Welcome to the new Advisor Guide to Microsoft Access! As you may have noticed, we've updated the magazine's look and changed our name to emphasize our mission. Microsoft is giving Access renewed focus, energy and investment, and so are we. In his keynote at our recent Advisor Live conference, Microsoft vice president Richard McAniff said Microsoft Access now has the largest development team since the product's original creation. This makes huge sense, because Access is the most widely used database in the world!

In recognition of the dominance of Access, and in response to many reader suggestions, we've refocused the magazine that was originally announced to the world during Bill Gates' launch of Microsoft Access in November, 1992. In a way we're going back to the future, driven by Microsoft's dedication to making upcoming version "Access 12" the best ever.

The future of Microsoft Access

"As the amount of data people have to deal with continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for easy-to-use, powerful data tools," says Microsoft Access product planner Josh Hutto. "Access is the desktop database that lets you quickly and easily store, organize, and retrieve valuable information. Microsoft believes Access is a core, strategic component of the Office System and one that will continue to grow in importance."

"I believe Access will continue to be the preferred platform for workgroup applications," says Advisor technical editor Mike Groh. "There's nothing that quite fits the requirements of rapid development, strong reporting, and ability to integrate data from diverse sources as well as Access. I don't know of any other tool that combines the ability to integrate data from SQL Server, Excel, XML files, and legacy sources such as FoxPro and dBASE, and provides a very strong user interface development environment."

Mike believes "the best way to grow the Access community is not by adding more to Access, but to tailor Access to truly address the needs of its users." In fact, the development team at Microsoft tells us its highest priority for Access 12 is improved usability. Microsoft wants to make it easier than ever to create Access applications. Microsoft Access lead program manager Clint Covington says, "You'll find a strategic commitment to radically upgrade the quality of Access applications by improving the core forms and reports experience, using Jet as the query processor."

Another future focus of Access is integration with Microsoft SharePoint. As Amy Blumenfield explains in this issue, SharePoint delivers the collaboration users need to be more efficient. SharePoint and Access integration makes it easier for users to work together, share data, and put Access data on the Web.

"When I talk to customers, one of the key questions developers ask is how to get their Access applications on the Web," says Covington. "Windows SharePoint Services provide a Web store for contextual data on workgroup sites. It provides a path to thin forms and reports with little development cost, and gives Access developers an opportunity to build new kinds of collaborative applications." In future articles we'll help you leverage Access and SharePoint in your applications.

Meet the Advisor Editorial Council

To ensure that we give you the best technical information on Microsoft Access, we're going right to the source. As you can see, the Advisor Editorial Council is comprised of key people from Microsoft and the Access community. These experts are dedicating their wisdom and time to make sure this magazine helps you build better database solutions with Microsoft Access.

What you can expect from Advisor Guide to Microsoft Access

We define the focus of this magazine as Microsoft Access, and everything that productively touches it. So, you can look forward to expert advice on VBA programming, on using Microsoft SharePoint with Access, on client-server with Access and SQL Server and the entire Windows Server System, on the ever-evolving Microsoft Office System, and on deployment and integration throughout your enterprise, performance, security, administration, database design and management, and much more.

Please tell me how we can help you achieve your goals with Microsoft Access. What solutions are you trying to build, and what do you need to learn? You can always reach us at http://Contact.Advisor.com. If you have tips and how-to advice to share, go to http://Writer.Advisor.com. I want to hear from you!

Remember, if you're reading this in print, you don't have to wait until the next issue hits your desk, because we also publish this magazine weekly on the Web. Every weekend you'll find brand new subscriber-only articles at MSAccessAdvisor.com. Make sure we have your e-mail address, and we'll tell you what's new in a weekly Advisor Alert. And be sure to explore the complete Microsoft Access Advisor Archive, packed with answers and code you can use immediately.

I'd love to meet you in person, so please mark your calendar for June 12-16, 2005, when Advisor Live happens at the JW Marriott Resort in Las Vegas. It's your chance to dive deep into the world of Microsoft Access development, including SQL Server, VB and more. You'll learn from the top experts and meet the Microsoft Access team. And you'll get multiple conferences in one, with SharePoint Advisor Live and .NET Advisor Live happening concurrently. For details go to http://AdvisorLive.com.

Since you likely use a variety of technologies, I hope you'll also check out our other "how-to" magazines, including Advisor Guide to Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Mobile Business Advisor, Compliance Solutions Advisor, Advisor Guide to Microsoft Office System, and many more. You can even subscribe to Advisor Guide to Microsoft Professional Development to get it all! You can see the full Advisor family at http://Advisor.com.

We're entering an exciting time for Microsoft Access professionals and enthusiasts. So, once again, welcome to the new Advisor Guide to Microsoft Access!