Have you seen or heard about this new technology from Microsoft and wonder what it is? In this connected world, business is changing and changing rapidly. It is important to keep up to date and see what developments are around. In this review, I’ll give you an idea of what this new technology can do for your business.
PowerApps allows you to create mobile applications that can meet the unique needs of your business. Do you need a lot of experience? Yes and no. A simple system can be created quickly, but for more complex functionality a better understanding will be helpful.
Office365 enables better collaboration by bringing products like Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint to the cloud. Microsoft Access never made it to the cloud, and there are probably good reasons for that. These days, Access databases are used less and less. As powerful as they are, there are limitations.
PowerApps works in the cloud and you don’t need to install your system on each user’s PC. Every time you make an update, you just need to publish it again and users will get the latest version automatically. What can PowerApps do to make installing software easier? PowerApps works in a browser, so there is no need to install software on a user’s PC. As long as they have access to a browser, they will be able to use your system. They must also have an Office365 account and a license to run PowerApps.
So how can this new technology add value to your organization? It is promoted as a tool for mobile devices and, in general, that is what it is. You don’t necessarily need to be a PowerApps developer. It’s pretty easy to get started, but if you have development experience, even better. You can create applications for your mobile phone or tablet, such as an iPad. Some examples are a billing application, a help desk, a reservation system, etc.
One drawback is that you can’t create an app for a phone and expect it to look the same on a tablet or desktop. You will need to create a separate version for the mobile platform and the desktop platform.
Although it is aimed at mobile devices, you can also create applications that will run on your laptop or desktop. Again, just like mobile apps, everything runs in the browser. Can PowerApps be used to convert existing apps on other platforms? If you have an InfoPath form or an MS Access database, these are the prime candidates for converting to PowerApps.
At this point, you may be wondering what the cost will be. If you have an Office365 subscription, then PowerApps is included. Prices can sometimes change and it’s worth checking on the Microsoft website.
PowerApps is best used for small systems. Don’t try to port or build a system that needs complicated code and lots of screens. Try to keep things simple. There are plenty of PowerApps examples to get you started. However, there is no substitute for a good PowerApps tutorial and a PowerApps for Beginners course can get you up to speed quickly.
What can PowerApps do with data sources?
PowerApps can connect to a variety of data sources. For example, you can connect to Excel, SharePoint, SQL Server, DropBox, and many, many more. At the moment it is not possible to connect to an MS Access database, but there is a solution.
SharePoint is an ideal candidate to connect because, like PowerApps, it’s cloud-based and part of Office365. You can connect to SharePoint and SQL Server on-premises, but you’ll need to use what’s known as a local gateway.
Overall, PowerApps, along with Office 365, are solid products that are continually being improved by Microsoft. More and more organizations are seeing the benefits and getting on board. Give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.