From PKF Attest we want to inform you about Power Platform and all the new features that Microsoft has included in this plan of the second version release of 2019, available since last October.
Microsoft Power Platform has established itself as one of the most comprehensive low-code suites for driving digital transformation in businesses. Its goal is clear: to unify data, automate processes, create custom applications, and leverage artificial intelligence, all with an accessible approach for both technical and non-technical profiles.
In this article, we explain what Power Platform is, what its main components are, and the most relevant new features introduced to the platform.
What is Microsoft Power Platform?
Power Platform is Microsoft's business ecosystem designed to connect applications, automate flows, analyze data, and create complete digital solutions without the need for intensive development. Its strength lies in its ability to integrate information from multiple sources, centralize it, and convert it into intelligent actions and automated processes.
Currently,Power Platformconsists of four products:
- Power Apps – creating business applications.
- Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) – process and workflow automation.
- Power BI – data analysis and visualization.
- Power Virtual Agents – creating conversational bots with AI.
It also includes AI Builder, which provides artificial intelligence capabilities without the need for programming.
Power Platform features and innovations
Power Apps
It is a set of applications, services, connectors, and data platforms through which it is possible to develop customized applications for different business needs.
The enhancements to Power Apps are not only focused on the introduction of functionality, but this second 2019 version release offers significant improvements by enabling us, app developers, to create higher quality apps more easily, without sacrificing more advanced business and administrator requirements.
It also incorporates the new Portals feature, which allows the construction of a low-code web portal, in which data stored in Common Data Service appears for employees or users outside their organizations.
Power Automate
It is the tool that enables process and workflow automation. From simple notifications to highly customized multi-step approval processes that span the boundaries of the organization.
In the second 2019 version release, Power Automate introduces several new features in three key areas: smarter and more powerful experiences for flow creators, world-class business process functionality for flow users, and much more varied tools for administrators, such as PowerShell cmdlets and the new Power Platform admin center.
Power BI
Power BI is a suite of cloud-based business analytics applications thatPKF Attestmakes available to companies. It allows them to analyze data and share information, monitor any business, and get answers quickly with comprehensive dashboards available on all devices.
Updates to this tool focus on four key areas: intuitive experiences, a unified BI platform, big data analytics and pervasive artificial intelligence.
Power Virtual Agents
The latest addition to the platform is a new tool that allows anyone in your organization to create AI-powered bots that can chat with users about specific topics. They can answer routine questions, solve common problems, or automate tasks that take up valuable time for customers or employees.
Power Virtual Agents handles the entire lifecycle of the bot-building experience, from dialogue creation to deployment across many channels, including websites, Microsoft Teams and Facebook. Using Microsoft's artificial intelligence, users do not require a lot of time to define all questions and possible answers, but can rely on the tool to understand intentions and trigger the right action.
In addition to the four products that make upPower Platform, we cannot forgetAI Builder, a new feature of the platform for teams with business expertise to easily automate processes and predict outcomes to improve business performance.Â
It integrates directly with Power Apps and Power Automate, allowing any business team to leverage AI to improve efficiency and decision-making.
Power Platform has become a fundamental pillar for companies seeking to modernize their processes, reduce development costs, and leverage their data more intelligently.
Its low-code approach, combined with automation capabilities and AI integration, positions it as one of the most powerful suites on the market for driving digital transformation.