The popularity of Java and .NET these days has relagated the lonely ODBC on the sidelines. To heck with ODBC? It is inherently slow and besides newer technologies for database connectivity are all over the place. In fact, they come bundled with the platform or framework or the SDK you are using.
Problem arises when you are not so free to use those fancy technologies. Now, for all its sake, read further as this one actually happens to a programmer I know and you might get a chance to experience the same as a working programmer.
Jeff was asked by his IT Department Head to develop an application to generate reports against an existing in-house developed HR Application with MS SQL Server at the backend. The reports will be used by Department Heads accross the office over their local area network. He is not to install anything on the already slow client machines.