I've been getting this question a lot lately: "How can I put my Access database online so other people can use it?"

There are several different things you can do to put your database online, depending on who your users are, what kind of security you need, how much work you want to put into development, and what you want the end-result to look like.

For the first two options, you will need Microsoft SharePoint hosting. SharePoint is essentially a server-based technology that allows you to share documents (including databases) on the Web. You can set it up on your own Windows Server, or you can rent hosting space from your ISP or directly from Microsoft. Their SharePoint Small Business service is around $15 per month, per user, I believe.

If you have SharePoint, then you can do one of the following TWO solutions: Use an actual Access Database FRONT-END and move your data up to SharePoint; or you can create an Access Web App. Either of these solutions put your data up "in the cloud" on a SharePoint server. You will need SharePoint accounts for each user (so it can get pricey if you have a lot of people).

If all of your users are working on desktop PCs (or laptops) with Windows and copies of Access, then I recommend using an Access database front-end file (a database that contains your forms, reports, code, etc.) attached to a SharePoint server to get the data. I will be making a seminar on how to do this VERY SOON. The benefit of this method is that you get to use your actual Access database as it is now, and you can just move your tables up to SharePoint. Relatively easy. The down-side is that distributing updates to your front-end can be a bit of a pain. You have to send them new Access ACCDB files when you make changes. Not terribly hard.

If you want your users to be able to access your data from a variety of devices (phones, tablets, Macs, etc.) then you can create an Access Web App. This is a database that resides completely on the SharePoint server and provides you with an interface that you design that runs completely in a Web browser. This is OK for REAL SIMPLE databases. The technology is still in its infancy, so I wouldn't plan anything too elaborate as a Web App, but if you just need a simple customer/order/contact lookup system, this works fine. Yes, I'll be doing a seminar on this eventually too.

The third option is to create your own web-based database using ASP (Active Server Pages) and a back-end database (which can be in Access). I teach how to do this in my Access Web Database Seminar. This is the ONLY OPTION that I recommend if you have a database that needs to be viable for PUBLIC use. Every other option on this list is only good for trusted groups where your users have usernames and passwords to log in. If you need to be able to collect public data on your web site, or let users to your site view data, then THIS is the only option I recommend.

Then, of course, there are a million different types of remote access solutions. If you only have one user at a time who needs to work remotely you could set up Windows Remote Desktop or VNC. If you have a few users and a Windows Server you could use Terminal Services which is like Remote Desktop for multiple people (you'll need server licenses, of course). And there are a million different third-party "remotely access my server" programs out there.

My recommendation: if it's a small group who can use PCs with Access, go with a SharePoint database and an Access front-end (option 1). If people need to use phones/tablets, go with option 2. If your database needs public access, option 3.

Personally, I use option 3 for just about everything that I do because I love to program in ASP. It's fast, easy (for me), and secure. But that's just my opinion.