Microsoft Access, also known as Microsoft Office Access, is a powerful database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the Professional and higher editions or sold separately.

Although Microsoft Access stores data in its own format based on the Access Jet Database Engine, it can also connect to external databases and transition to SQL Server with ease. It can import or link directly to data stored in other applications and databases, and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Office products.

Software developers and data architects can use Microsoft Access to develop application software, while advanced “power users” can use it to build complete business applications. Like other Office applications, Access supports Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), an object-oriented programming language that can reference a wide range of components including DAO (Data Access Objects), ActiveX Data Objects, and other ActiveX controls. Visual elements used in forms and reports expose their methods and properties in the VBA programming environment, and VBA code modules may also call Windows operating system functions directly.