In 1987, Apple introduced Claris, a spin-off company that produced applications such as MacWrite, MacPaint, and FileMaker. For over a decade, these products were a staple of the Apple ecosystem. However, in 1998, Apple brought all of these products back under its umbrella, except for the low-code application platform FileMaker. As a result, Claris changed its name to FileMaker Inc. Today, the company is reviving its original name, Claris International, as it expands its offerings beyond its flagship product.
A New Era for Claris
Under the leadership of new CEO Brad Freitag, who recently took over from Dominique Goupil, Claris is looking to accelerate its vision and strategy. According to Freitag, the company’s mission remains unchanged: making powerful technology accessible to everyone. However, with the leadership change comes a more aggressive posture in bringing this vision to life.
"We’re accelerating our vision and our strategy," said Freitag. "We’ve described our vision for a long time as making powerful technology accessible to everyone. And with the leadership change, we are really asserting a more aggressive posture in bringing that product roadmap to life."
Launching Claris Connect
As part of its revamped strategy, Claris is launching Claris Connect, a tool for integrating various cloud services and automating workflows between them. This move marks a significant expansion of the company’s offerings beyond its flagship FileMaker product.
Claris Connect is designed to simplify the process of connecting different cloud services, enabling users to automate tasks and streamline their workflow. With this launch, Claris is also confirming the acquisition of Stamplay, an Italian startup that specializes in creating tools for connecting enterprise APIs.
A New Product Lineup
With the introduction of Claris Connect, FileMaker will remain the company’s flagship product, but it will be joined by a new lineup of offerings. This expanded portfolio is expected to cater to a broader range of users and industries, solidifying Claris’ position in the market.
Why the Name Change?
So why is Claris making this move now? According to Freitag, the name change reflects the company’s shift towards a more comprehensive suite of products and services. With FileMaker as its flagship product, Claris is looking to expand its brand recognition and category awareness efforts.
"We have great brand recognition with FileMaker," said Freitag. "However, we feel that our core business needs to move beyond just being a database-driven application company. We need to think about how we can help people automate workflows and support new types of applications."
Expanding Beyond Low-Code/No-Code
While low-code/no-code has been gaining traction in the industry for several years, FileMaker hasn’t yet made significant waves. However, with its expanded offerings, Claris is poised to change this.
"We’re looking at expanding our business significantly," said Freitag. "As we look out five years, we see multiplying the user community by at least 3x and there’s a pretty clear path to getting there."
A New Era for FileMaker
FileMaker currently serves over one million end-users across various industries. With its revamped product lineup and expanded offerings, Claris is poised to capture an even larger share of the market.
"We believe that our new products will be more appealing to a broader range of users," said Freitag. "We’re excited about the opportunities this presents for us to grow our business and help people automate their workflows."
A Stronger Focus on Automation
As Claris continues to expand its offerings, it’s clear that automation will play a central role in its strategy.
"We believe that automation is key to driving productivity and efficiency," said Freitag. "Our new products are designed to simplify the process of automating tasks and workflows."
A New Chapter for Claris
As Claris revives its original name, it’s clear that this marks a significant new chapter for the company.
"We’re excited about our future prospects," said Freitag. "We believe that our new products will help us grow our business and make powerful technology more accessible to everyone."
With its expanded offerings, renewed focus on automation, and revamped strategy, Claris is poised to take the industry by storm.
