Alison Balter has led MS Access Solutions for over 36 years, building and repairing Access databases for corporations, government agencies, and businesses that depend on their data every day. Clients include Shell Oil, the US Navy, Humana Insurance, Northrop, and Dexcom — organizations that can't afford a database that doesn't work.
We work with Microsoft Access, SQL Server, ASP.NET, and Azure SQL. If your database is slow, broken, or has outgrown what Access can handle on its own, call (323) 285-0939 and describe what you're seeing. We'll tell you what it will take before we start.
MS Access Solutions is a custom Microsoft applications consulting company specializing in Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Azure SQL, and PowerApps applications, and is located in Los Angeles, California. Our company owner and primary consultant/developer is Alison Balter, the former President of Info Tech Services Group of Southern California.
Alison is a highly experienced independent consultant specializing in Microsoft Access, SQL Server, and Microsoft Azure SQL. During her 43+ years in the computer industry she has consulted with many corporations and government agencies. The company's client base has expanded to include major corporations and government agencies including Humana Insurance, Bombardier, Lockhead Martin, Northrop, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Prudential Insurance, Transamerica Insurance, Shell Oil, the US Navy, Dexcom, and numerous other small, medium, and large corporations and government agencies.
Alison was one of the first professionals in the computer industry to become a Microsoft Certified Solutions developer, and was a Microsoft Access MVP (Most Valuable Professional) for four years, an honor awarded by Microsoft to very few people each year. Alison is the author of more than 300 internationally marketed computer training videos including over 100 Access videos.
She is also a regular on the Access and Microsoft SQL Server National speaking circuits. She was one of four speakers on the Visual Basic 4 and Visual Basic 5 World Tours seminar s series sponsored by Application Developers Training Company and Microsoft.
Alison Balter is also the author of 15 books published by Sam's / Macmillan Publishing. Titles include:
Alison is the co-author of three Microsoft Access books published by Sam's Publishing:
Alison has served as Past President of the Independent Computer Consultants Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Clipper Users Group (a predecessor development environment to Microsoft Access), and the Ventura County Professional Women's Network. MS Access Solutions is available for consulting and application development with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Access + SQL Server, and Microsoft Access + Azure SQL. You can contact Alison by filling out the Contact form on this website or by calling (323) 285-0939.
Most questions we get about Access fall into one of three categories: it's running slow, it's throwing errors nobody can explain, or it started doing something it didn't used to do. Here are the most common ones.
Access usually runs fine when it's first set up. The slowdown happens when you're using it as both the front-end interface and the back-end data storage — every action gets recorded, the file grows, and things start dragging. It's one of the most common issues we see.
The fix is to split the database: keep forms, reports, queries, and modules in your front-end application, and move your tables to a back-end data file or SQL Server. If the database already exists, the split takes some expertise to do cleanly. If you're building new, set it up split from the start.
Microsoft Excel is a great program; we use it in our business. Excel has many excellent features that make it a fine tool for arithmetic, and mathematical calculations, It is time to migrate your application to Microsoft Access when your data set becomes very large, when you need to share data with multiple software programs (applications) or you have large lists.
Let us help you in the decision making process by using our consulting services. We will do a thorough analysis of your Excel applications, then make recommendations so you have a complete process plan moving forward.
The honest answer is it depends, and we mean that. Our clients range from small offices with a single Access file to large corporations with complex multi-user systems and significant data at stake. Most projects run several thousand dollars. What varies is the scope. We always deliver a full analysis and a written proposal before starting any work, so you know exactly what you're getting and what it costs. No surprises mid-project.
