MS Access licensing

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Is there any software that would allow the user to run a database that was
created in Access? My thinking is that I am the only one who develops Access
databases but several people in my company use the databases. Is there a
possible cost savings with an alternative to buying the full blown version of
Access for people who do not develop?
 
There's a royalty-free run-time version available that will allow people to
use your application, but not to make design changes to it.

Tony Toews has a page that explains about it at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/developereditionfaq.htm

It's not cheap, but if you're going to eliminate the need for 4 or 5
licensed copies of Access, you'll probably be ahead.
 
Is there any software that would allow the user to run a database
that was created in Access? My thinking is that I am the only one
who develops Access databases but several people in my company use
the databases. Is there a possible cost savings with an alternative
to buying the full blown version of Access for people who do not
develop?
Click to expand...

The developer's edition of Access comes with the necessary tools to do
what you want. However this is an expensive package. You should be able to
just about break even or a little ahead with four or five users.
 
I understand that you CAN make MDE files with Access 2003 but that, to get a
LICENSE to distribute the MDEs you need to buy Access 2003 Developer
Extensions. I read that "Visual Studio Tools for Office 2003" includes the
Extensions (about $460). I did read on the MS site that Visual
Studio.NET2003 "Professional Special Edition" does NOT include the Extensions.
 
Charlie said:
I understand that you CAN make MDE files with Access 2003 but that, to get a
LICENSE to distribute the MDEs you need to buy Access 2003 Developer
Extensions. I read that "Visual Studio Tools for Office 2003" includes the
Extensions (about $460). I did read on the MS site that Visual
Studio.NET2003 "Professional Special Edition" does NOT include the Extensions.
Click to expand...

Creating MDEs and distributing Access files with the Runtime are two distinct
things that really have nothing to do with each other.
 
Joseph Meehan said:
The developer's edition of Access comes with the necessary tools to do what
you want. However this is an expensive package. You should be able to just
about break even or a little ahead with four or five users.
Click to expand...

That would be if you consider the extra development time to be zero cost. An
app used in the Runtime environment has to be quite a bit more polished than one
that is only used in the normal environment. That plus the additional
installation headaches and I would say that it would take a dozen or so users to
reach what I would consider the break even point.
 
Rick said:
That would be if you consider the extra development time to be zero
cost. An app used in the Runtime environment has to be quite a bit
more polished than one that is only used in the normal environment. That
plus the additional installation headaches and I would say that
it would take a dozen or so users to reach what I would consider the
break even point.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
So then, how do you distribute Access applications to run on machines w/o
Access?
Can't you do it with MDE file ? Wouldn't the license from the "Extensions"
make this legal ?

Thanks,
Charlie
 
MDE files require Access to be installed on the workstation. That can be the
run-time version of Access, but msaccess.exe must be installed in order to
use the MDE.

Yes, purchasing VSTO with ADE will let you do that. However, that doesn't
negate Rick's point that creating MDE files and distributing Access
applications with the run-time are two completely different things.

--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

(no e-mails, please!)


Charlie said:
So then, how do you distribute Access applications to run on machines w/o
Access?
Can't you do it with MDE file ? Wouldn't the license from the "Extensions"
make this legal ?
Click to expand...
Extensions.
 
Thanks Doug, I understand it now.
Charlie

Douglas J. Steele said:
MDE files require Access to be installed on the workstation. That can be the
run-time version of Access, but msaccess.exe must be installed in order to
use the MDE.

Yes, purchasing VSTO with ADE will let you do that. However, that doesn't
negate Rick's point that creating MDE files and distributing Access
applications with the run-time are two completely different things.

--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

(no e-mails, please!)



Extensions.
Click to expand...
 
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