Helix Server - 6.1.2 [070]

In 1987, I opened my own business, and Helix was its keystone because it allowed me to quickly create a database, then continuously modify and enhance it to meet the business' growing needs, and have 5 employees all using the same data at the same time (access to various kinds of data is withheld or given to each user according to his or her needs). I'm no programmer, but Helix's method works for me because I can quickly drag icons into place and see how they interact. While simple to use, it's capable of very impressive and sophisticated results. It can export and import data via simple text files including CSV files.

I am able to spend 3 months a year in my second home on another continent only because I can connect to my Helix database in the U.S. via TCP/IP and prepare, send, and review invoices, write checks (okay, someone physically in the office has to print them), and do other "work" intercontinentally. Add VoIP, and it's almost as if I'm in the office.

With Helix, data literally drives my business: Paychecks drive withholding tax payments (yes, it will do payroll), which in turn drive withholding tax checks; when an invoice is paid, the invoice line items create net payment checks to the providers represented by those line items. I've had objective observers (accountants and lawyers) tell me it's the most amazing thing they've ever seen. If I ever chose to sell the application, I could wrap it up with Helix Runtime Engine so that the customer could not get inside the "programming," anymore than one can get inside Microsoft Word.

Currently, the development component and client software still require Classic (though the OS X versions are in preparation); however, the Server and utilities to check integrity are all OS X- and Rosetta- (OS X on Intel) compatible. While documentation is currently a weak point (it's quite detailed and fairly complete, but a little out of date), support is excellent.