Forum Discussion
Microsoft Access System being discontinued?
Hello, I am looking for a way to create a database and all of my research is leading me to wanting to build a Microsoft Access based database. It seems as though this program would fulfill all my ne...
cwillie I think the recent announcements at Ignite show an on-going commitment to Access. The biggest enhancement of a Dataverse connector shows a place for access among the Power Platform suite.
The way I view Access and it appears that MS does as well, is that it remains a solid tool for community developers to build desktop data-centered applications. It is objectively easier to learn Access and VBA than it is to learn C# for 'non-programmers' and that make the tool easier to build applications for smaller teams.
By integrating with the Dataverse as a back-end database you can continue to use Access as a front end for desktop forms entry but also give a transition plan for migration to Power Platform if you need mobile capabilities or interaction with other applications via Power Automate and Power Apps.
Now, if I were to make a recommendation for new development for a team I would probably look at Power Apps rather than Access. I have been describing this for years as "Access for the Web" since it seems clear to be the future platform for MS in terms of 'citizen developers' but I think the recent integration of Access into this platform is recognizing there is a huge install base of Access and large commitment from companies that have found it fits a great niche for small to mid sided apps.
I agree with that almost 100%, with one small reservation.
The commitment to Access is obvious and substantial. The fact that it is in a new direction, i.e. towards the Power Platform environment, suggests a recognition that this is one area in which Access can be substantially improved.
My only reservation is that I've been creating hybrid Access/PowerApps applications with SharePoint and SQL Azure back ends for a while now. One of them I use every day, others are for POC types of applications and a YouTube series I'm working on. My point is that Dataverse doesn't necessarily open that up, so much as it strengthens the partnership which has already been there for a while.
And finally, I am leery of the "low code/no code" tag being attached to Access in this context. True, you can build simplistic applications with a single table, one or two forms and reports and macros. That's one end of the scale. However, competent Access developers have been creating enterprise level applications with Access interfaces to SQL Server, Oracle, MySQl, etc. for years. That's the other end of that scale. In between are varying levels of complexity and sophistication that probably would astound the naïve observer who doesn't know that much about the power of Access and VBA.