Powering the Future: Key Highlights from PPCC24 and What’s Next for Power Platform

The energy was electric last week as thousands of attendees invaded MGM Grand along the Las Vegas Strip for the 3rd Annual Power Platform Community Conference (PPCC24).

From groundbreaking announcements to new features unveiled during keynotes from Microsoft’s Charles Lamanna, Corporate Vice President of Business Industry and Copilot, and Jeff Teper, President of Apps and Platforms, PPCC24 offered an electrifying three days of innovation and collaboration.

Lamanna kicked off day one with an eye-opening overview of Microsoft’s low-code superhero of today, Power Platform. With more than 48 million active users every month – surpassing the population of Spain – Power Platform has become the “one platform” for everyone, whether it’s for no code, low code or pro code. But what truly stole the show this year was Copilot – set to revolutionize how developers work, bringing automation dreams to life.

The future of low-code development is evolving, and at PPCC24, it was clear: Power Platform plus Copilot equals transformative potential for businesses across industries, signaling a new road ahead for citizen developers and Microsoft automation:

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

Let’s dive into key announcements and takeaways from PPC24:

The Rise of AI and Natural Language in Power Platform

AI is more deeply integrated into Power Platform than ever before, with a major emphasis on natural language capabilities and intelligent apps. Here are some of the top features unveiled during the conference:

Desktop Flows from Natural Language – Now in public preview, this feature enables users to generate desktop flows in Power Automate simply by using natural language. The barriers to automation just got lower for everyone, regardless of technical expertise.

 

Power Automate AI Recording for Desktop Flows – Also in public preview, this “show and tell” experience allows users to record desktop flows, making RPA workflows easier for users of all skill levels. The AI will interpret recordings to generate automated processes, speeding up adoption and productivity.

 

AI Agents for Copilot Studio – A game-changer for developers, AI agents will dynamically execute actions based on instructions and automatically handle workflow based on parameters. These agents can be trained and improved continuously, turning Copilot Studio into a true powerhouse for automation.

Coauthoring in Power Apps Now Generally Available

A highly anticipated feature from the Power Community, Co-Authoring in Power will beckon the next level of developer collaboration. This functionality allows up to 10 developers to collaborate in real time, editing apps simultaneously and a bringing new level of teamwork to app development.

As Charles Lamanna put it, “We are now all coauthors of this vision.” The seamless collaboration made possible through coauthoring will undoubtedly push the boundaries of what’s possible for low-code development.

The Road Ahead is Copilot-First

A standout theme from the conference was a Copilot-first vision for the future of low-code development. With tools like Copilot Studio set to be upgraded with GPT-4, the next generation of low-code technologies will be supported by AI agents that assist with tasks like solution design, data modeling, development, and visual design.

Perficient a Standout in Power Platform’s Future

As a leading Microsoft Solutions Partner, ranked 12th for Microsoft Power Platform partners, Perficient is thrilled to be at the forefront of this Community. From hosting a successful happy hour at Chez Bippy’s the night before the conference, to engaging with attendees at our booth—where we proudly supported donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital—we’re excited to continue building on PPCC24 momentum. Our focus on helping organizations harness the full power of the latest Power Platform features to innovate faster and more intelligently will continue to help us lead the way.

While PPCC24 offered new announcements and innovations, it is only the beginning. As an award-winning Microsoft Solutions Provider, we’re committed to building groundbreaking solutions and bringing the robust capabilities of Power Platform to organizations everywhere. Whether it’s through AI-driven automation, real-time app coauthoring, or our continued work with Copilot, we’re dedicated to empowering businesses to innovate at scale.

Read more about our Power Platform practice here and stay tuned for upcoming events, workshops, and other exciting Power Platform activities!

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