New Microsoft beta lets workers build their own apps without coding
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PowerApps allows employees to build business-focused apps without knowing how to program
PowerApps allows line of business employees to take data from a
variety of sources and create apps that run on phones and tablets
without requiring them to do any coding. Developers' time is often
constrained, so doing something like creating a mobile expense reporting
app might not be a top priority, even if it would save time and money.
Applications
built with PowerApps, which can run on iOS, Android and the web, can
pull data from sources including Dropbox, OneDrive, Dynamics CRM and
SharePoint Online. That's notable, since it shows Microsoft reaching
outside its own products to include some that it competes with.
Apps
built with PowerApps can then be loaded into the PowerApps app on iOS
and Android, and accessed on the go. The apps aren't full native mobile
apps, so companies shouldn't think of it as something that could be used
to create a product for consumers or for external use. When
users first sign into PowerApps, they're greeted by a set of sample
applications that help show them how to do things like track a budget.
Once they're comfortable with the service, they can download the
PowerApps Studio from the Windows Store onto a computer running Windows
10, and build applications with it.
They can then make that application available for colleagues to use on their phones, tablets and the web.
Businesses
that rely on Microsoft Access to build applications should pay
particular attention to this launch, since this seems to be something
that replaces the app-creation capabilities of Microsoft's prosumer
database product. PowerApps's capabilities feel similar to some of what
Access is capable of, and also extend those powers to mobile devices.
Microsoft
hasn't said that it plans to replace Access, but giving it major
updates and improvements doesn't seem to be one of Microsoft's
priorities. At the very least, PowerApps should be of interest to
Access-reliant organizations because it could do what that application
does better, even if Microsoft doesn't choose to replace it wholesale.
With PowerApps, Microsoft is playing in a rough and tumble market, which includes Salesforce and SkyGiraffe,
a startup that the company funded through its Microsoft Ventures
program. The latter has said that it looks forward to competing with
Microsoft in this arena.
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