cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
seanbrogan
Continued Contributor
Continued Contributor

Help understanding powerapps license changes October 2019

Can anybody shed any light on the new PowerApps licensing plans? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around what is going on.

I specifically went out last year and purchased a number of Office 365 premium licenses as well as the F1 plan for employees in the field, so that we could use powerapps.

 

I am using a combination of an Azure SQL database(pay as you go license) and SharePoint (under the 365 licensing) to function as the back end for my apps.

Am I now no longer going to be able to develop and distribute Apps to my employees under these licenses? Am I now being asked by microsoft to go out and buy more licenses specific to PowerApps?

 

Hope this is the right place to ask the 365 messages aren't very clear.

100 REPLIES 100
MikeM_FSA
Advocate I
Advocate I

This is absolutely insane.  If you are looking to kill the platform this is the perfect way to do it.  $40/user/month is just ridiculous to use a connector that should be standard.  Fortunately, I have only 1 application using the platform and tomorrow I start re-writing it. 

gavinleung
Resolver I
Resolver I

If my apps are running on O365 E3, and the only connectors are OneDrive for Business, Sharepoint, and O365. Is there any impact by the new licensing ? 

ContentGroup
Helper I
Helper I

Really looks like MS is pushing everyone to use the per app / per flow license, as a P2 license which was $15 is now $55 per user ($40 for powerapps and $15 for flow)

I'm still unclear what MS is pushing.  I think any serious business app needs to use a database.  Azure SQL DB was a perfect choice for PowerApps since it was a standard connector.  Now that it made it a premium connector at a cost of $40/user/month it puts the whole use of PowerApps in question.  A business with 1000 users will suddenly have an IT expense of $480K/yr.  For that cost you can easily do custom apps.  I'm thinking MS is saying only use PowerApps with standard connectors and don't do any serious business app in PowerApps.

seanbrogan
Continued Contributor
Continued Contributor

@mogulman 

Absolutely.

I am currently in the process of rewriting our app to use SharePoint as a back end and I'm already running into difficulty. SharePoint tables are all non delegable which means I can't even call 'MAX(table_name,Column_name)' from within powerapps.

 

Sharepoint just does not have the same functionality as a SQL database, and without a SQL database to drive tha App it will not be any where near as powerful or as useful.

mogulman
Impactful Individual
Impactful Individual

@seanbrogan

 

I totally agree.  SP Lists isn't for serious business apps.  I use many DB features like views and stored procedures to get around limitations.  I also use Azure Functions.  I have a complex business process that involves a lot of steps 120+, emails, events etc.  SP Lists doesn't work with Azure Functions.  I currently only have 1 app and it is grandfathered until 2014.  I plan to have more.  I'm looking at implementing a custom solution using ASP.NET Core 3  Razor Pages.  I'm a little worried about security and identity but I have time to get it right.  It should be a fun project.  A custom app will allow me to use SQL triggers.  This is a major disappointment/limitation in PowerApps.  It will also allow clients to see selected data.

 

My opinion is the new pricing model is the death of PowerApps for serious business apps.  Time will tell.

SteveGBVL
Advocate I
Advocate I

This is just outrageous, we have spent 18 months developing and now actively using PowerApps for our business based on Microsoft finally appearing to allow access to really useful tools at an affordable price. They have effectively, with no notice, stopped us in our tracks and killed any useful development of PowerApps. I have seen some of the threads saying how much this change will cost other large companies; we are small by comparison but tens of thousands of pounds per year now need to be found if we are to continue.

 

Our hope is that Apps we have developed and in use are unaffected until 2024 and can continue to be 'tweaked' without falling foul of the new licence. Theo ther hope is Microsoft change their minds.

 

How do we take action to let Microsoft know what a dumb and frankly bully boy move this is?

 

Steve

MrNigel
Advocate V
Advocate V

The Microsoft reasoning behind the price increase is simple to understand.  This is what happens when MS move a product from being licensed as a part of Office 365 to making it licensed as a part of Dynamics 365.  The launch of the CDS was the key to this a couple of years back as it was clear that PowerApps was going to be repositioned as a part of D365 to get over the custom apps/solution issues.

