Database Services from NetInvent

We know databases

Most web databases are invisible to the user; providing product data for eCommerce or client data for recruitment sites. We are accomplished at building web databases that will vastly increase the power, flexibility and maintainability of your web site.

Databases are a powerful tool in the office, and we can help you extract the full value from that tool in your business. We build in-office databases that you can rely on. A badly built database can suffer serious problems in extended use, or when scaled to a larger size. When we build your database, we plan for the future.

At NetInvent we understand relational databases, both in theory and practice. We use object oriented systems analysis to help decide what data you need to store so that your database is easy to query, easy to maintain and performs efficiently.

We have both kinds of database here: MySQL and Microsoft Access

We recommend MySQL as a database server. We use it for all our own development projects. MySQL is inexpensive to operate and often offers superior performance to more costly alternatives. It runs well under Windows or Linux, and is well documented. It's easy to access remotely and PHP provides facilities to access it easily in web scripts. We really can't see a reason not to use MySQL for any new web based project - or for your first real office database.

If you already have Microsoft Access in your office, then you might want to continue using it for other in-office projects. This argument is more compelling if you have staff who have developed Access skills and perhaps your Access database is installed on costly, high-perfomance hardware running a modern Windows Server product that you just bought twenty client licenses for.

We develop databases for Microsoft Access, but only for in-office use. We do not use Access for front-facing projects.

There are other database products, some are very expensive, while others are free. At NetInvent we specialize in MySQL and Access, so that's what we recommend.

If you want to change away from another database product, we can help you migrate to MySQL or Access.

If your existing database has got into a mess, we might be able to help you extract useful data from it. We can help you untangle databases that have suffered from 'unfortunate' keying choices.

Reasons why good database design matters

Read about why you should get professionals to develop your office database to leverage long term savings in database running costs. A database isn't worth building unless it can give you the confidence to rely on it and not just use it as an expensive index to paper filing.

Read about common database blunders - unfortunately they aren't very comical, but if you are building an office database and you don't have any formal training, you might want to take a look. Our basic hints could save you some pain later.

Our database suggestions, in summary:

• Don't pay huge fees to query specialists.
• Pay small fees to us.
• Get a database that works right first time.
• Don't work to keep your database updated, make it work for you.
• A database is more than just a filing system, it's the basis of genuine office automation.
• If your office database isn't helping your business, get us to help you get the full value from your investment.