Why Access?

If you are in doubt as to which database system to implement, below are some considerations:

Reasons to use Microsoft Access:

• Microsoft Access is the industry standard, it's well supported and training is easy to find.
• Microsoft Access is significantly cheaper to implement, and maintain compared to larger database systems such as Oracle or SQL Server.
• The Microsoft Access database engine is extremely powerful, the most flexibility you'll find in a desktop database.
• Microsoft Access also serves as a powerful front end for ODBC-compliant server databases like MS SQL Server.
• Microsoft Access is included in the Microsoft Office Professional software suite. If your company uses Microsoft Office Professional, no additional software purchase will be required to formulate your database.
• Microsoft Access is the leader of the 5 most widely used desktop database systems in the world.
• When programmed properly, Microsoft Access can remedy ACT! limitations, since Microsoft Access is suitable for multiple users.
• Microsoft Access can be fully integrated with the other Microsoft Office suite of products (Excel, Word, etc.).
• You may want to deploy your database on a Microsoft SQL or ORACLE server in the future, and since Microsoft Access is a relational database management system like these Server databases, it can be upscaled relatively easily if designed properly.
• Multiple users and workgroups can be implemented into the design of your database for security.
• Your database can be designed to be accessed from the web.

Reasons to implement Microsoft SQL Server as your server database:

• More than 15 people could use the database at the same time.
• Any single table in your database could have more than 1,000,000 records.
• More than 1 record per second can be entered into the database system.
• If more than once a month your database servers experience periodic, unexpected crashes.
• If extensive database security is required because of the highly sensitive nature of your data.
• If you have need to run multiple access databases, and due to the requirement that each must have their own specific security rules.
• Your database can be stored on your server, accessed from the web using IP addressing.