Overview
What is Microsoft Access?
Microsoft Access is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools.
A great Database management solution which covers all aspects of data storage and management.
A superb database management system
[Microsoft] Access - not for the faint of heart - but certainly for the amateur data miner
Microsoft Access a great MS SQL alternative
Best in Business, Microsoft Access!
A powerful database that lets you organize your data as you like
Very powerful, but not easy to configure
Simple and Easy database management solution
Access makes my job easier!
Simple and graphical database management tool for small and medium corporate projects
Access is a great investment for your company
Microsoft Access Review
Microsoft Access Makes it Possible!
Microsoft Access is still relevant!
Awards
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Pricing
Microsoft Access
$139.99
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Demos
Workflow Builder for Microsoft Access Demo
Use a File Dialog in Microsoft Access
Open Source Simple LIMS Software for Small Lab Demo
Microsoft Access Electronic Signature Capture Database Template
Microsoft Access Database Tutorial - User form Login Security Demo
Microsoft Access Project Management Database Template
Product Details
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- Competitors
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- FAQs
What is Microsoft Access?
Microsoft Access Video
Microsoft Access Competitors
Microsoft Access Technical Details
Deployment Types | On-premise |
---|---|
Operating Systems | Windows |
Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviews and Ratings
(824)Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(1-5 of 5)Teaching with Access
- Graphical interface makes design easier.
- Good introduction for database design concepts.
- GUI allows less room for errors.
- Concurrent users accessing a database makes it really slow.
- Requires Windows, and Office.
- Lot of our training required Access as part of our toolkit for teaching, where companies use Windows.
- We were able to do courses for non-programmers with it about databases.
Microsoft Access Positive Aspects
The grouping of data in an organized way adapts to the company designed a set of real strategies aimed at improving the profitability of the company. To date, the results have been positive because since they agreed it was implemented, the company's profit has improved. Microsoft Access adapts well in departments where databases do not have much content, or where we do not have to have completed programs or require working with many variables. It is a program that has all the work tools required by the organization to function properly and fulfill the planned tasks.
- Ability to manage all information
- Tables to store data
- Consult to search and retrieve only the data you need
- Forms to view, add and update or analyze the internet data
- Volume of data or users
- Among its biggest drawbacks are that it is not multiplatform
- The access databases work very well with many of the programs for Windows-based software development. You can also use your tables in products such as Microsoft SQL Server and in others not based on Microsoft such as Oracle and Sybase.
- Easy to install and use: To create access databases, just install Microsoft Access and this is something that any database administrator can do in just a few minutes, leaving a fully functional relational database management system. Like many other Microsoft applications, Access contains wizards that guide you through every step of the way. The user interface is intuitive, speeding up data recovery.
- It can be placed online: Although it still has limitations on the number of users with simultaneous connection, when there is a need for remote users, it can give full control and functionality to an access database so that teleworking can become a viable option for database administrators.
Solves complex problems. A data analyst has so much information available that they have an unprecedented ability to solve even the most demanding challenges. Mixing tools such as Power BI, Excel Power Add-ons, Macros and advanced functions in Excel can help you obtain the information and reports needed to make simpler decisions in a short time.
Learn advanced techniques. Even if you have basic knowledge of Microsoft data services, a tool like Access can teach you the best practices for data management and the basics of managing a database to be more efficient.
- Use Access forms with Excel data.
- Reason Filtering, sorting and queries in Access are similar to Excel. 3. Perform a mail merge or create labels
- Perform a mail merge or create labels
- Anticipate that many users will work in the database and want robust options that securely handle data updates, such as record locking and conflict resolution.
- Anticipate the need to add more tables to a data set that originated as a flat or non-relational table.
- Want to execute complex queries.
- Want to create different reports or postal labels.
- Create a database using a template
- Create a database without using a template
- Copy the data from another source into an Access table
The systematization of information in access databases has prevented duplication of information, therefore, we have had the possibility of planning with real results and not assumptions of results that gave us tools such as excel. The consolidation of the information provides us with data for the analysis of the results, consequently identifying the problems that we subsequently want to correct and thus avoiding wasted time and personnel costs.
- Product Usability
- Implemented in-house
- there were no problems during the implementation
- Capture, management, communication of data in a professional manner and for the administration of databases
- It provides a series of easily accessible work tools that staff can quickly understand their tools
- Organization of the information, homologation of the information for the analysis of data necessary for the decisions that facilitate the growth and development of the company.
