Collecting Data via Email
 

Hi All,

I am a complete newbie when comes to programming Outlook, developing Outlook
forms or add-ins.

However, Microsoft Access 2007 offers a new feature that allows you to
collect data via email where the email responses update the database
automatically.

Personally, and excerpt for simple cases (like easy questions with yes/no
answers) my initial impression of the feature, as currently implemented, is
that it is probably to limited to be really useful for most cases of data
collecting. However I do like the concept.

Would it be possible to develop a pure Outlook solution that would achieve a
similar objective, but with more complex data collection/validation where the
responses would automatically update a SQL Server database?

I accept that many Customers who receive the "emailed form" may not be
running Outlook as there email client. I also accept that this type of data
collection/validation could also be achieved by emailing the Customer a link
to a website and web form.

Your thoughts appreciated.

Guy

Collecting Data via Email
 

A pure Outlook solution would be possible only for internal data collection in organizations where Exchange is the mail server and everyone uses Outlook as their mail client. The better internal solution would use Microsoft InfoPath.

For external data collection, the alternative to Access + Outlook data collection would be a web-based survey.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54


"Guy" wrote in message ...
Hi All,

I am a complete newbie when comes to programming Outlook, developing Outlook
forms or add-ins.

However, Microsoft Access 2007 offers a new feature that allows you to
collect data via email where the email responses update the database
automatically.

Personally, and excerpt for simple cases (like easy questions with yes/no
answers) my initial impression of the feature, as currently implemented, is
that it is probably to limited to be really useful for most cases of data
collecting. However I do like the concept.

Would it be possible to develop a pure Outlook solution that would achieve a
similar objective, but with more complex data collection/validation where the
responses would automatically update a SQL Server database?

I accept that many Customers who receive the "emailed form" may not be
running Outlook as there email client. I also accept that this type of data
collection/validation could also be achieved by emailing the Customer a link
to a website and web form.

Your thoughts appreciated.

Guy