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September 26, 2024

Updates from Power Platform Community Conference 2024

Latest Updates from Microsoft

During Power Platform Community Conference 2024 in Las Vegas, Microsoft revealed new features that are introduced to make life easier for every Power Automate and Power Apps user. These changes aim to simplify process automation and app creation, while also increasing team efficiency. These innovations respond to the needs of modern users, who expect greater flexibility and support in their daily tasks.

A pleasant surprise for Netwise during the conference in Las Vegas!

During the keynote address, Charles Lamanna, Microsoft’s Vice President of Business & Industry Copilot, highlighted our latest Copilot Studio implementation (for a conversational bot, extended with domain knowledge) at Nsure.com as one of the most innovative and transformative initiatives in the world.

What's new in Power Automate?

Power Automate is continuously evolving, introducing features that make business process automation easier. Several exciting capabilities are set to revolutionize how users interact with the tool. From recording actions via voice, to intelligent action recommendations, and modern support for creating Desktop Flows — Power Automate is becoming more intuitive and accessible for everyone.

Multimodal recording

Moving to Public Preview, this feature allows users to create RPA (Robotic Process Automation) by recording voice and on-screen actions. Users can, for example, point to an Excel file and give verbal instructions, and Copilot will automatically generate the corresponding RPA.

Generative actions (formerly AI Flows)

This feature lets AI decide specific actions based on user-provided data, such as selecting an appropriate approver based on the value of a request.

Pin actions

This allows users to pin and display details of two actions simultaneously, making it easier to copy information between them.

Creating Desktop Flows (RPA) from Descriptions

A feature available in Public Preview that allows users to describe a task verbally, and then Copilot translates it into corresponding RPA steps.

Copilot Expression Assistant

A tool currently in private preview, supporting the creation of functions within flows and improving incorrect syntax.

What's new in Power Apps?

Microsoft continues to surprise! At the Las Vegas conference, a range of innovations were presented that will significantly improve the experience for app creators. The new features and enhancements are designed to simplify the app development process, enabling even more automation and easier management of environments.

Environment settings now in a new UI

Environment Settings are slowly moving away from the old interface – time for a new look.

PowerApps Plan Designer

Another solution to assist app creators – users now describe to Copilot what their solution should do, what permissions are needed, and Copilot suggests a data model, apps, and automations. Currently available in Early Access.

Filtering views using natural language

Copilot for Model-Driven Apps enables filtering views through natural language. For example, “Show all opportunities with a planned close date this month,” and Copilot will automatically apply the appropriate filters. Public Preview planned for November, GA in April 2025.

Smart Past

This feature builds on the mechanism from Copilot for Sales in Outlook. It allows copying text (e.g., from an email) to the clipboard and pasting it into a Model-Driven app form. AI analyzes the content and suggests appropriate field values, significantly streamlining tasks such as creating tickets for Contact Center Agents.

Resize side panels

A small but useful improvement. Previously, side panels (e.g., from Teams or Copilot) had a fixed width. Now, users can adjust the panel width after expanding it by using the mouse.

Co-authoring

A feature available in Public Preview since June 2024, now moving to General Availability. It solves the lack of multi-user collaboration – users can now work on an app simultaneously and see who is modifying a specific module, similar to Excel or Word Online.