- Microsoft access does not adapt well in organizations that require the handling of large information content or where many variables have to be included, or large companies that require continuous results management.
- I believe that they can extend the option of the amount of user allowed so that large organizations can use it.
- Microsoft access is not the best database tool for immediate use but for long-term jobs.
The best friend of people who are not IT professionals, but suddenly need a relational database to be mastered, designed and implemented by yesterday!
I utilize Access databases frequently, ignoring 'weird looks' given to me by IT professionals who consider anything less than Oracle not a true database, but some sort of a 'toy'. However, Access fits the bill perfectly in some cases. Back in 1996, I had to resolve a problem very quickly, by creating a 'tool' to keep track of problems encounters by buyers from the procurement department in ordering certain parts, like parts for old designs and currently unavailable due to obsolescence, or parts having an unacceptable long lead time. The need was for a relatively simple and small database, allowing recording of such problems, recording of the progress made by the Component Engineering department in finding a solution and the recording of the solution itself, when one was found. I selected Microsoft Access as a platform, since it appeared relatively simple compared to more powerful databases, and my proficiency in other members of the Office suite making the learning curve shorter. And it worked very well. The implementation took only three weeks and the results were very much appreciated by its users. I believe this database it is still in use.
- An Access database can be designed and put to use rather fast, in order to answer an immediate need, even if the design must be done by someone with no previous exposure to Access. It can be modified/improved later on, without much impact on the users.
- A relatively simple Access database does not require knowledge of any programming language. It can be implemented by using 'macros', which are of a 'point-and-click' type.
- If a more complex application is required, Access is fully compatible with Visual Basic for Applications language, which is a object-oriented, even-driven programming language, designed by Microsoft specifically for utilization by all modules belonging to the Office suite.
- Since the commonality of VBA across Office, Access databases can be made to interface with other Office applications, and in particular with Excel.
- Access is easy to master, cheap, and allows easily the construction of aesthetically pleasing interfaces with the user, while remaining quite powerful. Due to these reasons, it yields itself to be sometimes used for the design of non-database applications, but specialized calculators.
- It cannot accommodate as many records or as many concurrent users an Oracle or similar database can.
- It is not as reliable as a database of 'industrial strength' is.
- It does not work fast, particularly when when large amount of code was used for its design or when a relatively many users attempt to utilize it simultaneously.
Microsoft Access is very suitable whenever the objective of the project is a database where:
1. The timeframe of the project must be short and the start of the project must be immediate.
2. Specialised personnel from IT department is not available, due to their own prioritization scheme.
3. The designer tasked with the design, implementation and deployment of the database, is a technically-oriented person in general, but having no previous knowledge of Access in particular.
4. The size of the envisaged database is relatively small, both in the number of records to be stored in it, as well in the number of concurrent users.
Microsoft Access is not suitable when:
1. The requirements are for an 'Enterprise' type of database, expected to acummulate over time a very large number of records (large manufacturing company, storing many parts numbers over the years).
2. The database is expected to be access by a very large number of users concurrently (e.g., a bank, accessed by numerous customers simultaneously).
3. The time taken by the execution for each transaction must be as small as possible.
4. The database must be of 'industrial strength', meaning very reliable, with no crushes and no corrupted records.
- On my first experience with Microsoft Access, the database I created answered a very specific and urgent need: support to Purchasing Agents (Buyers) which often encountered difficulties in procuring certain parts, due to obsolescence. Since these parts were required in order to complete contracts signed with various clients, a lack of solutions meant inability to deliver goods, therefore loss of revenue. So, the impact of the database which I successfully designed and implemented was highly positive.
- An attempt initiated by me in order to prevent obsolescence by taking a proactive approach, as opposed to a reactive one, went not so good. My idea was approved and I designed and implemented the Access database required by my approach. However, no further progress was made, since beside the database, additional manpower was required on a daily basis. Since no funds to support this daily activity could be found, the project was abandoned. Therefore, it should be considered as having a negative impact, since my time spent in designing the database was a loss.
