Power Apps Portals experts react to the reveal of Microsoft Power Pages

The introduction of Power Pages marks a new phase in the life of Microsoft’s business portals technology. Starting from its origins as at the vanguard of Dynamics CRM’s xRM customization movement, the product has seen its management shift, first as part of Dynamics 365, then as a component of Power Apps, and now as a distinct offering in the Power Platform lineup.

Portals veterans have been reacting to the reveal of Power Pages, largely with optimism for the elevated status of the new service and the set of better and simpler tools to build on the existing portals framework.

Nick Doelman, a portals veteran, former Microsoft MVP, and current senior content developer at Microsoft, calls Power Pages the “fifth pillar” of the Power Platform.  Doelman, who has been working on the new documentation for Power Pages describes the service as “a mix of completely new tools and processes (new design studio and new site templates) that utilizes proven existing technologies of Power Apps portals (web sites, Dataverse metadata, portals Web API, and others).”

New elements include the design studio, new starter templates, and the Learn Hub. The existing Portals Management app will still be there to allow portal creators configure their sites, he added.

Microsoft MVP Olena Grischenko wrote that the new approach in Power Pages design adds “many features that would make my life as a pro UI/UX designer so much easier.” She noted the new Styling capabilities, the tools for creating landing pages, and the ability ...