I have a Sybase SQLAnywhere database that has never given me a problem. There is an ability in Sybase to replicate the data, but I have never tried it. MS SQL server also has the ability, and is optimised for internet replication. unfortunatly, we changed from MS SQL to Oracle, so again I never tried it. Oracle is designed for 'easy' replication, but Oracle's definition of easy has no relationship to the real world. MS Visual Studio Enterprise edition can work with all three mentioned databases, and except for FoxPro, is actualy easier to work in Oracle than Oracle's own tools. Despite the steep learning curve of Oracle, for distributed client server applications, Oracle 8 or Oracle 8i is about the best.