Microsoft Access Integration with Microsoft Sharepoint 2010

Access your data anywhere, via a web browser or your familiar desktop application.

Microsoft Access 2010 introduced seamless Sharepoint integration so you can share your application or data with other users anywhere. This is a powerful new feature that allows employees to work from home, salespeople can generate quotes at customer sites, and employees can access and update customer information from anywhere, even on airplanes, using the familiar and impressive Microsoft Access user interface.

There are two ways to use this powerful feature of Microsoft Access 2010.

  • If you need to have web browser access, for instance to use your application from a mobile phone, then you want to use the the "web database" option. This allows the most ways to use the application, but requires constant internet access, and all the features of Microsoft Access you need may not be available.
  • If you have an existing desktop application, or can always count on a laptop or desktop computer being available to run your application, then sharing the data and application via Sharepoint 2010 provides many advantages.
    • You can use the full Microsoft Access feature set — including the powerful VBA language.
    • You run your application at full-speed. Your data is downloaded to a local "cache" to make searches fast.
    • You can run the application in "offline" mode, for instance on an airplane or at a customer site without internet access. No wi-fi hot-spot required until you want to synchronize your data with other users.
    • No need to transfer files or install anything for new releases of the application. With Access Services, not only is the data shared, but the application (including forms and reports) is automatically synchronized on startup, so every user always has the latest version of the application.
    • Users can use the Free Microsoft Access run-time application — no need to purchase any copies of Microsoft Access.
    • If you have an existing desktop application, there are fewer changes to get it converted for access anywhere.

Do you need your own Sharepoint 2010 Server? Fortunately, the answer is no. Both Office365.com and AccessHosting.com offer hosted Sharepoint solutions. Which is better? Well, it depends on your particular application and the number of users. Contact us at 800-752-5524 for advice on which is best for you.

What are the limitations?

If you need the general public to enter or view information in your Microsoft Access database, you cannot use a hosted Sharepoint solution. You'll need a web application. Fortunately, we create those too. See our Sample Online Access Applications.

What feedback have you gotten from users?

They love it! An order entered from the sales team is instantly available to the fulfillment team in the warehouse miles away. No emails and re-entry of data. If there is a question about how something works, Microsoft Access Pros can see the exact same data and resolve problems or add new features quickly. New releases are frequent because users don't have to do anything to get the latest version. This greatly simplifies upgrades.

People want to be able to work from anywhere at any time of night or day, and Access 2010 with Sharepoint 2010 lets them do that just as if they were in the same office on the same network. This is truly revolutionary for quick and inexpensive application development that can be used in any location.


This example shows viewing or entering client information in a desktop application shared across the web using Office365.com. You'll notice it looks the same as any other desktop Microsoft Access application because it is the same. The "magic" is that users can run the same application and share the same data from anywhere with Internet access.