doc.Whitepaper.index.odbcwp High-Performance 32 Bit ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET and OLE-DB Drivers that provide transparent access to remote databases from any compliant application. These include Desktop Productivity Tools such as Spreadsheets, Word Processors, J2EE applications, Client & Application Server Application Development Environments, Web based Database Publishing Tools and Computer Telephony Integration packages are just a few of the many products that can take advantage of our standards compliance.For several years, a working party called the SQL-Access Group (SAG), consisting of interested hardware and software vendors , worked towards defining a common database access method to simplify Client-Server computing. Microsoft has taken a core set of SAG''s output and developed a call-level interface called the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Application Programming Interface.ODBC defines a low-level set of calls which allow client applications and servers applications to exchange instructions and share data without needing to know anything about each other. It applies to any Client-Server operation, whether or not the client and server applications are resident on the same machine, or on different PC''s, or even if the server is on a remote machine running a different operating system.The Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface allows applications to access data from database management systems (DBMS).The interface permits maximum interoperability - a single application can access diverse back-end database management systems. An application developer can develop, compile, and ship an application without targeting a specific DBMS product. Users can then add modules called database drivers that link the application to their choice of database management systems.The ODBC interface defines the following:A library of ODBC function calls that allow an application to connect to a DBMS, execute SQL statements, and retrieve results. A standard way to connect and log on to a DBMS. A standardized representation for data types. The Interface is flexible enabling: An application to construct SQL statements at compile time or at run time An application to use the same object code to access different DBMS products An application to connect to multiple instances of DBMS products An application to send and receive data in a format convenient to the application; the driver converts data values to the format of a specific DBMS product.