Your Access specialists for databases in Switzerland

Jenny Bichsel
How can I support you?

Jenny Bichsel
Senior Project Manager

+41.. Show number +41 55 253 00 53

soxes is your Access specialist in Switzerland and supports you in maintaining, modernizing, or gradually replacing existing Access databases.

  • Experienced Access experts: over 24 years of experience in maintenance, migration, and replacement of Microsoft Access.
  • Secure modernization: Stabilization and further development of existing systems without data loss.
  • Long-term support: Support, documentation, and know-how transfer for sustainable system maintenance.

Access with a future

Software solutions based on Microsoft Access have helped numerous companies to manage their data over the years. Nevertheless, the use of Access brings some challenges. Do you have compatibility issues with your Access solution? Do you want to modernise your Access solution?

In over 20 years, soxes has established itself as a leading expert in Access development. In this article, we look at selected complications that companies can encounter when using Access and show why soxes is the optimal choice to solve them.

Access-Services von soxes, Englische Grafik

The challenges of Access development

Microsoft Access is a database management software developed by Microsoft. It offers a user-friendly interface for creating databases, forms, queries and reports. Does your Access application sometimes reach its limits? These are the most common problems with Access:

Scalability in Access applications

Access is basically a very powerful tool. However, scaling problems can occur with large amounts of data or a large number of users. These occur when a system has difficulty handling an increasing volume of data or an increasing number of users efficiently, which can lead to a loss of performance or system malfunctions. Performance can be affected as Access may not be optimised for large data sets or complex queries.

Departure of employees

A common problem with Access solutions is the departure of staff who were previously involved in developing or updating the applications. The lack of documentation and the absence of a clear structure make it difficult for successors to understand and maintain the solutions. A big risk! Why? You can find out in the article «IT risk: When the knowledge lies with just one person»

Availability on Mac

The ongoing incompatibility between Microsoft Access and Mac platforms has become a long-standing problem. There is no macOS version of MS Access. This often forces organisations working on different platforms to find alternative solutions, adding cost and complexity.

Security issues in Access

Security in Access can be a challenge, especially because users often need direct access to the database files. This open access poses risks such as data leaks and unauthorised access, as security measures are often not as robust as in other professional database systems.

Microsoft Access: Pros and Cons for your company

Pros
Cons

Simple Integration

Perfect for Microsoft-based enviroments.

Limited scalability

Not suitable for large amounts of data or growing companies

User-friendliness

Ideal for beginners and small teams.

Limited online use

Access databases for mobile or decentralised teams are difficult to provide.

Cost-efficiency

A budget-friendly solution for smaller projects

Minor further development

Little investment by Microsoft in the future of the MS Access.

Limited future security

The product has low priority at Microsoft

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Microsoft Access still up to date?

    For small databases, yes. As soon as applications grow or multiple users work simultaneously, Access reaches its limits.

  • Can Access be combined with more modern databases?

    Yes, Access can be used as a front end, while data storage runs on SQL Server or PostgreSQL.

  • How secure is an Access database?

    Access offers only limited security features out of the box. Role and authorisation concepts must be actively supplemented.

  • Why is my Access database so slow?

    Slow queries and locks are often caused by large amounts of data or multi-user operation. Optimisation or outsourcing to SQL Server can help.

  • What happens when the Access database exceeds 2 GB?

    Access then reaches its limits. Migration to a powerful database is usually the next step.

  • How can I modernise an old Access database?

    Modernisation takes place in phases: analysis, gradual replacement and migration to modern systems such as .NET or SQL Server.

Solutions for the problems mentioned

Migration to another platform

In cases where scalability issues or incompatibility arise, migration from Access to another more powerful platform may be considered. Moving to SQL Server, MySQL or another enterprise database solution can improve performance and scalability.

Replacement by new web application

The need for multi-user access and role-based rights in database management is indispensable. The migration from Access to modern web applications using KUBE-X offers improved access and comprehensive role-based rights. These platforms offer higher security through encryption technologies and multi-layered access controls, which protects sensitive data more effectively.

Documentation and knowledge transfer

Comprehensive documentation is essential to minimise the loss of expertise when personnel change. Equally important is a structured transfer of knowledge between staff to ensure that understanding and knowledge of Access solutions is maintained.

Improving security measures

To minimise security risks, access controls, encryption and regular security checks can be implemented in Access. Alternatively, migrating to a platform with robust security features can provide a long-term solution to security concerns.

Jenny Bichsel, Senior Projectmanager soxes AG

Jenny Bichsel, Senior Projectmanager soxes AG

We analyse and stabilize your Access solution. Our experts then provide ongoing maintenance and updates as required to ensure that your databases function optimally and your data remains protected.

In the next step, we decide together whether to modernize your Microsoft Access solution or develop and implement a completely new solution.

Access software offers many benefits, but it also comes with specific challenges that can pose problems for organisations in terms of scaling, knowledge retention and security.

Grafik - Unser Vorgehen englisch

With more than 20 years of expertise, soxes AG supports companies in modernising their access applications, improving security standards and making knowledge transfers seamless. By working together in a spirit of trust, we ensure that your access solutions are smoothly optimised and adapted to meet the challenges of digitalisation and drive innovative processes.

Keep your data, not your problems!

  • We take over, document, and optimize your Access solution
  • Long-term security and maintainability without interrupting operations

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Do you have any questions? Would you like to find out more about our services?
We look forward to your enquiry.

Sofia Steninger

Sofia Steninger
Solution Sales Manager