What Productive Computing does

Productive Computing, Inc. is a private, family-owned Claris FileMaker development company founded in 1996 by brothers Marc and Keith Larochelle, headquartered in Vista, California (San Diego area). The firm specializes in the Claris FileMaker ecosystem, offering proprietary plug-ins, custom application development, managed AWS-based hosting, license resale, and a dedicated online training platform (Productive Computing University). Its customer base spans small-to-mid-sized businesses, large universities, marine towing operators, manufacturing firms, healthcare practices, and divisions of Fortune 500 enterprises that require custom database solutions and reliable third-party application integrations.

The company's technology stack centers on FileMaker with AWS as the hosting infrastructure backbone. The proprietary asset base comprises 14+ FileMaker plug-ins covering QuickBooks Desktop and Online (FM Books Connector family), Microsoft Outlook and Exchange (Outlook Manipulator, with Exchange Manipulator SE merged in), Google Workspace (gManipulator), Apple Contacts and Calendar, Adobe Acrobat DC PDFs, AWS S3 (Cloud Manipulator), and utility functions (file management, payments, eSign, biometric security, printer switching). Two packaged solutions, Core CRM Pro and Vessel Service Solutions, target horizontal CRM and the marine towing vertical respectively. Certifications held by the team include FileMaker Certified Developer, AWS Solutions Architect/Developer/Cloud Practitioner, and Intuit QuickBooks ProAdvisor; PCI also holds Claris Platinum Partner, Claris Reseller, Claris Trainer, Intuit QuickBooks Reseller, and QuickBooks Hosting Authorized Standard Host designations, plus the exclusive FileMaker Business Alliance Partner of the Year award.

Revenue is generated through seven streams: one-time and subscription plugin licenses, custom development professional services, recurring FileMaker and QuickBooks cloud hosting (tiers $27-$279/mo), recurring Maintenance Support Program contracts (Priority and Platinum), resale of Claris FileMaker and QuickBooks software licenses, training and certification through Productive Computing University, and predefined packaged services (FileMaker Server Installation, SSL, Security Audit, Solution Health Assessment). Go-to-market is consultative direct sales with a Consult-Choose-Clockwork process, free consultations, and an RFQ funnel, complemented by an e-commerce storefront, a community forum (PCI FM Forums), a YouTube channel, blog content, email newsletter, and active presence on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Marketing geographies are concentrated in the United States; channel reach for licensing is global through Claris and Intuit reseller agreements.

Name

Productive Computing

Legal name

Productive Computing, Inc.

Website

https://productivecomputing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Productive Computing is a family-owned Claris FileMaker development company offering proprietary integration plug-ins, custom development, AWS-based hosting, and online training. Founded in 1996, it serves SMBs, universities, marine operators, and Fortune 500 divisions needing custom database and third-party application integration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Database Integration Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Data App Builders (Forms, Portals & Internal Tools) (HDAEAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Document Creation & Office Suites (BPAMAMAD), Data & Analytics Platforms (Data Warehousing, Lakes, Streaming) (HDABAAAF), Database Tools & Ecosystem (Replication, Backup/Recovery, HA/DR, Monitoring) (HDAEAAAO)

Keywords

• FileMaker development services
• Database integration plugins
• Cloud hosting services
• QuickBooks integration software
• Custom business automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. FileMaker Plugins: Sale of proprietary plug-ins that integrate FileMaker with third-party applications including QuickBooks, Outlook, Google, Adobe PDF, AWS, credit card processors, and more. Plugins are sold as one-time licenses or subscriptions.
2. Custom Development Services: Billable custom FileMaker development services for building or upgrading FileMaker solutions tailored to customer needs.
3. Hosting Services: Monthly hosting fees for FileMaker Server hosting, QuickBooks hosting, and combined hosting plans. Includes dedicated and shared hosting options with various pricing tiers.
4. Maintenance Support Program (MSP): Monthly support contracts offering day-to-day FileMaker expert assistance with various tier levels (Priority, Platinum).
5. Software Licensing: Resale of Claris FileMaker and QuickBooks software licenses at discounted rates through authorized reseller partnerships.
6. Training and Certification: Online FileMaker training courses through Productive Computing University (PCU) including certification prep programs and individual course purchases.
7. Packaged Services: Predefined services including FileMaker Server Installation, SSL Certificate Installation, Security Audit, and Solution Health Assessment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Productive Computing develops and sells proprietary Claris FileMaker plug-ins that enable bidirectional data exchange between FileMaker databases and third-party applications such as QuickBooks, Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Adobe Acrobat, AWS, and Apple services. The company also provides custom FileMaker development services, managed cloud hosting for FileMaker and QuickBooks, and the Productive Computing University online training platform.

