Access gets no respect
When I meet colleagues that focus on technologies other than Access, I find myself defending the program more often than not. In this age of developing Internet technologies, your going to hear the latest buzz words over and over: Web 2.0, AJAX, VB.net. All of which have their promoters and detractors, but almost universally they all agree that Access does not cut it in today's business world. Why did this come to be?

The kiss of death: Including Access in Office
Personally, I believe Microsoft did Access a disservice in including the program in Microsoft Office. Users of Office make the mistake that Access is just as easy to use as Excel and Word. Considering how easy it is to start Word and create a document in no time with hardly any training, it comes as a shock to many users how hard it can be to use Access and get anything accomplished. The frustration than turns into apathy towards Access and considering it for any kind of solution.

Access Beneath Profesional Programmers?
On the other side of the spectrum are professional programmers who view Access as entirely beneath them and would never consider it for any solution. Indeed, over the years we have had programmers with that same attitude at PC Experts.  (They no longer work here.) Some of the reasons why:
o Visual Basic: When it first came out, it featured a subset of Access features and functions. In addition it was easier to do some things in Access than in VB. Thus programmers were torn between investing time and energy in learning one or the other. Microsoft made it easy for them by labeling VB as the "professional" programming language for professional programmers. The majority chose VB and Access got stuck lower in the totem pole at Redmond.
o No SQL Server: When Access arrived on the scene, Microsoft had no high end database solution in place, thus if you had a need for a solution for hundreds of users that could store millions of records, you would not use any Microsoft product at all. By the time SQL Server came around and Access 2000 was introduced it was too late, Access was branded as a low end database solution by many.

Why Access Still Matters: It takes less dollars to create solutions
You can't beat Access on how easy it is to develop complex solutions in a short period of time. To be sure, not every business problem can be solved with Access, but when we show potential clients what can be accomplished with Access, it allows them to truly appreciate the power of the technology. We have built complex quoting and insurance claim systems in Access, along with powerful report generators. Some other reasons to consider Access:
o Cheaper: In general Access development is less expensive than other technologies, thus requiring less of a budget to get the job done.
o Powerful Technology: Some aspects of Access are superior to VB: Combo boxes, reports and forms to name a few. In general, if we can dream of a feature we can make it happen in Access. (And if the client has the money for it of course).
o Easier to maintain: Probably the single best reason to develop in Access has been how easy it can be to maintain solutions in comparison to other technologies.

When Access Will Not Do
In the interest of fairness there are certain situations when Access will not work:
o Large numbers of users accross many different locations. Use a web based solution instead.
o Business problems that are not data driven.
o Mass market programs. Access will not do if you need to build a program for sale around the world.

Disagree? Have something to add to the discussion? Please contact me here and let me know your thoughts.