Are you wondering if you need a custom database or if FileMaker is the right solution for you? Or you have an old system that a former employee built and you’re not sure if you can update it or change it to meet your needs? What the heck is FileMaker, anyway? What are all these licensing options? Is my data secure? Did I buy the wrong thing?

We help you evaluate your needs for both managing the data you have, and automating time-consuming processes. Then we can look at your existing systems to see if they can be modified or integrated to do more. If FileMaker is the right answer, we help you purchase the licenses and plan your project. If it isn’t, we’ll help you find the right solution.

Some of our clients want to design and build their own databases, but they need help with some of the more advanced features. We’re happy to provide whatever level of support you need.

Many of our customers know they need something to help them manage their data, but they don’t know, or aren’t sure, what a database can really do. They have piles of spreadsheets and forms, but they can’t share the data and changes made in one place don’t always get updated in another place. They are spending hours compiling information from multiple locations to get a critical report. They can imagine what they want, but they don’t know how to get there.

You know your business, but we know how to design a database to do what you want. Designing a database with Desert Dog Technology is a creative partnership. You are helping to design your own software! As the expert in your business, there are a lot of details that you just know, without thinking about them, or sometimes without even being aware that you know them. The design and development process involves getting that information out of your head and into a system that can do some of the work for you.

That means we will work closely with you and your staff to learn all we can about what you do and how you do it, so we can make the best recommendations for your system. All those old spreadsheets can usually be migrated into the new database, so you won’t have to do all that work over, and your older data is accessible in the new system.

You need to connect your database to a shipping service or an accounting program or a mobile device? Integration with other software or devices is where a custom database shines.

Many customers choose to start with a standard desktop database, for office use only, and then later look for ways to extend it’s reach. Maybe the initial design worked great for your 5-person office, but now you have 20 people, and you need it to do more. Or maybe you just want to add features, like mobile access or a way for customers to access account information on the web.

Your custom database can grow with you. You decide when to add features, and you add only the features you want and can use.

Employee training, phone support, software upgrades, backups, and server management are some of the kinds of support and maintenance we provide. It might be a phone call to ask how to do a complex search, or a need to add a field and corresponding reporting to track some new data point. You had a power outage and need to check the server and data, or maybe restore a backup.

Whatever comes up, we can help or find the help you need.

Not sure what computer, smartphone, tablet, universal remote, smartTV, garage door opener, smart switch, light bulb, internet service, operating system, or software you want? Need help with hooking up an Apple TV? Can’t get the cable company to show up and fix the problem? We love technology, and we are early adopters of the latest thing, but we know it is rarely as simple to use as it looks on TV. And getting the wrong solution for the task can be a costly error. We can help you match what you want to accomplish with the best device for the job, and we can help you find the best price. We don’t sell hardware, but we do a lot of shopping.

We’ve spent many hours on the phone with tech support calls, so we know what to tell the internet provider so they will replace the bad modem or how to get the support person to escalate your call when it’s not a simple fix. We’ve made all the mistakes, so we know what to watch out for when you are installing a network that will scale up when you do.

We work one-on-one with you to learn how your technological systems impact all the people who connect with you: children, spouses, employees, customers, vendors and others. We strive to make the experience for everyone satisfying. And hopefully have some fun as well!

Have a question? We’re happy to take your call. Many times, that’s all that’s needed to solve a problem, and you don’t need to schedule a service call. If it’s an emergency, we can usually be there the same day. We try to avoid emergencies, though, for both our sakes, and we do that by developing a long-term relationship and understanding of you and your technology needs, so that we can plan ahead for necessary maintenance and keep things running smoothly.

As your technology consultant, we can also provide non-technical services like arranging repairs, liaison with technical support from other providers, or other wraparound services to save you time and allow you to focus on what’s important to you.

Technology marches forward relentlessly. If you work with it and it helps to pay your bills you have to keep up with it. Or you may be someone who likes the latest and greatest tool or toy. We can help you decide when it’s time to fix, upgrade or replace your devices depending on what your specific needs or desires dictate.

At home the landscape is changing rapidly. Home automation makes choosing a light bulb a technical question! We are learning about and implementing smart devices and can help you decide if and when adding that next layer of technical complexity is useful and valuable in your lifestyle.

Planning ahead also means noticing when that old server has outlived its purpose, and helping you decide when to replace or repair. Or maybe you are ready to try a new operating system and want to be sure you can use your older hardware.

Updates in an office environment usually mean there are computers of different ages or configurations to consider. If one person updates their software, everyone else that shares those files might need to update too. Software licensing options have changed dramatically in the last few years, with some companies going to annual fees, and others offering a range of traditional and newer options.

Some software updates can impact other apps that interact with that software. So knowing what has to be updated and what can wait, how to make sure everyone in the office is ready for the changes, and providing support for people who need more help are some of the ways we can help.

Maybe you are switching hardware completely – PC to Mac, Android to iOS or the other way around – and you need your data and services to be on a new system. Or maybe you got new software and you need your information transferred to the new system.

Or you waited too long to upgrade your system, and now your new software does not work with your old files.

Whatever the reason, we can help you get where you need to go now, and plan for the future so migrations and conversions can be done more easily next time.

You need all your devices to integrate or synchronize so you have everything you need where you need it. And it’s not just your computer and your phone anymore, now you need the phone to integrate with the car, the TV remote on the phone with the Apple TV and the stereo, the database in the office on your mobile device.

Whatever you need to connect, we can help. We don’t always know all the answers – it’s a big technology world out there! But we can find the best solution and help you get it and implement it.