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Why Use
MS Access?

Why Use Us?

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What versions
of Access are there?

- Access 1.0
- Access 1.1
- Access 2.0
- Access 95
- Access 97
- Access 2000

We recommend you use Access 97 or later for several reasons including: faster to develop thus keeping costs down; more features and better web integration.

Why Use MS Access?

Business Owners explanation

IT Managers explanation

Business Owners explanation

There are many database products out there. But none is as popular as Microsoft Access.

Why Use MS Access:
	It comes with Microsoft Office Professional and so you may already have it.
	Microsoft Access integrates tightly with Microsoft Office.
	Microsoft Access can be used to build applications rapidly thus saving you money.
	Microsoft are constantly improving their database which helps future-proof your investment. It is not a dead end product.
	It can be used on networks with over 50 simultaneous users.
	Microsoft Access can replace an aging DOS application where your support may be dwindling.
	Microsoft Access is fast, consistent and reliable.

Why use us?

IT Managers explanation

Here are some reasons why you may consider using Microsoft Access:

Why Use MS Access:
Support	Microsoft Access is one of the best-selling desktop databases of all time. You can be sure of future support and with Microsoft's backing, should be around for some time.
Scalable	Access has an upgrade path. So, if performance starts to suffer from an ever increasing number of users or records, you can upsize to SQL Server.
RAD	You can use Access for Rapid Application Development thus keeping your costs down. Its object oriented model means you can build attractive, functional and easy to use applications in double-quick time.
Integration	Access has works well with the Microsoft Office suite. It has been designed with integration in mind. If MS Office is your preferred suite then it makes sense to seriously consider Access as your database of choice.
Legacy data	Access can import many data formats so your existing data is not lost.
Web integration	Access (2000 particularly) has close web links so online data access is made easier. With a shift towards e-commerce, Access's web integration could prove very useful, if not now, then sometime in the near future.
Replication	Access can synchronise your data. This is idea if you have remote users who add data which needs to be merged with the main database.

Why use us?

MS Access Special Features

Replication
Enables you to synchronise data between several copies of your database.

This is ideal if, for example, you have salespeople with laptops who need to take a copy of the database with them, but synchronise the changes they make with the office database. This way you ensure identical copies for salesperson and office.

Web integration
You can link MS Access data to a website. In fact, you may have noticed Microsoft's entire approach is Internet based nowadays. There are many featuers in Access that assist in linking to the web.

MS Office integration
It's built to work tightly with Word, Excel, Outlook etc. No other database is designed to work so seemlesly with MS Office. This means you can integrate some features from the MS Office suite into Access.

For example, mail-merging with Word is easier to develop, as is emailing through Outlook. Using another companies make of database may lack this tight integration and therefore cost you more for the same functionality.

Upgradable
What happens if your database use expands so there are several hundred simultaneous users? You will be pleased to know that Access has an upgrade path. With modification, you can upgrade the part of the database that stores the data to SQL Server 7.0. This way, you know that future performance needs can always be met.

Few other databases have such a future proofed upgrade path.