Product overview

Productive Computing is a Claris FileMaker development and hosting company offering a comprehensive ecosystem of plugins, solutions, and services. The core offering includes 14 FileMaker plugins for third-party integrations: FM Books Connector and FM Books Connector Online for QuickBooks accounting integration; Outlook Manipulator (with merged Exchange Manipulator functionality) for Microsoft Outlook/Exchange; gManipulator for Google Workspace; Address Book Manipulator and iCal Manipulator for Apple contacts/calendar; PDF Manipulator DC for Adobe PDF; Cloud Manipulator for AWS S3; plus utility plugins for file operations, credit card processing, electronic signatures, printer management, and biometric security. The company provides two pre-built solutions: Core CRM Pro (customizable CRM with QuickBooks integration) and Vessel Service Solutions (mobile solution for marine towing). Hosting services include Dedicated FileMaker Hosting (Essentials/Advanced/Premium plans), Shared FileMaker Hosting (Starter/Professional plans), and QuickBooks Hosting. Services encompass custom FileMaker development, packaged services (server installation, SSL, security audit), maintenance support programs, and Productive Computing University for training and certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Productive Computing University: Online training platform offering comprehensive Claris FileMaker courses, certification programs, and developer tools for FileMaker professionals
• Core CRM Pro
• Vessel Service Solutions
• PCU

Products and services

• FM Books Connector Plugin enabling bidirectional data exchange between FileMaker Pro and QuickBooks Desktop without requiring XML knowledge, using simple script steps. Supports QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise editions.
• FM Books Connector Online Plugin enabling data exchange between FileMaker Pro and QuickBooks Online using script-based integration.
• Outlook Manipulator Plugin providing bidirectional data exchange between FileMaker Pro and Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Mail, Notes, and Journal with client-side and server-side deployment options. Uses Microsoft Graph API for Microsoft 365/Exchange Online.
• gManipulator Plugin connecting FileMaker with Google services including Gmail, Google Contacts, Google Calendar, and Google Tasks.
• Address Book Manipulator Plugin providing bidirectional exchange between FileMaker Pro and Macintosh Address Book with support for groups, multiple addresses, phone numbers, and emails per record.
• iCal Manipulator Plugin providing bidirectional exchange between FileMaker Pro and Apple iCal application using script steps.
• PDF Manipulator DC Plugin for PDF manipulation with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC including text extraction, PDF form field data push/pull, and combining multiple PDF documents.
• Cloud Manipulator Plugin integrating FileMaker with Amazon Web Services S3 for cloud storage operations.
• File Manipulator File utility plugin enabling FileMaker Pro to copy, rename, move, or delete files and folders on local or networked drives.
• FM Credit Card Plugin connecting FileMaker solutions with merchant services accounts for processing credit card payments directly in FileMaker.
• eSign Signature Capture Plugin enabling FileMaker Pro to capture electronic signatures and bind them to information stored in the database.
• Change Printer Plugin providing FileMaker Pro the power to automatically change printer drivers within scripts for coordinating large and complex print procedures.
• Biometric Fingerprint Reader Plugin adding biometric fingerprint security capabilities to FileMaker Pro solutions for user authentication.
• Core CRM Pro Customizable CRM solution built on FileMaker platform with preconfigured QuickBooks integration for contact management and business automation.
• Vessel Service Solutions Mobile solution designed for TowBoatU.S. operators and marine towing companies, handling dispatching, boat maintenance, fuel logs, invoicing, and payroll.
• Dedicated FileMaker Hosting Fully managed dedicated server hosting with Essentials ($110/mo, 120GB SSD, 4GB RAM), Advanced ($135/mo, 200GB SSD, 8GB RAM), and Premium ($250/mo, 500GB SSD, 16GB RAM) plans.
• Shared FileMaker Hosting Economical shared hosting plans for FileMaker solutions including Starter Plan ($27/mo, 1 DB file, 1GB storage, 5 users) and Professional Plan ($45/mo, 5 DB files, 5GB storage, 10 users).
• QuickBooks Hosting Cloud hosting service for QuickBooks Desktop with side-by-side FileMaker integration capability, featuring AWS infrastructure with secure remote desktop access. Pricing at $99/mo per user, or $198/mo first user for combined QuickBooks and FileMaker hosting.
• FileMaker Custom Development Custom FileMaker application development services for building solutions from scratch or upgrading existing platforms.
• Maintenance Support Program Month-by-month dedicated day-to-day support from FileMaker experts with Priority and Platinum tier options. Over 10,000 development requests completed through this program over five years.
• Productive Computing University Online training platform offering FileMaker courses including certification programs, API integration training, AI Essentials, and free resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 development requests completed through MSP over five years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability8 records

