Driving innovation through custom software solutions, tailored to meet your unique business needs.
About Portage Bay Solutions
Portage Bay Solutions is a custom software development firm based in Seattle, WA, with additional offices in the Chicago, Dallas, Omaha, Orange County, and Vancouver areas.
Over thirty years of experience in delivering high-quality Claris FileMaker solutions across multiple platforms.
Dedicated to maximizing your software investments while enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in your business processes.
The Portage Bay Solutions team of Certified FileMaker developers has a deep understanding of the Claris FileMaker platform and is experienced in helping businesses customize and extend the software to meet specific needs. Whether you need help with FileMaker design, deployment, database development, maintenance — or everything — Portage Bay is the perfect partner to help you realize the full potential of your FileMaker investment.
Our Clients
Portage Bay Solutions has been assisting clients with their custom database projects for more than 30 years. With a team of experienced database programmers, we have worked with a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to large corporations.

EXCELLENT Based on 11 reviews Rebecca McDonald2025-06-03Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Portage Bay Solutions were a great help and continue to be so, in creating and maintaining our art gallery database. Filemaker was truly the right choice for us. Everyone there has been incredibly available to help us, including immediately archiving our database after a fire. I only have good things to say about them all! Dan Smiley2024-02-16Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Portage Bay Solutions has been an absolute game-changer for our company's software and technology needs. From the very first interaction, their team demonstrated a deep understanding of our unique challenges and offered innovative, tailor-made solutions that have significantly improved our operations and efficiency. Their expertise spans a wide range of software solutions, ensuring that regardless of the complexity of the problem, they have the skills and knowledge to address it effectively. What sets Portage Bay Solutions apart is not just their technical acumen but their customer service and support. They are incredibly responsive, always ready to assist with any queries or issues that arise. This level of support has been invaluable, giving us the confidence that we have a reliable partner in our corner. Their team exhibits a genuine commitment to our success, taking the time to understand our business goals and aligning their services to help us achieve them. This proactive approach has led to significant improvements in our workflows, productivity, and overall technological capabilities. Moreover, Portage Bay Solutions consistently delivers on time and within budget, which is crucial for planning and financial forecasting. Their transparent communication throughout the project lifecycle ensures that there are no surprises, and we always know where we stand. In conclusion, Portage Bay Solutions has been a pivotal partner for our company. Their blend of technical expertise, customer service, and genuine commitment to our success has made them an invaluable asset. I highly recommend Portage Bay Solutions to any business looking to enhance their software and technology capabilities. Their team is not just a service provider; they are a partner in your success. Tom Halsted2023-03-10Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have utilized FileMaker Pro support services from Portage Bay Solutions for many years. They have always responded to our support requests quickly. They have a deep knowledge of our FileMaker Pro tools and systems, resolve our issues and answer our questions in detail, and are great to work with. I highly recommend them. Galen Callahan2022-10-06Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Portage Bay has helped us develop an extremely efficient and powerful system to grow and operate our Aerospace and Defense machine shop into becoming AS9100 and ISO 9001 certified. I recommend them for not only their experience and professionalism in developing software in general, but also their exceptional organization and project management. Their general business aptitude, through suggestions and feedback, has greatly aimed the project down a very good path. This is a very rare and powerful type of competence that helped us keep focused on the most value added areas, allowing us to stay on budget and on time. Thank you everyone at PBS! Eugenius2022-08-29Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our team at Eugenius has had the pleasure to work with Portage Bay on various projects and ongoing support for our mutual clients over the past few years. The team at Portage Bay is wonderful to work with. Their team has excellent customer service, communication and trouble shooting skills. They're always willing to go the extra mile doing a deep dive to resolve any issues that arise. They go above and beyond to develop efficient, secure, custom application solutions for their clients. We look forward to working with them for more years to come. Maria Speer2021-11-02Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We hired Portage Bay Solutions to bring us from Filemaker 6.0 to 19, we were pretty resistant to change. John, Brandynn and the team did a fantastic hob understanding our requirements and offering solutions that have made our database so efficient. We could not be happier! I HIGHLY recommend them for all your filemaker needs! Harlan Brown2021-01-29Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Portage Bay Solutions has been a supplier to this division of 3M (Specialty Glass Group, Seattle, WA), for over 25 years. John Newhoff and his team have created Quality Management databases including customized physical property management systems unique to our industry. They have been a valuable partner instrumental to our growth. Carolyn Carmines2018-12-10Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The team at Portage Bay built us (MEg TV) a rock solid, masterfully constructed database which proved to be intuitive and highly customized to our needs. Good, smart people who can take a complicated, layered set of specs, wrangle it and complete it on time and on budget. What more could you want?? Carla Marsh2018-12-08Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. John and his team at Portage Bay Solutions are exquisitely skilled at Filemaker’s database creation and development. They reviewed my database, collaborated with me on what my end user experience should be, and made some invaluable recommendations on how to get to that optimal end user experience. Portage Bay was easy to communicate with throughout the process and responsive to my company’s needs and requests. They get my highest recommendation! Jo Ollila2018-11-28Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Portage Bay built a fully customized EMR solution using FileMaker for our group of medical practices. They also developed an iOS app for physicians and patients on FileMaker and finally helped us migrate the EMR application from local servers to AWS. These were all huge undertakings but the team did a tremendous job on all fronts. We have worked with Portage Bay for nearly 10 years and they feel more like an internal partner than an external vendor. We are grateful for the breadth and depth of their FileMaker expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sets Portage Bay Solutions apart as one of the best FileMaker consulting companies?
