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Create low-code websites for external users using PowerApps Portals

September 24th, 2020 Mikita Shah Microsoft Power, Microsoft PowerApps

Delivering the low-code apps to the employees across the organizations using PowerApps, therefore, has shown incredible growth in the last few years.
Being, Dynamics Service Provider, our customers have continuously asked us: what about the people outside our organization? Sharing the app with the outside world has been the #1 priority for them.
Microsoft introduced the PowerApps Portals, which promotes the ability to build low-code responsive websites that allow external users to interact with the data stored in the Common Data Service, or even browse content anonymously.

Below are the capabilities of PowerApps Portals:

• Minimal code solution for creating multi-language, responsive websites for users external, as well as internal employees
• Allow external service providers like Microsoft Account, Linkedin, Facebook, Azure AD B2C, etc. or even allow anonymous access
• Use WYSIWYG designer to create website content and enrich with CDS/Dynamics data using familiar constructs like forms, views, charts, dashboards
• Pro dev extensibility and templating capabilities to design complex business processes
• Use pre-built templates like Customer Self Service, Partner Management, Event Management, Community Self Service, or Create your portal

Quick and easy setup experience

• Configure a new App type called “Portal” from PowerApps home
• Create a portal CDS or Dynamics database
• Use a prebuilt Dynamics application template like customer self-service, partner management, event management, etc. or create your portal

Easy to use portal Designer experience

• Simplified Portal Designer to customize the content of your website

• Create and manage pages in few clicks that increases your productivity multifold

• Select predefined layouts or create your templates (web templates)

Expose your CDS/Dynamics data in few clicks!

• Create/Update new form/view in just one click

• Advanced form/view capabilities like geolocation, custom actions, workflow, etc.

Extend to multiple audiences using PowerApps Portals

• Create Portals for users outside of your organization as well as internal employees
• Allow a variety of login providers like Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, Azure AD B2C, etc
• Let Self Service Registration for end-users or extend it to select users
• Support Anonymous access for select content

Create a user-friendly, responsive, and multi-language website

• Design Pixel-perfect websites using your CSS
• Use bootstrap themes to build a responsive site
• Supports language variations like English, French, etc.

Profile Management and Security Model

• All Portal users are modeled as contacts in the CDS database
• Self Service Profile Management right within the portal
• Allow users to link identities from multiple identity providers

Integrate with other Microsoft Services

• Unite PowerBI embed Components like reports, dashboards, and titles

• Integrate SharePoint, Azure Blob Storage as document storage

• CRM Charts embed in the portal
• Ability to access CDS data and enable personalization using a liquid templating language
• Use CDS server-side constructs like code plugins, workflows in addition to Microsoft flow to extend business logic
• Display Bing map on the portal

• Ability to display Image Gallery of event celebration in your organization

• Display the working hours of your organization

PowerApps Portals += Dynamics 365 portals

Previously, Dynamics 365 Portals were offered as an add-on to customer engagement apps. However, now available as a standalone in PowerApps.
Moreover, PowerApps Portals is the platform on which Dynamics 365 portals works.

Capabilities:

• Extends Portals beyond Dynamics 365 Applications and allows you to create a portal on CDS
• Provide a simplified low code/ no-code designer experience to create portals
• All the capabilities of Dynamics 365 portals will be available and will work as it is

In conclusion, portals  are more attractive for small and medium-sized companies. The creation of a portal has become simpler and more intuitive, and at the same time, the pricing model has become more cost-effective with less usage. If you wish to learn more about creating low-code apps you can contact us at sales@intech-systems.com.