>>I know that some other bidders will probably want to use SQL Server, but with 50 users of the Intranet, the cost will be much higher for the database, about $7,000.
>
>Terry,
>
>Re the cost of SQL Server, there is a news link on the UT front page about a change in the licensing fees for SQL Server 2000, which might have some impact on your decision here. In case you missed it:
>
>---------------------------------------------
>SQL Server Licencing Changes - June 13 15:44
>Microsoft is fundamentally changing it server licencing scheme. SQL Server 2000 will be licenced by the number of processors rather than the number of end users.
>
>http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000613S0006


Also, in general VFP is just not as reliable as SQL server as a backend.

Depending on the interface desired, I would still seriously consider using VFP as programming language. But VFP accesses SQL nicely. The VFP backend, for all its relational trappings is at heart an ISAM scheme. IMHO, it is the best ISAM scheme ever devised, but there is a limit to how robust pure ISAM can be.

If point of fact, if data integrity is a key consideration, and I were in their shoes, I would consider a $7,000 differnece worth the gain in having a real client server rather than ISAM back end. Of course the medical field is notoriously cheap when it comes to purchasing software.