The online database market has expanded rapidly over the last couple of years with companies such as Zoho getting a lot of attention for some very sophisticated services. The problem for many users is that they need something relatively simple. They don’t want to become database experts so all of the bells and whistles of the top end services are way more than they actually need.
Consider how many people have Microsoft Access but wind up storing their record-oriented data in an Excel spreadsheet; there’s a big market for an easier approach to database management which is what my focus today, Infodome is all about.
Infodome provides a service that lets you create databases from scratch or by importing import data in various formats. You can also adapt any of the template applications provided by Infodome.
Infodome relies on a Flash-based interface that looks good and performs well. After you create a database you can add one or more tables, specify fields and the data types they hold (autonumber and creation and modification date and time fields are supported), create relationships between fields in tables, and build forms (labels, images, radio buttons, check boxes, drop-down menus, and computed fields are all supported).
The user interface also provides neat short cuts for quick form creation so, for example, double-clicking on a field in the “toolbox” which lists available fields automatically inserts the field with a label on the canvas where your form is being laid out.
Infodome also supports a granular security system where you can define people and groups and assign rights to allow them to view, add, edit, and or delete form records and reports. For reports you can even specify which fields from which tables a user can add to a report if they have authoring permission. User passwords are encrypted and SSL/HTTPS is used.
Importing data to create can be done from your local clipboard and by uploading Excel files, comma or tab separated variable formatted files as well as from Google spreadsheets and Microsoft Access and FileMaker databases.
The pre-built applications that you can copy and modify include Web registration forms, project and lead tracking, product catalogs, real estate repair tracking, and a simple content management system.
Once you’ve created a form it can be used on the Infodome site or deployed on another Web site embedded as an HTML-only form (for submission only, viewing is not supported), or as a Flash form (only viewing is supported).
Database content can be exported as CSV files and any or all database records or report data can be copied to the local clipboard.
Currently the only API support available is a RESTful interface for extracting data but the company has plans to expand this in the near future.
Infodome offers a range of pricing that starts with a free account that allows you to have three databases with a maximum of 1,000 records, five users, one author, unlimited embedded forms, and a maximum of 250MB of storage up to $175 per month for a maximum of 100,000 records, unlimited users, support for subforms (forms that are subservient to a another form), unlimited databases, 30GB of storage but still only a single author.
To be really competitive Infodome needs an option that allows for far more than 100,000 records and supports multiple authors. They also need some polishing of their documentation (which is currently far too sparse), and a flesh-out API.
That said, I really like what Infodome is offering, the pricing is good, the features are very good, and the user experience is excellent – the service has the potential to address the needs of that considerable market of users who just want to get a data management task done with having to become database experts.