 

From 'going public' at Ignite to implementing the change on 1st October is a matter of weeks.  What makes this underhand is the way Standard connectors for Microsoft's own platform have become Premium connectors. I wonder as to the age/experience of the humans who signed off this change.  My guess is they are Blue Badge Millenials who have never worked in an end-user scenario so have no idea as to the disruption this financial grab is going to cause.  Take a look at Nintext as an alternative https://www.nintex.com/resources/pricing/

I am also keen to know this. With some applications in Production environment, we can't just kill them due to cost. We will be moving to some other non microsoft solutions. but need time to build on. How would the transition time work? 

Reading about this move from Microsoft, I'm truly saddened.

Being a long term promoter of Microsofts solutions, I have been driving and implementing Microsoft technologies for more than a decade. Specifically, we just completed a major project to move a number of on-prem SQL servers into Azure, with the specific goal to avoid using premium connectors, the price of which would undermine our IT strategy.

Now, Microsoft decides to completely change the guiding points we have used to decide on PowerApps and Flow for our business applications. Not only are they reclassifying the Azure SQL connector to "Premium", but they are also increasing prices at rates, I have never seen before from any serious IT soultions provider - in our case, specifically, we are using a number of Office 365 Business Essentials and Business Premium licenses for our users. My calculations show we will expierence price increases of more than 500% !!.

 

I ask myself: How can I ever trust Microsoft again, when this can happen - with this, you are directly undermining my personal credibillity as an advisor, promoting Microsoft solutions. Customers have invested in migrating to Azure and the Powerplatform under completely wrong assumptions and based on Microsoft being a trustworthy partner in the long run. All gone now. It makes me sad. One of the big arguments for migrating to the cloud in general, is less hastle with operations. This just moves the hastle from the IT operations to the strategic level - constantly forcing management in companies to get involved to re-consider their IT strategy, because Microsoft decides to change the economical foundation decisions were based on.

I just kindly ask you to deliver on your promises - make it a worry free expierence to migrate to the cloud without constantly rocking (tipping over) the boat. The least you could do is to provide existing users an option for nothing to change and then only change the price structure for new/added or changed featuresets instead of causing all this agony that is slowly undermining your position as a trustwothy and reliable partner for companies and cloud first strategies in general.

Helpful resources

Announcements

Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

  It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd. at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3rd, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!     THIS WEEK'S TIP: Unlocking Achievements and Earning BadgesAcross the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. These badges each signify a different achievement--and all of those achievements are available to any Community member! If you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, you too can earn badges for the great work you do. Check out some details on Community badges below--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article!       A Diverse Range of Badges to Collect The badges you can earn in the Community cover a wide array of activities, including: Kudos Received: Acknowledges the number of times a user’s post has been appreciated with a “Kudo.”Kudos Given: Highlights the user’s generosity in recognizing others’ contributions.Topics Created: Tracks the number of discussions initiated by a user.Solutions Provided: Celebrates the instances where a user’s response is marked as the correct solution.Reply: Counts the number of times a user has engaged with community discussions.Blog Contributor: Honors those who contribute valuable content and are invited to write for the community blog.       A Community Evolving Together Badges are not only a great way to recognize outstanding contributions of our amazing Community members--they are also a way to continue fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As you continue to share your knowledge and assist each other these badges serve as a visual representation of your valuable contributions.   Find out more about badges in these Community Support pages in each Community: All About Community Badges - Power Apps CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Automate CommunityAll About Community Badges - Copilot Studio CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Pages Community

Tuesday Tips: Powering Up Your Community Profile

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Tip: Power Up Your Profile!  🚀 It's where every Community member gets their start, and it's essential that you keep it updated! Your Community User Profile is how you're able to get messages, post solutions, ask questions--and as you rank up, it's where your badges will appear and how you'll be known when you start blogging in the Community Blog. Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile.     Password Puzzles? No Problem! Find out how to sync your Azure AD password with your community account, ensuring a seamless sign-in. No separate passwords to remember! Job Jumps & Email Swaps Changed jobs? Got a new email? Fear not! You'll find out how to link your shiny new email to your existing community account, keeping your contributions and connections intact. Username Uncertainties Unraveled Picking the perfect username is crucial--and sometimes the original choice you signed up with doesn't fit as well as you may have thought. There's a quick way to request an update here--but remember, your username is your community identity, so choose wisely. "Need Admin Approval" Warning Window? If you see this error message while using the community, don't worry. A simple process will help you get where you need to go. If you still need assistance, find out how to contact your Community Support team. Whatever you're looking for, when it comes to your profile, the Community Account Support Knowledge Base article is your treasure trove of tips as you navigate the nuances of your Community Profile. It’s the ultimate resource for keeping your digital identity in tip-top shape while engaging with the Power Platform Community. So, dive in and power up your profile today!  💪🚀   Community Account Support | Power Apps Community Account Support | Power AutomateCommunity Account Support | Copilot Studio  Community Account Support | Power Pages

