Microsoft Ignite 2018 recap: Access team showcases new data visualization features

Well said, David.

Microsoft Access even works well even for multi-user databases and I’ve even gotten it running on iPads over cellular with multiple app-window-only RDP sessions hosted from a single desktop PC over cellular connections.

You can also use Access with Power BI (via the On-Premises Data Gateway) for web and mobile access to Access, providing even more data visualization, analytics and BI dashboard tools for use with it, if/when needed (though with new Modern Charts & even Pivot Charts, as well as the wide range of other Access features available, I rarely find that it is necessary).

On top of that, you can easily extend and automate Microsoft Access as needed, through VBA, C# / VB.NET Add-in automation project development, and through new solutions such abs the PowerAccess All-In-One Toolset & Framework for Microsoft Access — for which you can subscribe at https://www.PowerAccess.net/Microsoft-Access-Toolset-VBA-Framework-Excel-SQL-Addin for early access to PowerAccess.

PowerAccess, for example, extends Access with dozens of new empowering tools and 800+ new functions and out-of-box common database features — like tools for CodeGen for VBA/SQL/Data Macro/RegFree .NET use, Database Builder tools (for Table/Field/Query/Macro generation), a new integrated SQL Editor with Intellisense, simplified & automated PowerGit versioning/edit merging, Global Find & Replace, Deployment, Auto Renaming, Template Injection, as well as PowerAccess Framework with its out-of-box support (install-free, via embedded/linked function library database) for everything from User Permissions, Edit Tracking, Logging, Telemetry, Calculated Tables, Auto-Relinking, Smart Combo Boxes, ZIP Codes/Cities, and Fuzzy Matching to SQL & VBA functions for Finance, BI, Analytics, Power Query-like PowerSQL, Excel and XPrevRow() (for Excel formulas in Access).

With such web/cloud/mobile multi-user use of Microsoft Access and Modern (even Pivot) Charts, combined with new tools and frameworks — like the PowerAccess All-In-One Toolset & Framework — there is absolutely no need to move away from Access, to the cloud or otherwise.

Access developers can and should continue to benefit from the rapid, simplified database creation enabled by MS Access and the unique advantages it provides for easy editing and maintenance even by non-technical end-users, as well as it’s ubiquity (with Access included in most Office editions and therefore available on many of the 1.2 billion PCs with Microsoft Office installed).

Access will always maintain it’s role as one of the most revolutionary solution development, data management and reporting tools ever developed, as it truly makes database creation accessible to anyone, technical and non-technical users, making it possible for even end-users & subject matter experts (like Financial Analysts and Sales Managers) to easily migrate complex, massive tedious Excel workbooks & workflows to compact, centralized, drop-in-folder deployed multi-user databases with auto-calculating reports and user-friendly data entry forms, all without needing to involve IT or hire consultant for every little change for their frequently changing business rules and formulas.