Ignite 2019: Microsoft looking to Teams integration as one way to accelerate Power Platform usage

Microsoft  introduced new preview capabilities to the Power Platform around Ignite 2019, and the company has worked to reinforce the message that the platform is as comfortable in a complex large enterprise as it is in a small or mid-sized business.  And, representatives say, the Power Platform should be viewed going forward as a first-tier product line alongside Office 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, and Windows.

"Power Platform is a top tier brand in its own right," said Microsoft director of product marketing Richard Reilly in an interview at Ignite 2019. "That's a recent development. Over the next few months will see an attempt to create an air gap between [Power Platform and] Dynamics 365."

Microsoft reports that PowerApps is already in use at 86 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and it appears to be growing at an increasing clip, based on a line graph shown at the conference with steep upward growth but no numbers.

One way the company intends to continue to boost usage of Power Apps and supporting systems like Power Automate and Common Data Service even further is through improving availability and adoption in productivity and collaboration tools like SharePoint and Teams.

Microsoft executives see the joint opportunity of Teams and Power Platform as critical, Riley explained, and are planning their execution accordingly: