As businesses of all sizes come to realize the value of data analytics to inform decision-making, many are also discovering the need for database solutions like Microsoft Access to help collect, organize and share data, as well as create reports that deliver valuable insights.

That’s why we’re pleased to announce today that Microsoft Access is now included in the Office 365 Business and Business Premium plans—designed to meet the needs of small and mid-size businesses. We’re also introducing an additional set of data sources that can be integrated with Access for Office 365 ProPlus, E3 and E5 subscribers.

Read on to learn more.

Database management for companies of all sizes—large and small

Access is a great database management solution for small businesses because it makes collecting and storing data accessible on the desktop—without requiring support from an IT administrator. Access enables users to develop business applications, collect and analyze data from multiple sources, and track any kind of data, from a customer contact list to robust asset management.

Soon, Access will be rolling out to Office 365 Business and Business Premium subscribers. Access will be automatically installed for these customers as part of their next regular Office client update, rolling out between December 1, 2016 and January 30, 2017. Access will continue to be included in the Office 365 ProPlus, E3 and E5 plans.

*Please note: Customers who have updates set to the Deferred Channel will receive this update in June 2017. To learn more about the Deferred Channel, see Overview of update channels for Office 365 ProPlus.

New data sources in Access

A set of new enterprise data connectors will roll out to Microsoft Access in early 2017. These new connectors include OData Feed, Dynamics CRM, Salesforce and Amazon Redshift and will be available for customers with Office 365 ProPlus, E3 and E5 plans. These new connectors will enable customers to integrate and extend Access into other line of business solutions and databases.

This is just the beginning—there are even more new data sources on the way. In the meantime, we welcome your feedback about Access. Please share your suggestions or submit requests for desired data sources on the Access UserVoice site.