The 26th annual Claris developer conference, Claris Engage 2025, gathered developers, problem solvers, and industry leaders from around the world to celebrate 40 years of Claris FileMaker while unveiling transformative innovations—particularly in AI. The event highlighted the enduring impact of the platform and the exciting path ahead. 

Looking back and reimaging the future

The conference opened with a retrospective on FileMaker’s journey, led by Andrew LeCates, Claris’ director of product marketing and evangelism. From its 1986 debut as a revolutionary graphical user interface (GUI) database, FileMaker has consistently pushed the boundaries of accessible technology. Attendees were reminded of key milestones—from pioneering cross-platform support in the 1990s to ushering in mobile development with FileMaker Go and expanding into cloud-based solutions.

Throughout these evolutions, Claris has maintained its core mission of making advanced technology accessible to more users.

Andrew encouraged attendees to reimagine the platform as a foundation for a comprehensive workplace operating system.

As he put it “This isn’t just software … it’s the innovation backbone for creative problem solvers everywhere.”

AI takes center stage

Artificial intelligence emerged as the central theme of Claris Engage 2025, not as a speculative concept but as a practical enhancement to real-world development.

Ryan McCann, Claris CEO emphasized it: “There’s magic that happens when problem solvers, pro developers, and the Claris platform come together.”

“AI is revolutionizing software development at an unprecedent pace … shifting the market in our favor.” 

Rather than replacing developers, AI is enhancing their capabilities, giving them development superpowers.

With FileMaker, developers already have the data and customization capabilities to integrate generative AI into their custom apps today.

Empowering rapid innovation

With AI as a core component in FileMaker, you can innovate faster than before, and more cost-effectively, too. The tools empower you to create new, rich user experiences, such as letting people use natural language to interact with a custom app and unlocking data that wasn’t easily accessible.

Customization + AI + Deep data = More powerful business solutions

“AI isn’t just accelerating innovation. It’s widening the gap between those who are ready and those who aren’t.” – Giuliano Iacobelli, VP of Product Management

You can leverage LLMs, securely deploy local AI models, and customize AI functionality using our Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) features.

These tools let you build sophisticated AI-driven apps with:

• Improved searches that make it easier to surface relevant data and images.
• Semantic searches using natural language.
• The ability to find information based on meaning and context, not exact keyword matches.
• Boosted data-driven insights.

Looking ahead, Claris product manager Ronnie Rios previewed upcoming features for FileMaker 2025, including agentic systems—intelligent software capable of independently planning and executing tasks.

“Creating agentic systems isn’t that difficult. However, creating reliable agents is, and that requires a full-stack approach” Rios explained.

These AI tools empower developers to create rich, new user experiences like never before.

Watch a recorded livestream focused on AI and FileMaker.

Unified platform strategy

While AI capabilities received significant attention, presenters emphasized that these technologies function as enablers dependent on a robust foundation.

Claris detailed its unified platform approach:

• FileMaker remains at the core of the platform. It’s optimized for internal teams running complex operations.
• Claris Studio expands the platform’s capabilities for responsive, external-facing web solutions, deepening data gathering.
• Claris Connect integrates data seamlessly across systems with APIs, allowing you to automate your whole tech stack.

Giuliano Iacobelli announced the unified licensing model, granting access to all three under a single plan, ensuring developers take full advantage of the platform’s capabilities without friction.

Empowering developers with new tools

Claris product manager Robert Holsey showcased Claris Studio as a solution for creating external-facing applications, client portals, and web experiences.
“The ability to easily extend your solution to the web gives you the power to seamlessly connect internal teams and external users within a single, unified stack of custom software systems.” Robert Holsey, Claris product manager

Claris Studio saw several key enhancements, including iFrame embedding, pre-filled forms, identity provider integrations, and upcoming support for custom views. Combined with a new Claris Studio connector in Claris Connect, developers can now automate and scale solutions faster and more efficiently.

Digital transformation as a continuous journey

Marketing VP Ann Devens outlined Claris’s commitment to supporting customers through ongoing digital transformation and outlined the key stages of digital transformation:

1. Identifying the problem. Great solutions start with challenges. Problem solvers turn to Claris for custom solutions that drive real value.
2. Achieving the first win. The first successful app is a breakthrough moment, provinga custom solution can transform how a business operates.
3. Scaling success. Seeing the first solution’s impact sparks momentum to optimize and innovate across the organization.
4. Future-proofing through innovation. Forward-thinking problem solvers keep iterating, evolving, and building new solutions that drive progress.

Ann summed it up: “Digital transformation isn’t just about what you build today. It’s about ensuring you have access to the right people and resources to enhance your skills for building in the future.”

Claris continues to expand educational resources through Claris Academy, livestreams, and hands-on Explorer Labs to support developers at all skill levels.

That’s exactly why Claris is committed to your success. From Claris Academy’s certifications and hands-on Explorer Labs to a thriving community and expert partners, the platform is structured to support every stage of a developer’s journey—from initial learning to enterprise-scale innovation.

• Dive into the Claris Community and take advantage of everything available to help enhance your dev skills.
• Prefer an expert create a tailored solution for you? A Claris Partner can help.
• Explore success stories to see how partners drive digital transformation and continuous improvement.

Celebrating innovation from the past year

The conference included the announcement of the 2024 Claris Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding developers and partners, who pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with Claris technology.

A highlight was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Wim Decorte of Soliant Consulting for his long-standing contributions to the FileMaker community.

Check out the full list of award recipients.

Saying goodbye to a Claris legend

A poignant moment came with the retirement tribute to Andrew LeCates, who spent over 30 years with Claris. His influence on both the product and the community was honored by colleagues and attendees alike, underscoring his legacy as a guiding force in Claris’ story.

“I just feel lucky I picked up FileMaker 37 years ago. It gave me a career I’m proud of and deep friendships with fellow developers around the world. Now as I look forward, I’m more excited than ever by what Claris has in store for our platform. So, you can bet I’ll still be building with Claris and learning new AII capabilities along with our community” Andrew exclaimed.

The road ahead

Claris Engage 2025 offered a clear and inspiring vision of both the present and future of the Claris platform. As the community embraces new technologies and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, the event underscored a shared commitment to creativity, innovation, and the transformative power of AI.

With the tools, talent, and momentum in place, the path forward is full of opportunity—and the Claris ecosystem is ready to lead the way.