  •   Mobile 0409 309 143
Email: CobaltSky@nightwing.com.au

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