Microsoft returns with a fresh surge of updates, marking the debut wave for 2024 – Microsoft Power Platform 2024 Release Wave 1. With a plethora of intriguing updates on the horizon, time is of the essence to catch up before their arrival.
Get ready, as deployment of these innovative features and functionalities kicks off on April 1, 2024! Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store:
Notable Updates for Power Apps
Presently, sharing an app entails a complex process involving the creation of new security roles and the definition of permissions. Microsoft tackled this challenge by crafting a simplified sharing experience, mirroring the user-friendliness of other Microsoft 365 products. This enhancement empowers makers to effortlessly share their tables and apps without grappling with the intricacies of their security model.
Microsoft is poised to roll out the update that’s aimed at streamlining this app-sharing process. It’s anticipated that Microsoft will introduce a unified experience allowing users to share the entire application along with its requisite components, such as security groups, all from one central location—akin to the Power Automate editor in Canvas Apps. While specifics of the impending changes remain uncertain, there’s optimism that they’ll improve users’ comprehension of the interdependencies among Power Apps and Power Automate components, in tandem with Dataverse and security protocols.
Power Automate Updates
Much like Power Apps, Power Automate has also been built to integrate Copilot functionalities across cloud products, desktop applications, and process mining. Cloud flows leverage AI to enable users to focus solely on essential tasks while automating the rest through natural language and no- or low-code. Desktop flows offer automation for Windows desktop applications, providing a simplified deployment and user-focused interface within the Power Platform. This empowers business users to create more robust automations efficiently, troubleshoot problems, and find solutions them with ease, ensuring an enjoyable and seamless experience.
Power Automate’s process mining enhancements utilize AI to extract insights and offer out-of-the-box templates for quick implementation, from data ingestion to pre-defined custom reports. Integration with Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management further enhances these capabilities. These advancements enable companies to realize the full potential of their information and expedite their journeys towards operational greatness.
Dynamics 365 Sales
In the release wave spotlight, Copilot shines brightly, and the Sales application within Dynamics 365 Sales is no exception. A myriad of features is tailored in Dynamics 365 Sales to streamline sellers’ routines and enhance productivity. With AI support, sales teams can efficiently derive actionable insights, swiftly access information, and allocate more time to high-impact endeavors.
AI-Generated Account Summary
Juggling multiple accounts simultaneously can be challenging to handle. Thankfully, the new Account Summary feature simplifies access to crucial customer data, including purchasing behavior, related opportunities, leads, marketing campaigns, and more. This feature saves salespeople considerable time when researching an account, eliminating the need to sift through scattered information.
Co-Pilot Content Recommendations
For a busy salesperson, swiftly accessing the right information can pose a significant challenge, particularly during preparations for meetings or while on sales calls. This new Copilot feature addresses this by presenting you with the relevant document precisely when you need it.
These recommendations seamlessly integrate into your workflow, keeping you focused and eliminating the need to spend time switching between different platforms or locations.
Dynamics 365 Customer Service
Microsoft will persist in enabling Dynamics 365 Customer Service agents to operate with greater efficiency by leveraging Copilot, which includes features like response verification filtering, diagnostic tools for both admins and agents, and usability enhancements for multi-session apps. Furthermore, the platform is refining the voice channel and enhancing the accuracy and prioritization of unified routing assignments.
Real-Time Segments
Marketers now have the ability to generate and utilize segments that dynamically update in real-time for customer targeting. This opens up fresh opportunities for businesses, enabling them to engage with customers instantly, precisely when the opportunity arises. For instance, you can send a personalized offer to a customer the moment they meet the qualifying criteria.
Microsoft Power Pages
The enhanced Copilot now facilitates every aspect of website construction, allowing for the creation of intelligent websites from start to finish. This includes designing, setting up page layouts, editing content, binding data, implementing learning features, integrating chatbots, conducting accessibility checks, and security the site. Plus, it enables seamless data connectivity from various sources through the out-of-the-box control library, while also providing enhanced security features for comprehensive website protection.
Makers now have the capability to link Power Pages sites to external data sources like SQL Server and Microsoft SharePoint directly from the Data workspace within Power Pages studio.
Copilot Makes Friends with Canvas Apps
By default, Copilot functionality is activated in canvas apps that connect to Microsoft Dataverse data, requiring no special configuration. This means users can leverage Copilot seamlessly to ask questions and gain deeper insights into their data.
Microsoft’s Copilot is an invaluable tool, especially for newcomers, as it provides essential assistance in understand the fundamentals and constructing applications or flows from scratch.
Governance and Administration Plus Pro Development
Governance and administration are evolving to offer administrators a broader array of tools and insights, ensuring they can maximize the potential of the Power Platform. In this wave, Microsoft is introducing new capabilities aimed at assisting customers in efficiently managing their low-code assets at scale, along with several new security features to govern a highly secure platform.
On the pro development front, there’s a wealth of extensibility points and tooling capabilities. These cater to code-first developers, offering them excellent experiences in Power Platform application development. These experiences foster faster iteration within enterprises, establishing fusion development as a new standard. This allows low-code and code-first developers to collaborate and build without constraints.
Need Help Navigating This Wave?
If you have inquiries regarding this release and want to explore how your business can harness the upcoming features, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. The MIBAR team at Citrin Cooperman looks forward to assisting you with our expertise and industry knowledge.
Additional Resources
Microsoft Copilot for Sales and Service
Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft Fabric and Copilot for Your Business
How to Get Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot
The AI Co-Pilot of Your Dreams: Microsoft Copilot’s Impact on Everyday Work
