With the aim of making its popular database product faster and exceedingly productive for users, the Apple-owned FileMaker Tuesday unveiled a new version of the database – FileMaker Pro 11.

Boasting some notable improvements over its predecessor, version 10, FileMaker Pro 11 includes additional features like charting; on-the-fly reporting; a “Quick Find” search box; and “recurring import” for the automatic update of a database from an Excel or text file.

In addition, the $299-priced FileMaker 11 – which can be upgraded to from earlier versions at $179 – now feature as many as 31 starter templates in-built in the application; with its new “Invoices” template specifically designed to help users get started.

Furthermore, for users who do not wish to write their own SQL or code their own front end, the FileMaker Pro 11 offers flexibility in field definition. Presenting a convenient way to display data from related tables, like those showing a customer’s name, address and phone number, the new programs allows users to simply add the customer ID to that record, without the need of any SQL inner join statements. As such, it facilitates the creation of views for read-only as well as editable views.

Noting that FileMaker Pro 11 is “very much a back to basics release” for the company, FileMaker’s VP of marketing and services, Ryan Rosenberg, told CNET: “We think ease of use is the core proposition in a database.”