At Portage Bay Solutions, we have 30+ years of expertise in custom software application development using Claris FileMaker Pro. Our approach centers around understanding your business needs and delivering tailored solutions that resolve your most critical issues. Our customers often mention our swift and quality delivery, adaptability, and long-term support as key elements of our service.
How can Portage Bay Solution's FileMaker consulting services boost my business operations?
Our FileMaker consulting and development services can help streamline your business operations by creating custom software to meet your specific needs. Whether it’s integrating cloud-based applications with your FileMaker solution, managing your FileMaker Server, or building web applications, we’re equipped to enhance your workflow, increase staff efficiency, and foster business growth.
What can I expect from your FileMaker Pro consultants during the development process?
Our Certified FileMaker developers engage in a collaborative process that includes thorough planning, development, and deployment stages. We ask detailed questions about your organization and goals, design a tailored solution, and ensure smooth delivery. Post-deployment, we remain available for ongoing support and refinement.
What are the benefits of working with Certified FileMaker developers like Portage Bay Solutions?
Working with a specialist FileMaker development consultancy like Portage Bay Solutions gives you a distinctive edge in your industry. We leverage the power of the leading low-code platform, Claris FileMaker Pro, to swiftly incorporate new business processes across various platforms and create solutions that set your firm apart.
How does Portage Bay Solution's FileMaker server consulting service maintain my database application's peak performance?
Our FileMaker Server Maintenance srvice is designed to ensure that your database applications do not experience unexpected downtime and can be recovered efficiently in the event of a disaster. We offer expert guidance and support for your license acquisition and management requirements, optimizing costs while meeting your organization’s needs.
Can I find a Portage Bay Solutions FileMaker consultant near me?
Portage Bay Solutions is a well-established, full-service Claris FileMaker development and consulting firm with offices in Seattle, WA, Austin, TX, Omaha, NE, and Tampa, FL. Our team of FileMaker experts, with a deep understanding of the Claris FileMaker platform, is dedicated to helping clients optimize their software investments and improve their business processes. Regardless of your location, we’re experienced in customizing and extending the software to meet your specific needs. Whether you require assistance with FileMaker design, deployment, database development, or maintenance, Portage Bay Solutions stands ready to help you unlock the full potential of your FileMaker investment.
Is FileMaker being discontinued?
No. FileMaker has been around for nearly 40 years and continues to be the leading choice for low-code development. It also has a strong and active developer community. …
Does anyone still use FileMaker?
Is FileMaker still relevant?
Absolutely! FileMaker remains a relevant and actively supported platform for building custom applications, especially for organizations needing rapid development and tailored solutions. It’s not being discontinued, and continues to evolve with new versions and integrations. …
Here’s why FileMaker is still relevant:
- Rapid Application Development: FileMaker allows for quick development of custom applications to meet specific business needs.
- Customizability: It offers a high degree of control and customization, enabling users to build solutions tailored to their unique workflows.
- Integration with other platforms: FileMaker can integrate with other platforms through Claris Connect, enabling automation and data sharing.
- Cross-platform compatibility: FileMaker applications can be accessed on various devices, including Mac, Windows, iOS, and web browsers.
- Strong community support: A dedicated developer community and continued support from Claris (formerly FileMaker) ensure ongoing development and troubleshooting.
- Continued evolution: FileMaker is not stagnant, with regular updates and new features being released, like Claris Studio and Claris Connect.
- Affordability: FileMaker Pro and Go are considered to be very affordable, especially for small to medium sized businesses.
Is FileMaker still owned by Apple?
Yes, FileMaker is still a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apple. In 2019, it was rebranded back to its original name, Claris. Although it operates independently with its own offices and development, it is still owned and supported by Apple. FileMaker, now Claris, continues to develop and support FileMaker Pro, a database application that runs on various platforms. …
Ready to Accelerate Growth?
Contact us today to discuss how our custom solutions can elevate your business and streamline operations.