Business in the 21st century has become more complex than ever. Data is at center stage, business operations and data storage are moving to the cloud, there is an app for everything under the sun and employees are working from multiple locations and on multiple devices. What businesses need more than ever is technology that will tie all these disparate pieces of the larger puzzle together into a cohesive unit that functions as a whole. This is precisely what Microsoft PowerApps offers.
Microsoft is at the leading edge of creating technology that makes business easier and more intuitive. PowerApps is part of Microsoft’s Power Platform, and it is one of the most innovative and versatile products Microsoft has come up with. This Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is designed to be used on traditional web browsers or on mobile devices, and it provides business owners and employees alike the opportunity to create the apps they need to get the job done.
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What is Microsoft Power Apps?
Microsoft Power Apps provides a single, intuitive platform from which custom apps can be built by anyone at a moment’s notice. This is because it is a low-code option, something Gartner predicts will comprise 65% of app development by 2024. And this technology couldn’t have come at a better time.
Traditionally, app development is a lengthy and expensive process, with the average hourly rate to create a cross-platform app in the U.S. at $125. At the same time, apps are in high demand, and developers are in short supply. This has resulted in 65% of organizations experiencing an app development backlog, something that can be eliminated with Microsoft Power Apps because it is so easy to use.
In addition to its ease of use, Power Apps also comes with the ability to:
- Build artificial intelligence (AI) into apps
- Store and manage all your data in one place
- Facilitate more collaboration and promote innovation and creative thinking throughout your organization
Microsoft Power Apps is for everyone
Microsoft Power Apps allows you to create apps at every level, no matter what your organizational needs are. You can:
- Tailor an out-of-the-box solution, including dashboards and forms, in order to maximize the use of business data and increase productivity
- Create customized task-oriented and role-based apps
This can all be accomplished with the two options Power Apps offers to design and build apps. The first of these is called Canvas Apps. This is a method of design that allows you to drag and drop design elements onto a canvas and create your app without the need for code. With this method, you have complete control over the app layout.
The other design option is called Model-driven Apps. This method bases app development on a combination of the app components you select and your unique business processes and data models to determine the optimal layout. Thus, you have less control over the layout of the app, but it is customized to your specific business needs.
Benefits of Power Apps
The benefits of being able to create mobile apps via Microsoft Power Apps are significant. One of the most notable is the fact that Power Apps saves you the cost required to develop a single app for multiple mobile operating systems. Instead, you will develop and run all your apps through the Power Apps application, which automatically accommodates multiple mobile operating systems. Other benefits of Power Apps include the ability to:
- Create custom apps in just a few hours without the need to write code
- Access a variety of easy-to-use templates
- Seamless connectivity to all Microsoft cloud services
- Create apps to suit any need whenever they are needed
- Connect with over 200 sources of business data (including on-premise data) and services to empower businesses to make the most of that data
- Integrate with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure
- Access full administrative control with enterprise-grade security and governance
- Scale as needed
Plus, the single platform makes it easy to bring together everything a business user needs to work effectively. This includes combining Power Apps with workflow and business intelligence to empower users.
Power Apps licensing
Microsoft Power Apps is available with certain Microsoft products and plans. This provides you with flexibility when choosing the plan that will work best for your situation. Licensing can happen in one of four ways:
It’s included in Microsoft 365 – There is no additional charge when it is included with certain plans (only for Microsoft 365 data as part of the plan), including:
- Business Premium
- Business Essentials
- The F1 Plan
- The E1–E5 Enterprise Plans
It’s included in Dynamics 365 Enterprise applications – There is no additional charge for the PowerApps service, and it comes with full support (only applicable for Dynamics 365 data as part of the plan).
Want help with Dynamics licensing? Take a look at our simple guide
You pay $10 per user per app – This is suitable for a small business with a minimal need for PowerApps. It comes as a two-app package, and you can purchase more than one if you have multiple apps.
You pay for unlimited users – This is suitable for a business that requires a larger number of PowerApps (i.e. eight or more).
Cross-industry and cross-organization optimization
Microsoft Power Apps can empower organizations across multiple industries, such as healthcare, education, technology, retail, manufacturing, and transportation. At the same time, small and large businesses and non-profit and government organizations can also benefit. This is a Microsoft product that truly opens up avenues of creativity and empowerment for everyone.
Contact Sherweb today to learn more about Microsoft Power Apps and Power Platform.
