
It also has a development environment built right into it - one that allows users to create data entry screens, to execute queries using standard SQL (Structured Query Language), to generate reports and more. Think about how much personal computing has changed in three decades - and then compare that to how small of an evolution that Access has gone through during the same period of time.Īt its core, Access serves as a repository for storing data and creating database relationships between different types of information. Luckily, those alternatives are out there - they just require you to keep a few key things in mind.Īs stated, Microsoft Access is a database management system that was developed by Microsoft (hence the name) that was first released almost 30 years ago. If you're still a Microsoft Access user, the chances are high that you'll need to find a replacement sooner rather than later - something that is a little more modern, a bit more sophisticated and that better suits your business needs. This has led to organizations stretching the capabilities of Access beyond its intended use - something that causes them to run into issues sooner rather than later. The issue that a lot of businesses run into is that Microsoft Access was only ever intended to be used as a single-user database tool. Microsoft Access is also, to put it mildly, "past its prime." If you've purchased the "Professional" tier of Microsoft 365, you're undoubtedly familiar with it. Originally launched in November 1992, Microsoft Access is a database management system (also referred to as a DBMS for short) that has been used by software developers, data architects and other users around the world.
