## ODBC data sources

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a standard developed by the Microsoft Corporation through which many different types of data can be accessed by a single application. An application need only communicate with one set of files (ODBC) to be able to work with any source of data that can be accessed by ODBC.

There are hundreds of Database Management Systems (DBMS) available for personal computers, and thousands of applications that access DBMS data. Normally, a company that designs an application that accesses data, such as Seagate Crystal Reports, must develop a means for the application to communicate with each type of data that a customer might want to use. Seagate Crystal Reports does this with the databases that it can access directly.

On the other hand, if a DBMS simply provides a means by which ODBC can access its data, the DBMS data becomes an ODBC data source. Any application that can communicate with ODBC (such as Seagate Crystal Reports), will instantly have access to any ODBC data source. With ODBC drivers available for most common DBMS products, the range of data types that Seagate Crystal Reports can use is almost unlimited.

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