Access in Transition

An updated version of the Access desktop database product has been released with the Office 2003 suite. This release delivers small improvements to a product often used for complex data analysis and forms-and-reports applications, especially applications developed by users who aren’t full-time, professional software developers. However, with this release Microsoft is also encouraging developers to move to the Visual Studio environment and .NET developer technology, which are not as easy to use as Access, but which will be the main focus of the company’s future development efforts.

Access Supports Data Analysis, Development

Access 2003 is the latest generation of a product that originally targeted now-marginal competitors such as dBase and Paradox. Thanks in part to its inclusion in the Office suite, Access retains a sizeable community of both “power users” and software developers. “It’s a big-tent product,” notes Rick Dobson, who heads a consulting firm specializing in Microsoft Office, databases, and Web development.