Super User of the Month | Chris Piasecki

In our 2nd installment of this new ongoing feature in the Community, we're thrilled to announce that Chris Piasecki is our Super User of the Month for March 2024. If you've been in the Community for a while, we're sure you've seen a comment or marked one of Chris' helpful tips as a solution--he's been a Super User for SEVEN consecutive seasons!       Since authoring his first reply in April 2020 to his most recent achievement organizing the Canadian Power Platform Summit this month, Chris has helped countless Community members with his insights and expertise. In addition to being a Super User, Chris is also a User Group leader, Microsoft MVP, and a featured speaker at the Microsoft Power Platform Conference. His contributions to the new SUIT program, along with his joyous personality and willingness to jump in and help so many members has made Chris a fixture in the Power Platform Community.   When Chris isn't authoring solutions or organizing events, he's actively leading Piasecki Consulting, specializing in solution architecture, integration, DevOps, and more--helping clients discover how to strategize and implement Microsoft's technology platforms. We are grateful for Chris' insightful help in the Community and look forward to even more amazing milestones as he continues to assist so many with his great tips, solutions--always with a smile and a great sense of humor.You can find Chris in the Community and on LinkedIn. Thanks for being such a SUPER user, Chris! 💪🌠

Tuesday Tips: Community Ranks and YOU

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!This Week: Community Ranks--Moving from "Member" to "Community Champion"   Have you ever wondered how your fellow community members ascend the ranks within our community? What sets apart an Advocate from a Helper, or a Solution Sage from a Community Champion? In today’s #TuesdayTip, we’re unveiling the secrets and sharing tips to help YOU elevate your ranking—and why it matters to our vibrant communities. Community ranks serve as a window into a member’s role and activity. They celebrate your accomplishments and reveal whether someone has been actively contributing and assisting others. For instance, a Super User is someone who has been exceptionally helpful and engaged. Some ranks even come with special permissions, especially those related to community management. As you actively participate—whether by creating new topics, providing solutions, or earning kudos—your rank can climb. Each time you achieve a new rank, you’ll receive an email notification. Look out for the icon and rank name displayed next to your username—it’s a badge of honor! Fun fact: Your Community Engagement Team keeps an eye on these ranks, recognizing the most passionate and active community members. So shine brightly with valuable content, and you might just earn well-deserved recognition! Where can you see someone’s rank? When viewing a post, you’ll find a member’s rank to the left of their name.Click on a username to explore their profile, where their rank is prominently displayed. What about the ranks themselves? New members start as New Members, progressing to Regular Visitors, and then Frequent Visitors.Beyond that, we have a categorized system: Kudo Ranks: Earned through kudos (teal icons).Post Ranks: Based on your posts (purple icons).Solution Ranks: Reflecting your solutions (green icons).Combo Ranks: These orange icons combine kudos, solutions, and posts. The top ranks have unique names, making your journey even more exciting! So dive in, collect those kudos, share solutions, and let’s see how high you can rank! 🌟 🚀   Check out the Using the Community boards in each of the communities for more helpful information!  Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages

Find Out What Makes Super Users So Super

We know many of you visit the Power Platform Communities to ask questions and receive answers. But do you know that many of our best answers and solutions come from Community members who are super active, helping anyone who needs a little help getting unstuck with Business Applications products? We call these dedicated Community members Super Users because they are the real heroes in the Community, willing to jump in whenever they can to help! Maybe you've encountered them yourself and they've solved some of your biggest questions. Have you ever wondered, "Why?"We interviewed several of our Super Users to understand what drives them to help in the Community--and discover the difference it has made in their lives as well! Take a look in our gallery today: What Motivates a Super User? - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

Top Solution Authors
Top Kudoed Authors
Users online (6,660)