MBS FileMaker Plug-in V1.1 Released

[Todd Geist]

October 31 , 2006.

MonkeyBreadSoftware and geist interactive, release version 1.1 of the

MBS FileMaker plug-in.

What's New!

- Now FileMaker 7 Compatible!

- Run VBScripts or JScripts from FileMaker

- Trigger FileMaker Scripts via calculations

- Disable the window widgets. Turn of "Close", "Zoom", and "Minimize"

- Turn the Window Shadow on OSX on or off

- Set the Application Window Size and Position on Windows OS

Plus many more new functions, fixes, example files, and documentation.

The MBS plug-in now contains over 50 functions, adding power to

FileMaker in the areas of Applescript, Window Scripts, Window

Mangement, and Screenshots. Planning for version 1.2 is already

underway. Many more features to come.

MonkeyBreadSoftware (http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de), maker of the

popular MBS Plug-in for RealBasic and geist interactive (http://

www.geistinteractive.com) have teamed up to bring the extensive MBS

function library to FileMaker. The MBS RealBasic plug-in contains

over 10000 functions, many of which would be useful to Filemaker.

This release brings the total number of functions ported to FileMaker

to 55.

The plug-in is available for FileMaker 7, 8 and 8.5. It is available

for Windows XP and as Universal Binary for Mac OS X. There is a

Developer Tool available to help you get started quickly with

documentation and Calculation builder. Demos are available on the

website, along with license and purchasing information.

more info: http://www.geistinteractive.com/mbs/

download: http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/filemaker/download.cgi

Press Contact

Todd Geist, geist interactive

mailto:[email protected]

[ThatOneGuy]

I applaud the "feature set" you've included in your plug-in (some pretty cool stuff), but I have to say my interest was dampened when I read the Licensing Terms ...

License Info webpage ... The serial number you receive will work for all versions of the plugin released for one year from the month of purchase. If you renew within that one year the cost is 50% of the original cost. [Emphasis added.]

It's your endeavour, so you get to determine the business model, but do these terms not differ significantly from those of most plug-in providers? Some clients are willing to pay for plug-ins. Others won't consider them, citing the paradox of (1) choosing to go with FileMaker and the cost of hiring a developer, yet (2) the desired functionality can't be achieved under FileMaker without reliance on third-party software ... which often leads them to revisit the issue of whether FileMaker is the right vehicle for their enterprise. (I'm not saying it's a good reason; it's just their reasoning; hence, some clients are willing to pay for plug-ins.) If I understand correctly your Licensing Terms, it seems to follow that the subset of clients who will entertain the addtional cost of a plug-in will be further reduced when developers have to disclose what appears to be a subscription model at its essence.

License Info webpage ... The "developer" license allows a commercial solution developer to redistribute the plugin along with a the bound or locked product. A separate license is required for each different product sold by the developer. [Emphasis added.]

Does the Developer License eliminate the requirement of annual renewal? If not, is the Developer to whom the license is registered "on the hook" for the annual renewal fee or is there a means for us to transfer that financial obligation to the end client?

With regard to a locked product, do these Licensing Terms require that we withhold the master password from the client? I've worked with some plug-ins that provide a specific functionality which can be accomplished through a separate File that remains locked, such as address verification or payment processing. The features contained in your plug-in though are at their most attractive when applied as a "system-wide" solution. It's probably less vague than I'm reading it, but could you provide us with the benefit of a reply?

Respectfully.

[Todd Geist]

Thanks very much for taking the time to post your thoughts!

I think we may have some work to do on the license description. This is not really a subscription model. It is more like a "maintenance" model.

The plug-in you purchase will NEVER stop working (excepting of course major platform changes). The serial number will always work for the version of the plug-in that you purchased, plus all versions that are released for one year after that date.

We hope that you will see the value in renewing every year to get all the new features, but we do not force you to do.

As for the developer version of the license, the only difference is that you can redistribute the plug-in along with your "Locked" or bound solution. You can not give out the MBS plug-in Serial number in anyway, which means the solution must be locked or bound, since giving the passwords to the customer is in essence giving the MBS serial numbers away as well.

I took a survey of what other plug-in developers were using for their developer or redistribution license agreements. I think our is fairly typical of what they are doing.

Again for the developer version, you are never forced to buy a renewal just to keep your solution working. You only need it if you decide you want the next great thing, for example we are planning on adding things like encryption in the next couple of revs.

I hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to ask for more clarification. I want to make sure that we get the language as clear as possible.

Thanks

Todd

[ThatOneGuy]

And I appreciate your prompt and professional response, Todd. Your clarification of the Licensing Terms has assuaged much of my conern. I hope you didn't feel that I was "pouncing" on you or your product; it's got some neat features.

Thank you.

[xochi]

This is good news I've used the MBS plugins for REALbasic for years, and I have found the MBS folks to be very responsive to technical requests.

[Todd Geist]

One of the very cool things about porting the MBS RB plug-in to FileMaker is that most of the key parts have been in use for a few years with RealBasic, so the code is user tested. We just have to figure out how to present it to FileMaker.

If there are particular functions from the RealBasic Version that you would like to see ported earlier rather then later visit the MBS forum on my web site and post to the feature request forum.

MBS Plug-in Forum

Thanks

Todd