We have just upgraded to v11 mainly because v10 had a serious bug where it wouldn't open unless the Filemaker Preferences folder was deleted, but I am starting to wonder whether we will need to upgrade again. Conditionals and Script Triggers are reasonably useful features from v9 and v10 but our business doesn't need anything much more complex than what we've got right now. Upgrading means spending money on the software and paying our contract IT guy to install it.

I just wonder if the technology should fit the business or the business should just keep on buying the technology.

Our IT guy says we have to keep upgrading because older versions cease to be supported but I don't ever recall needing software support for FMPro. I use MS Word 97 on my home computer still and the only thing I would ever have to do if it created a problem is reinstall it. Is the support thing just a way to ensure that developers keep buying the product and IT guys keep getting paid to install it? A job for life?

All advice gratefully received.

Well installing FileMaker is rather trivial - download click install type in a serial number. Not sure that is going allow your IT guy to afford that winter chalet :

IF your company has VOLUME license then it does make cents from a budget standpoint that you would have an annual maintenance agreement that when new releases come out during that year you get it. As it would be cheaper in the long term perhaps to maintain then skip a version and upgrade and have a larger budgetary commitment ever other year. Should the must have feature is released.

FMI supports one version back so currently they support 10 and 11, and there are a lot of developers here that support clients all the way back to v3. In fact this week my client is retiring a v3 Server & Clients and moving them to 11.

If you are the decision maker in your firm and you need to weigh the needs technically and fiscally, what ultimately provides the best ROI for your particular goals. Upgrading may need to take a back seat perhaps to use funds elsewhere. However keep in mind technology moves forward, and buying a new computer for a new user may not accommodate an older version of the software either forcing a site wide upgrade at an inopportune time.

here is a good article

http://www.productivecomputing.com/blog/?p=210

I can see why you might question the need to upgrade if your systems are not being advanced or taking on new features - but beware that ultimately the FM software will not run on the latest hardware or operating system.

I can see why you might question the need to upgrade if your systems are not being advanced or taking on new features - but beware that ultimately the FM software will not run on the latest hardware or operating system.

Which is my problem here http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/216140/ - one of inconvenience having to boot a second machine, or not being able to copy and paste data from other apps, for example.

But the databases are fine doing what they always did (which is pretty basic stuff) running FM3 on OS9/Classic!