Filemaker Server? Terminal Service?

[IplayWoW]

I'm running Job Pro Central on Filemaker Server 9 (and clients are using Filemaker Pro 9). Job Pro Central runs perfectly for users within the LAN... however, it is UNGODLY slow loading remotely.

My situation: Office in Chicago 10 users

Office in Mexico 5-7 users

I want the office in Mexico to efficiently and effectively access Job Pro Central... but... hosting it on Filemaker Server is just the wrong way of doing it. Here's the problem.

Chicago office is all Mac.

Mexico office is a mixed environment of Mac/PC

Multiple users connect to the database simultaneously so PCAnyWhere and Timbuktu are out of the question.

I don't have the resources for software/hardware like Citrix/a PC to run Terminal Service

Are there any viable, cost effective alternatives to solving the performance dilemma of hosting such a database on my NEW XServe? (Or would buying a PC and using Job Pro Central on Terminal Service be the most cost effective?)

[IdealData]

This is all about BANDWIDTH, or the lack of it.

Job Pro Central has many graphics on the layouts which will definitely slow things down, however your DSL line is the basic bottleneck. The most I've seen from commercially available DSL options is 2.5Mbit/s, and even that's no where near enough to support the Mexico office.

Consider having the system hosted on the net somewhere. Maybe even co-location for your Xserve. That would certainly improve things, but it won't be any where near as snappy as local LAN.

Did you talk the the people at Job Pro Central about this beforehand?

[IplayWoW]

I spoke to David (Job Pro Central) about it and he said it wouldn't be an issue. Although, I don't think he fully understood the poor quality of internet in Mexico (and locally).

Would you recommend toning down Job Pro a little (E.g. gray-scale, removing some graphics, etc) or do I just simply need to get an external host with sufficient bandwidth?

[IdealData]

Exactly what quality of DSL service have you got.