PowerApps Plan Change 2/1/2019

[Anonymous]

February 1, 2019 it states that the license structure will change for PowerApps and Flow.

I am just starting to develop in PowerApps and Flow against Microsoft SharePoint Online lists.  Currently I am using PowerApps and Flow for free.  I am using Flow as a recurrence to SharePoint Online when the day changes with the recurrence.  Also I am using Flow when a record is added to SharePoint Online with the item add and/or change.

I realise that when the Flow goes higher than 750 runs/month, I need to change to Flow Plan 1. Can I still use PowerApps and Flow free licenses if I am only going against SharePoint Online lists?  My major concern is the licensing for PowerApps.

In addition, if I want to start pulling data from SQL Server, is that a new license?  Also, is the higher license for the Developer or everyone who uses the data?

Thanks so much for your help.

[timl]

For the benefit of anyone else reading this, I've pasted the licensing changes below.

Could you clarify how you're using PowerApps for free? Are you using the free 'Community Plan', or are you accessing 'Microsoft SharePoint Online' through an Office 365 plan and using the PowerApps license that's associated with that? Also, are you thinking of using SQL Server Azure, or an on-premise instance of SQL Server via the gateway? The reason I ask is because the document states a definite change to the on-premises data gateway licensing.

I hope that someone from Microsoft can answer this question because I think it would be best for you to receive a more official response, given the commercial nature of your question.  
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https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Office-Retirement-Blog/Updates-to-Microsoft-Flow-and-PowerApp...

We are introducing some changes to simplify the distinction between the version of PowerApps and Flow for Office 365 plans and PowerApps and Flow Plans 1 and 2 by making the following changes:
Effective February 1, 2019, the following capabilities will only be available with PowerApps and Flow Plan 1 and Plan 2:

* Creation and publication of custom connectors in PowerApps and Microsoft Flow
* HTTP custom actions integrated into Flow outside SharePoint and OneDrive
* Integration of on-premises data through the on-premises  data gateway

Customers with active users of these features will get an automatic extension until January 31, 2020 or the expiration of their existing Office 365 subscription term (whichever is longer).   

Otherwise, if you have no active usage but still would like to use the features listed above, you can submit a ticket to request an extension via Microsoft Support before January 31, 2019 to ensure uninterrupted service.  Extensions will run for twelve months or the expiration of your existing Office 365 subscription term (whichever is longer). Your ability to request an extension will expire on April 30, 2019.  After that, unless previously extended, use of these services will require PowerApps and Flow Plan 1 or Plan 2. 

[pbordon]

Where is this new licensing scheme best explained? Currently, plan 1 and 2 already have those characteristics. It's not understood

[Anonymous]

It is confusing.  I am using PowerApps and Flow with my Office 365 license.  Currently I am reading SharePoint Lists with PowerApps and Flow. Will that still be free?

I want to go against SQL Server databases.  That already has a connector.  Will that also be free because it is not a custom connector?

Thanks.

[rc]

Thanks for the questions -- happy to help clarify. The overall structure of PowerApps licensing is not changing. You will are still able to use the licenses included with Office 365 to build apps and custom forms against SharePoint Online and other standard data sources; the core value of the license included in Office 365 is to extend Office 365.

Also, as is true today, developers do not require a higher license. PowerApps users require a license to use apps; the level of license goes up as the sophistication of the apps goes up.

The changes mentioned in the message center post are around three specific features and intended to help clarify the above. From 2/1/19, these three features will require a P1 license or higher to consume apps that use:

1. On-premesis data gateways

2. Custom connectors

3. HTTP custom actions integrated into Flow

These changes do not affect the majority of PowerApps users today, and anyone who is currently using them without a P1 or higher license will automatically be able to continue through January 31, 2020 or the expiration of their existing Office 365 subscription term (whichever is longer).  More details here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Office-Retirement-Blog/Updates-to-Microsoft-Flow-and-PowerApp...

. 

[timl · Accepted solution]

Hi @rc

Thanks for clarifying this in a more official capacity. So to summarise how this would work for @Anonymous

• Reading SharePoint Lists with PowerApps and Flow will still be free.
• Connecting to SQL Server Azure will be free, because that uses a Standard Connector.
• Connecting to on-premises SQL Server will require a 'Plan 1' license or higher, due to the use of the on-premises gateway.
  
  

[andygjones]

I was wondering if anyone can clarify how this affects custom connectors (used to trigger Azure functions). We are planning to use this company wide.

The announcement isn't totally clear on if the higher plan is only needed to create and publish the connector, or if it's also needed by end users consuming the connector. The line states:

• Creation and publication of custom connectors in PowerApps and Microsoft Flow

Any clarification on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

[PaulD1]

Some more detail around '3. HTTP custom actions integrated into Flow' would be appreciated.

Does this mean that any use of the HTTP action requires Plan 1? Many of Microsoft's own connectors (e.g. for Cognitive Services) don't expose the full functionality of the various services, thus forcing the use of the HTTP action instead.

Some examples include: Using the Computer Vision OCR service to read handwritten text and the Face API to return emotion data. The provided connectors do not expose these options and an so an HTTP request has to be used instead.

Given that the need for custom connectors and HTTP custom actions is to plug gaps in the platform (understandable given how new it is), charging extra to use the features does feel like 'adding insult to injury'.

[Anonymous]

What if we have a Enterprise 3 (E3) license? Does that cover both plans or no?

[rc]

Thanks for the followup questions everyone (and the patience over the holidays)--

@timl @Anonymous that summary is correct; reading data from SharePoint and connecting to any standard connector remains included in the PowerApps licenses for Office 365; there is no change here.

@andygjones users of apps that have custom connectors will require the P1 license. The main blog post added a clarifying comment on this in December, quoted here (see first bullet specifically):

December 2018 Update

In response to questions we've received, here are some additional clarifications:

• Although makers do not require a specific license to create PowerApps and Flows that use custom or premium connectors, users of Apps and Flows that are based on custom or premium connectors require Plan 1 or Plan 2 licenses. 
• Office 365 users and makers do not require elevated licensing to access Office data from the Graph through Flow.  We have key scenarios for Graph exposed to Flow and PowerApps users through our standard Graph connectors. These are available to all Office 365 users.  Advanced developers who want to connect to Graph via a raw HTTP call have been able to do so since September 2017 with the premium HTTP with Azure AD connector. This has been a premium connector since its release and we have no plans to change this requirement at this time.
• Office 365 users and makers do not require any additional licensing to access on premises data from Power BI through the on premises data gateway; additional licensing is only required for users using PowerApps and Flow against on premises data.
• Office 365-licensed users and makers do not require any additional licensing to use HTTP custom actions inside the SharePoint connector.

@PaulD1 some clarifying content in the snippet above. Using the HTTP action card offered by the SharePoint connector (see screenshot) does not require the P1 license as it's within SharePoint.

You're right that using the HTTP action card to access other data sources like Cognitive Services will require P1 going forward, however the spirit of this move is not to monetize gaps in functionality that should be included in Office. Any gaps in the current connectors, especially in Office 365 data sources, should be resolved in the connectors themselves so that the broadest possible set of users can take advantage of them without having to use the more advanced HTTP triggers. This is part of why there is a long extension to current users of these features to make sure we can properly close gaps.

@Anonymous E3 plans include "PowerApps for Office 365" capabilities, outlined in the first column of our pricing page here: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/ . The intent of this plan to be able to customize and extend Office 365. Users who want to take advantage of premium capabilities (e.g., the custom connectors or on-prem gateways discussed here) will need a P1 or higher plan.