- A mini-project was fun, successful and highly appreciated by users. A certain department needed identifiers for reports written in Word, according to a certain scheme, involving date and serial number of the memo in that specific year. I was requested to design an Access application which will keep track of the identifiers, open programmatically every new memo submitted to me, generate and insert a new identifier as per the rule, save the Word document and return it to the originator. Here, the impact on the company measured against my time spent on the project was positive.
- The implementation in Access of a specialized calculator, designed to verify the match between the size of certain components, as recorded in my company's documentation, and the sizes indicated in the datasheets provided by actual manufacturers of the parts worked very well. I will consider it as having a positive impact. Again, it worked well and users were very satisfied.
- To conclude, I would say that the utilization of Microsoft Access was beneficial to my company at the time, as long as requirements were well defined and funding was provided adequately. I would add that most of the benefit was achieved when Access was used on 'small caliber' taskings, and not so successful when more ambitious results were anticipated.
1. Standardizing the generation of PPIRs
2. Ensuring timely transmittal of the problem to Component Engineering, therefore allowing an early start of the requested investigation.
3. Ensuring timely transmittal of the solution found to the buyer affected.
- PPIR
- Chronologically, the first integration was between ACCESS and WORD. My efforts in developing an ACCESS database as a tool used by Component Engineering were well known to my superior, which was also in charge of the Material and Processes department. This department needed some automation for the generation of memorandums, issued in WORD.
- I integrated ACCESS and EXCEL several times on different projects, since they blend very well together. ACCESS is a very efficient tool for the rapid construction of aesthetically pleasing 'screens' (or forms, as they are called by ACCESS itself), while EXCEL is very good for mathematical calculations.
- I integrated ACCESS with OFFICE itself several times, with ACCESS being the 'main engine', while OFFICE providing a folder/sub-folder repository for various items, such as engineering drawing or component specifications, stored as ADOBE files (.pdf).
Dump your data
- Creates forms and reports
- Database
- It has built-in wizards making it easy to use
- Make database more stable
- It is useful for small organizations or businesses but beyond 2GB you will find problems.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Analyst Reports
Microsoft Access 2010 - A Great IT Solution for a Small Team
- Once tables are created, it is fairly easy to generate queries within Microsoft Access, even if the user is not proficient at SQL or MYsql. Users are presented with a visual way to create queries based on the tables that have been created for the project.
- Importing data into Microsoft Access is very easy to accomplish and is a quick way of creating a database. Access even has the ability to analyze your data and to suggest ways of compacting your database. Again, this is useful if an organization doesn't have the funds for an established database team; a single person can manage small Access databases if needed to.
- Microsoft Access provides a streamlined way of managing data within databases to ensure data integrity. An example of this is that user fields can be locked down or restricted to only allow certain inputs (such as 10 digits for a phone number field) which increases the reliability of the data stored within a database.
- With all of the user support for creating database tables, macros, queries and objects, Microsoft Access lacks the same level of support for writing code in Visual Basic. This code acts as the glue between the visual objects and the database. I feel that additional visual tools could be available to users to help them write the code needed for their applications.
- Applications and databases created within Microsoft Access can only be used on a local computer; they do not have the ability to be web hosted where concurrent users can access it at a given time. We have run into this as an obstacle where we had to go through converting the code from an Access application over to a .NET application just so that we could allow more than one user to access it at the same time. In this case we wanted multiple people to collaborate on the same project and each person working on their own local copy of the application could not accomplish that.
- Users who are proficient at SQL will actually find that writing queries within Access will be harder than in other tools such as Toad, Golden, etc. This is because Access wants the user to use their visual query creation tool and not to free-write their own queries, as these are not always willing to run correctly within Access.
- Our department has seen a vast increase in patient satisfaction by providing our customer service representatives with a quick and easy-to-use tool written within Microsoft Access that helps the patient decide which location is closest to them where they can get their service provided from.
- Employees have had increased efficiency by using the tools that we have provided within Microsoft Access because our tools perform all of the legwork for our employees. They no longer have to perform various look-ups or comparisons of data to get the answers that they were looking for. This allows our employees to take more calls and to enter more orders during the course of a work day.
- Employees are already familiar with Microsoft tools so using a published Microsoft Project already reduces the learning curve necessary for a user who may not be computer-savvy.
- FileMaker Pro,DB2,Microsoft SQL Server
- Price
- Product Usability
- Existing Relationship with the Vendor