[AccessD] Moving out of MS Access?

Hi All,

Is this article from http://blogs.msdn.com/access/default.aspx just a cry of
MS Access Team trying to stop the massive(?) exodus of MS Access developers
or it shows the real picture and place of MS Access in corporate world and
that MS Access isn't yet dead for real business tasks development ?

What do you think and what do you see there overseas?

<quote url="http://blogs.msdn.com/access/default.aspx">
Market research by Microsoft indicates that fewer than 5 percent of all
Access applications developed in large enterprises have requirements that
justify moving the data from a Jet database to SQL Server, and fewer than 1
percent require migrating the forms, reports, and code to a .NET-based
solution.
</quote>
Does this mean there is a demand for the new MS Access development or just
that there is no usually any need to migrate old MS Access applications to
MS SQL/.NET?

<quote url="http://blogs.msdn.com/access/default.aspx">

Microsoft Office Access and Enterprise IT

Case Study: Streamlining Application Development

Peter Mullen is Manager of Application Development in the corporate services
department of a Fortune 500 insurance company with almost 50,000 employees
and over 500 offices in 120 countries. Following a major acquisition, the
company undertook a reorganization that involved centralizing its data
management. Mullen, who had some experience working with Microsoft Office
Access, started exploring the ways that Access database applications were
being deployed across the enterprise. He was stunned to learn how
pervasively Access was being used. Mullen says, “Access was all over the
place doing so many things that it blew my mind. Once I became known as ‘The
Access Guy’ there were people all over the company who wanted my time.”

Not surprisingly, the quality of the Access applications Mullen discovered
was quite variable. To Mullen’s trained eye, some were in fact very poorly
designed, and yet they were getting the job done. Mullen also found
positions hidden in the payroll in the field that consisted essentially of
supporting a small number of departmental Access applications.

Mullen and his manager put together a presentation for the Chief Information
Officer (CIO), proposing that the IT department begin formally supporting
Access development at the company. They outlined a strategy for centralizing
and rationalizing management of the Access applications that were evolving
under the radar of their traditional portfolio management. The CIO saw the
value in this proposal right away, and Mullen became the lead developer of a
new group that was formed for this purpose. Mullen’s group created and
nurtured the use of naming standards, coding standards, and standard
methodologies. They also were able to reduce headcount in the field as
support activities were centralized.

Mullen reports that after about two years, “We had standard code; we had
about 200 applications, and we were handling it. We started to rationalize
our portfolio and really started to communicate exactly what we were doing
to IT. This was the key point¾that a lot of people in the organization
started to see what we were really about. These were complicated problems
being solved without spending a lot of money.” As more people in the IT
organization learned of the success of Mullen’s group, he began to receive
requests for “bolt-on applications, small department tracking projects, and
proofs of concept. We hit a few of these and we had a real perceived value
to the organization.”

Mullen summarizes what he’s learned about the optimal role of Access in the
enterprise as follows:

“Access development in corporate organizations is simply a reality. People
in the business are constantly looking for ways to add value to their
customers and to free up their staff from mundane chores using automation
that is inexpensive and easily accomplished. This is the strength of Access.
The problem, from an IT perspective, is that the business comes to depend on
products created without any IT involvement. Someone—usually an outsider or
a low-level employee—becomes vital to the support of the product. So the
question for IT becomes, ‘Will we provide support for this process?’ In my
experience, providing an organized group that can create and support Access
applications is a solid investment. It adds real and perceived value to the
business and prevents a whole portfolio of applications from being developed
under the radar of IT.” 

 Mullen continues, “IT usually looks at all of the Access applications that
are developed in the field as problems to be eliminated. I look at them and
I see opportunity. Applications developed in the field are sometimes things
that should never have been created; yet often they are products that are
highly valued and fill a real need. By treating field applications (which
most often means Access) with respect, and providing support and portfolio
management, you can sometimes find patterns of demand in your organization
and help drive real IT value back to the business.”

Mullen is now working with the Architecture Team in his organization to
identify candidates for migration to SQL Server and .NET applications.
Mullen says, “Much of our portfolio will remain in Access, but some will
migrate. There will always be a need for those quick and inexpensive
solutions. The important thing is to keep track of these applications. They
are the fingertips of your IT organization.”

Market research by Microsoft indicates that fewer than 5 percent of all
Access applications developed in large enterprises have requirements that
justify moving the data from a Jet database to SQL Server, and fewer than 1
percent require migrating the forms, reports, and code to a .NET-based
solution.

Access developers, administrators, and users now have a new toolkit to aid
them in analyzing Access 97 databases for upgrade and conversion to Access
2003. Users can take advantage of the tools in the Access 2003 Conversion
Toolkit to find and analyze databases in preparation for switching to Access
2003. For upgrading to the 2007 release, Microsoft plans to release the
Microsoft Office Migration Planning Manager.
<quote>

--
Shamil