Database

A database is a means of storing organized data. It is the way most companies store information about their employees, their products, and financial information. Databases are now also used in nearly all e-commerce sites to store product inventory, customer information, sales data, etc. Database software, such as Microsoft Access, FileMaker, and MySQL is designed to help companies and individuals organize large amounts of information in such a way where the data can be easily searched, sorted, and updated. While the first databases were relatively "flat" (limited to simple rows and columns), today's relational databases allow users to access, update, and sort data in a numerous ways. Certain databases even let users store all kinds of data, such as sound clips, pictures, and videos.