Power Platform
Following on from my session ‘Modernise and improve your legacy applications’ at this week’s Dynamics Forums, I’d like to dive deeper into the power of the On-Premise Data Gateway. My session focused on the benefits of using the gateway to modernise legacy applications, but at the same time, enabling organisations to keep databases and other data sources on their on-premises networks, and securely use that data in cloud services.
Managing your organisation’s applications can be a challenging process. Ensuring these applications are delivering value for your organisation is a critical success factor. Whether you purchased an on-premises application years ago or built an application in-house, you will reach a point where these applications stop delivering value. This leaves you with the tough decision of choosing between persevering with the existing solution or going through a costly upgrade. However, there is a third option!
Thankfully, the Microsoft Power Platform resolves these challenges. The Power Platform is a single connected platform that contains the following applications: Power BI, Power Automate and Power Apps.
Connect legacy apps to the Power Platform
For users of legacy applications, the Power Platform offers the ability to improve your legacy application in a simple, user-friendly way. It provides seamless hybrid connectivity to on-premises systems via the On-Premise Data Gateway. This allows access to your application and data to make these available in reports, business processes and new applications.
The On-Premise Data Gateway acts as a bridge, providing quick and secure data transfer between on-premises data (data that is not in the cloud) and Power BI, Power Automate, Logic Apps, and Power Apps.
You can use the Power Platform Admin Center to get visibility into all on-premises data gateways in a tenant. To do so, sign in as a tenant admin and select the Data Gateway option.
The Power Platform handles your data through the use of Microsoft’s Common Data Service (CDS) or third-party applications. The CDS is a cloud-based tool hosted on Azure which allows you to store and manage your data securely.
Analyse, Act and Automate with The Power Platform
The Power Platform has three solutions that enable users to analyse, act and automate on their data:
1. Power BI – Gain insight into data (analyse).
2. Power Apps – Use your insight to drive intelligent processes through custom applications (act).
3. Power Automate – Automate your processes (automate).
The Power Platform creates a closed-loop system that allows users to analyse, act and automate. Data is increasingly flowing from everything and from anywhere. Organisations that understand how to exploit data and gain insight into their business will create better results and thus will out-compete organisations that do not have this insight.
Power BI, Power Apps and Power Automate each represents best-of-breed solutions in their categories and their combination as The Power Platform is a game-changer.
Alternatively, contact us to organise a Power Platform briefing to discuss the digital transformation the platform could bring to your organisation and the applications you use to run your business.