Licensing-is Microsoft making it mandatory to have premium license for all users to use premium connectors?

[sasigouru]

Hello,

My question is to the experts on licensing or the community support leads.

 During our last internal governance meeting, I was informed that from May 2022 all users(app makers+end users) will require a premium license if the power app or the flow contains any premium connectors? Can anyone have more details around this? I looked around official Microsoft licensing page and guides, but it’s comprehensive and confusing?

In my case, some of our production apps & flows and many in the pipeline use SQL connector to get the master data and pass it on to the flow or app. Sometimes It’s a simple text box performing a search function or sometimes a flow executing a complex stored procedure or power query. The results will be passed on to the app or the rest of branches of flow to perform different actions. Later, we use SP lists for all other data needs. We generally don’t anything back to SQL. So, this is a key step for an app or flow’s survival.

Halfway through the development, SQL joined the premium connectors club, but we continued to use as the warning prompt mentioned the end users require at least P1 license to use the app/flow when a premium connector is involved. Fortunately, our company providers E3 license to all our end users which covers the P1. Once Microsoft starts charging, the assumption is only makers would need to be on a P2 license in order to build apps or flows. Is this not the case anymore? If it isn’t then how can it be justified to pay premium licenses for a large volume vs investing the same or less in professional software development? From the little I’ve known, power platform is supposed to be low code and low cost model to build and deploy business apps rapidly.

If this becomes a reality then a lot of things in our pipeline would fall off as the business won’t have appetite to go out in the market for every business need. If anyone have any information regarding this, please share. It will help us decide to stick to the platform or ditch all the efforts.

Thanks in advance!!

sasi

[Pstork1]

A per user or per app license has always been required for all users using a Power app with a premium connector.  The one exception is, as you mentioned, SQL.  SQL and Azure became Premium on October 1, 2019.  But existing SQL apps were given an extension to work with a standard license for 5 years.  That would be through October 1, 2024.  User's who had the old Plan 1 or Plan 2 license were also grandfathered in until their purchase agreements expired. I suspect this is your situation since its the only thing that would apply a date like May, 2022.  Plan 1 and Plan 2 were also premium licenses but they have been phased out and will need to be replaced when they expire.  Here's the licensing FAQ it or the license guide it refers to should have all the answers to your questions.

Power Apps and Power Automate licensing FAQs - Power Platform | Microsoft Docs

Bottom line is that for new development using SQL you need a premium license now.  Existing development should be ok until October, 2024. If you have expiring P1 or P2 licenses then the same also applies, but you would need new licenses for anything else that was premium and was covered by those licenses.

Also, an Office E3 does not cover a P1 and doesn't provide support for any premium connectors.

[sasigouru]

thank you for your response. I was made aware about the SQL connector being premium, but was hoping an app maker premium license would suffice. Our master data storage is in SQL databases. We can’t move them anywhere else. Only workaround that comes to be mind now is to get one premium license and add actions in the flows where SQL is being used to copy on to SharePoint lists. Then change the data sources in the app from SQL to SP. I know this will be duplicating the data and wasting the resources, but we are too far into with some of our developments. But, there will be questions raised what if one day Microsoft makes SP too a premium connector or more users take this path and it overloads the SP space etc., If this can’t get past approval stage then we’ll have to wrap shop and move on to another platform or invest in professional development.

[Pstork1]

There are never guarantees, but its very unlikely that MS will ever make SharePoint a premium data source.  But since there is no such thing as a Maker license your workaround is probably your best approach.

[Brice235i]

Hi there, " for new development using SQL you need a premium license now. " I don't think this is correct.  We've tested with standard E3 accounts, and they can still build flows with the SQL connector, even though its marked premium.  Unfortunately, as an early adopter, the SQL connector is in our default (unrestricted) environment. We are thinking to move any apps and flows with SQL data source to another environment to discourage it's use. However, if we do that I'm wondering if they would be classed as a "new" development and incur an immediate licensing cost.  However, as we seem to be able to create flows with SQL without a premium license, then I don't think there is an immediate license fee for new developments. 

[Pstork1]

The lack of a license warning on new development doesn't change the legal requirement.  Here is a quote from the licensing FAQ on the subject.

"Yes, existing apps and flows will continue to work. Customers who have been using Power Apps or Power Automate with Microsoft 365 using one or more of the connectors listed above will receive a transition period before the connector reclassification goes into effect. This transition period would be until October 1, 2020 or the expiration of their current Microsoft 365 subscription term, whichever is longer. During the transition period customers can continue to create additional apps and flows using these connectors.

In addition, apps and flows created prior to October 1, 2019 which are using these connectors will receive an extended transition period until October 1, 2024. During this time, these qualifying apps and flows will be exempt from the Premium connector licensing requirements for the reclassified connectors."

Power Apps and Power Automate licensing FAQs - Power Platform | Microsoft Docs

In short, new development was covered until October 1, 2020 or the end of your MS 365 subscription term.  Existing Apps were covered through October 1, 2024.  As you can see, new development after October, 2020 does require Premium licensing.

[Brice235i]

Thank you very much.  I will check with our licensing team for further detail.

[Brice235i]

Sorry, another question.  I don't supposed anyone on this thread would know how to build a flow to send an email to makers of new flows or apps using SQL?    I'm looking at the flow in the COE Toolkit

"Flow output will provide a list of new PowerApps, flows and connectors that have been introduced into your tenant within a configurable window...."  

Can probably use this one - filter on environment = default...  Will probably be able to work it out.  Just wondering if anyone has already built something similar.  The email will contain a warning that the app/flow will incur premium licensing at some point.