Feature16 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Claris International (formerly FileMaker, Inc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing is a Platinum level partner, authorized reseller, and trainer for Claris International Inc. They sell Claris FileMaker and Claris Platform software licenses and provide training and certification preparation for Claris products.
• Intuit (QuickBooks)coreTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing is an authorized Intuit QuickBooks Reseller, Solution Provider, ProAdvisor, and Authorized Standard Host. They offer QuickBooks licensing, hosting services, and integration plug-ins (FM Books Connector, FM Books Connector Online) for QuickBooks Desktop and Online.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing's hosting infrastructure runs on AWS. Their team includes AWS Certified Solutions Architects, Developers, and Cloud Practitioners. They offer Cloud Manipulator plug-in for AWS S3 integration.
• MicrosoftstrategicTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing offers Outlook Manipulator for Microsoft Outlook/Exchange integration and Exchange Manipulator SE (now retired, functionality merged into Outlook Manipulator) for Microsoft Exchange server integration.
• GooglestrategicTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing offers gManipulator plug-in for integration with Google services including Gmail, Google Contacts, Google Calendar, and Google Tasks.
• AdobestrategicTechnology or IntegrationProductive Computing offers PDF Manipulator DC plug-in for integration with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, enabling PDF text extraction, form field manipulation, and document combination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Caspio: A low-code platform for building custom business applications and database portals without coding. Competes for the same SMB custom-database opportunities that FileMaker serves.

Broad incumbents

• Claris International: The platform owner of FileMaker and an Apple subsidiary. Comparable as the principal platform incumbent whose partner ecosystem PCI operates within; sets pricing, roadmaps, and competitive standards against which plugins and services are positioned.
• Airtable: A leading low-code/no-code platform for building custom internal tools, portals, and databases. Comparable to the broader category of custom FileMaker-style solutions PCI delivers, with significantly larger scale and venture backing.
• Microsoft Power Platform: Microsoft's enterprise low-code suite (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages) targeting internal tool and workflow automation. Competes for the same custom-app use case as FileMaker and could channel customers toward native Microsoft integrations rather than third-party plugins.

Direct peers

• DB Services: FileMaker consulting and development company offering custom app development, hosting, and integrations. Comparable to Productive Computing as a competitor in the FileMaker custom development and hosting market.
• Skeleton Key: FileMaker consulting and development firm providing custom solutions, integrations, and hosting. Closely comparable on consulting-led FileMaker services, integration plug-in development, and reliance on the Claris ecosystem.
• Beezwax Datatools: A long-established FileMaker-focused consulting and development firm offering custom development, hosting, and plugin products. Directly comparable to Productive Computing in practice area, Claris partnership, and SMB-to-enterprise service delivery.
• Cross IT: FileMaker development and consulting firm delivering custom solutions and integrations. Directly comparable services set and Claris-platform focus.
• Watershed Consulting: FileMaker development consultancy offering custom applications, integrations, and hosting. Comparable as a small FileMaker-specialist firm competing for the same SMB and mid-market custom development work.
• Codence: FileMaker consulting firm providing custom development, plugin development, and integration services. Comparable as a fellow independent FileMaker specialist with a similar plugin-plus-services model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prodcomp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ProductiveComputing
• Facebookfacebook.com/Productive-Computing-Inc-74665198532
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/productive-computing-inc./?trk=prof-following-company-logo

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Productive Computing