What is Microsoft Access | What is an Access Database
Access Database
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What is Microsoft Access? Microsoft Access is a powerful, easy-to-use relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It combines the Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and integrated software development tools. As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Access is included in Office Professional and Microsoft 365 subscriptions or sold as a standalone product.
Microsoft Access allows users to store, manage, and analyze data efficiently. It uses its own file format based on the Microsoft Access Database Engine (formerly Jet Engine), while also providing the flexibility to connect with external data sources. Access supports importing, exporting, and linking data from a wide range of applications and databases, making it a popular solution for small to mid-sized business applications and rapid development projects.
What Can Microsoft Access Do? Microsoft Access enables software developers, data architects, analysts, and power users to build customized applications. It supports advanced data manipulation and presentation through forms, reports, and queries. Access is also tightly integrated with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), allowing developers to automate processes, perform complex calculations, and create robust logic and workflows within their applications.
Access provides native support for a wide range of data formats and sources, including:
SharePoint Lists
Text and CSV Files
XML and HTML
Microsoft Outlook
dBase, Paradox, and Lotus 1-2-3
Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL
Microsoft Access is especially beneficial when off-the-shelf software is too expensive, overly complex, or doesn’t meet specific business needs. With Access, organizations can create customized, scalable applications tailored to their exact requirements—often at a fraction of the cost and time required by larger platforms.
Version History of Microsoft Access:
Access 1.0 – November 1992
Access 1.1 – May 1993
Access 2.0 – Late 1993
Access 95 (version 7.0) – 1995
Access 97 (version 8.0) – 1997
Access 2000 (version 9.0) – 1999
Access 2002 (version 10.0) – Part of Office XP, released in 2001
Access 2003 (version 11.0) – 2003
Access 2007 (version 12.0) – 2007
Access 2010 (version 14.0) – May 2010
Access 2013 (version 15.0) – January 2013
Access 2016 (version 16.0) – September 2015
Access 2019 (version 16.0) – October 2018
Access 2021 (version 16.0) – October 2021
Access for Microsoft 365 – Continuously updated as part of the Microsoft 365 subscription
At Winning Solutions, Inc. (WSI), our Microsoft Access experts have worked extensively with nearly every version of Access dating back to Access 2.0. Whether you're managing an older database, planning a migration, or building a new Access application from scratch, our team has the experience and tools to help you succeed.
Our Microsoft Access Services Include:
Custom Microsoft Access application development
Database upgrades and conversion between Access versions
Integration with Microsoft SQL Server, Excel, SharePoint, and other platforms
Performance tuning and troubleshooting
VBA programming and automation
Access-to-Web conversion and modernization services
Ready to make the most of your Access database? Whether you're using Microsoft Access 97, 2010, or the latest Access 2021 or Microsoft 365 version, WSI has the knowledge and expertise to help. Contact Us today to learn more about how we can assist with your Access database development and support needs.
For an explanation of the different file types used in Microsoft Access.
Microsoft Access can also be used to develop application software and is especially valuable in situations where an off-the-shelf package isn't tailored to the businesses needs or when it contains too many un-needed features at a high cost. Like other Office applications, Microsoft Access is supported by Visual Basic for Applications, an object-oriented programming language that can reference a variety of objects including DAO (Data Access Objects), ActiveX Data Objects, and many other ActiveX components. Visual objects used in forms and reports expose their methods and properties in the VBA programming environment, and VBA code modules may declare and call Windows operating-system functions.
Have you heard of been told that Microsoft Access is "dead"? If so, read here about the future of Microsoft Access