Home » What Is the Microsoft Power Platform?

What Is the Microsoft Power Platform?

by Andrea Domerese
10 minutes read

On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, Satya Nadella announced one of the most exciting developments in Microsoft’s 45-year history. That announcement was the rollout of Power Platform, an impressive suite of services that merge business intelligence and app development into a single platform. It combines Azure, Microsoft’s extremely successful cloud platform, with Office 365, bringing together the company’s most popular services for the very first time. 

Everyone was talking about it.  

A couple of weeks later, Satya said on Twitter:  

“With our Power Platform, we are enabling anyone with a big idea and the passion to make a difference to maximize their impact and transform their organization for the better.” 

Two years later and Power Platform remains one of the most significant services in the Microsoft canon. When combined with Dynamics 365, a CRM/ERP platform for managing sales, marketing, and field service jobs, businesses like yours transform communication and collaboration with customers, clients, and co-workers.  

But what exactly is the Power Platform? And what about Power Apps? Why should you use it with Dynamics? And why should you work with a reputable partner like Dynamic Consultants Group to implement this service into your organization? Read on to learn more. 

Table of Contents

  • Power Platform Defined 
  • What Are Power Apps? 
  • Benefits of Power Apps
  • We Want To Partner With You On Power Platform and Power Apps
  • Conclusion 

Dynamic Consultants Group provides ongoing support and consulting services for Power Platform, Power Apps, Dynamics 365, and other products and services in the Microsoft ecosystem. From implementation to training, consulting to cost-cutting, get more value from Microsoft products and grow your business. Call 844-567-2590or schedule a Teams meeting to learn more. 

Read more: 3 Examples of How Dynamics 365 + Power Platform = Success 

What is the Power Platform?

Power Platform is a business analytics service that combines four products into one platform. These four products are: 

Power BI

Generates data visualizations and real-time metrics for unparalleled business intelligence insights. 

Power Apps

Creates powerful business applications via connectors. Users can then run these apps in browsers or on mobile devices. 

Power Automate

A cloud-based service that automates many repetitive business tasks and processes. 

Dataverse

Microsoft’s data storage and maintenance service for business applications. 

Power Platform combines business intelligence and app development in the following ways: Users create incredible apps on Power Apps, automate many of the tasks associated with app development on Power Automate, store the data required for app development via Dataverse, and access real-time insights about apps via Power BI. The four products work together seamlessly, providing users with a 360-degree experience for app creation and BI.  

For even more explosive results, sync the Power Platform with other Microsoft products and services such as Dynamics 365. Doing this adds CRM and ERP data to your apps for better business intelligence. 

Dynamic Consultants Group provides ongoing support for Microsoft Power Apps so you can create dynamic business apps that drive your team and connect with customers.Call 844-567-2590or schedule a Teams meeting NOW! 

Read more: A New Wave: Everything We Know About Microsoft Power Platform  

What Are Power Apps?

Power Apps, one product in the Power Platform, automates many of the processes used for app development, letting you create custom-built browser and mobile apps that connect to your data. Power Apps eliminates all the hard work associated with custom app development. It requires no code — or, at the very minimum, very low code — so you don’t need a data engineering team. No Java. No C++. Just custom apps without the hassle. 

Power Apps automates app development through a series of out-of-the-box connectors for various services. These connectors power workflow capabilities and transform app creation so you can create responsive applications with advanced features.  

You can build three types of apps with Power Apps: 

  1. Canvas apps 
  1. Model-driven apps 
  1. Portal apps 

Canvas Apps

A blank canvas for building custom apps on your terms. You can create these apps however you like with drag-and-drop capabilities. There’s no code required. 

Model-Driven Apps

Model-driven apps are a little more advanced than canvas apps but no more complicated to build. Most features require no code, and you can add quick elements to apps like forms and dashboards.

Portal Apps

Portal apps are website apps that can access through their browsers. Like canvas and model-driven apps, you’ll find portal apps easy to create with a few clicks of a mouse.

To create a canvas, model-driven, or portal app, head over to the Power Apps creator. The Power Apps Studio builds canvas apps, App Designer creates model-driven apps, and the Power Apps Portals Studio designs portal apps.  

Dynamic Consultants Group is your trusted Power Apps partner. Create amazing business apps that customers and co-workers can access across all devices. Call 844-567-2590 to discover more. 

Read more: Empowering Features Available This Year – Microsoft Power Platform

What Are the Benefits of Power Apps?

  • Build no-code/low-code apps easily. No software development or data engineering knowledge required.
  • Benefit from greater security when creating apps.
  • Share apps easily with customers, clients, and co-workers.
  • Use drag-and-drop features for streamlined app creation.
  • Automate workflows.
  • Integrate data/features quickly via out-of-the-box connectors.
  • Generate app insights with Power BI.
  • Automate other app functions with Power Automate.
  • Store data safely with Dataverse.
  • Sync Power Apps with Dynamics 365 and add ERP and CRM data to apps.
  • Sync Power Apps with other Microsoft services for even more features.

Why Hire a Partner for Power Platform and Power Apps?

While Power Apps reduces the complexities of app development, working with a partner like Dynamic Consultants Group produces even greater results. Here are some benefits:

  • Scale apps with PowerApps consulting services and ongoing support.
  • Create more complicated apps with AI functionality and other features.
  • Integrate data from various systems into Power Platforms and Power Apps, including legacy enterprise data. 
  • Find solutions to common Power Apps (and Power Platform) challenges.
  • Identifies opportunities for app development growth with consulting solutions from global Microsoft specialists. 
  • Power Apps support that’s a fraction of the cost of Microsoft’s support.

Did you know Dynamic Consultants Group generates an average customer ROI of 188 percent over three years and saves businesses like yours an average of 74 percent in development costs? Learn more here!

Final Word

Over two years after Microsoft launched Power Platform, this service continues to evolve, with two new major updates (called “waves”) released every year. Power Apps, one product in Power Platform, automates app creation and development, allowing businesses like yours to create customized apps with very little code. Use these apps to connect with customers, engage with co-workers, and connect with clients.

Working with a partner provides even more value from Power Apps, allowing you to save money, integrate enterprise data from various systems, and create more advanced apps that power your business.

Dynamic Consultants Group is the Power Platform partner for tech-driven enterprises that want to create business applications on Power Apps. With ongoing support, maintenance, and consulting services for Power Platform, Power Apps, Dynamics, and other Microsoft products and services, you can grow your business and get more value from your tech.

Call DCG at 844-567-2590 or schedule a meeting!