The next question will be what program makes the most sense for your particular scenario.
these users do not need (nor can they use) FileMaker Pro Advanced, ever.
‘ Regular‘ users, who need to be able to use FileMaker Pro Advanced on their desktop workstation or laptop, FileMaker Go on their iOS device, or FileMaker WebDirect via a supported web browser.
There are three (3) kinds of users in the FileMaker Platform: The first part of that question is pretty simple to answer (i.e., what is the total population of potential users of the solution?), but the second may require us to define some terms. Your focus will shift from what to buy to how many users (and of what type) will be using my solutions? Instead of trying to enumerate the ingredients necessary to feed everyone at your banquet, you’ll focus on how many people will attend, and in which chair to seat them. The first and most noticeable difference in how the FileMaker Platform will now be licensed is just that – you’ll be licensing the platform and not the products. It wasn’t that it was a bad situation, just more complicated than it felt like it should be.
Uncertainty about these choices, or the quantities selected along the way, could have a one-, two- or three-year impact on a licensee’s perception of flexibility. Along the way, you often had to make choices and compromises. Historically the FileMaker family of products consisted of various parts that you would assemble (i.e., FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker Server, Concurrent Connections), somewhat à la carte, to achieve your desired setup. While licensing may not be as headline-grabbing as some of the newer features boasted by FileMaker 17 (I mean, how can anything compete with Master-Detail Layouts or Default Fields?), my vote for the best sleeper feature is this: FileMaker is now officially being sold as a Platform, and not as a grab-bag of different Products.