Microsoft PowerApps has fundamentally changed this approach by introducing a low-code development environment, enabling businesses to build custom applications with minimal coding expertise. This blog explores how PowerApps consulting services can help businesses maximize their technology investment to drive productivity and innovation.  

The Role of PowerApps in Digital Transformation  

Microsoft PowerApps is a low-code development platform that lets you build apps tailored to your needs—without needing to be a coding expert. PowerApps is a part of the broader Microsoft Power Platform, designed to enable users with minimal programming skills to create custom applications quickly. With its user-friendly interfaces and pre-built templates, it makes app development easy. This means more people in your organization—not just IT—can contribute to building digital solutions. This democratization yields multiple advantages such as the following:  

• Accelerated development cycles 
• Enhanced organizational innovation capacity 
• Improved operational adaptability 
• Reduced technical debt 
• Streamlined resource allocation 

Common Challenges in PowerApps Implementation 

PowerApps is a powerful tool, but building an efficient, scalable, and secure app isn’t always as simple as it seems. Many businesses face common roadblocks, such as: 

1. Advanced configuration for business apps 

While PowerApps is low-code, building apps with complex logic, workflows, or integrations can quickly become challenging. Without the right technical expertise, businesses may encounter roadblocks that limit their app’s potential. 

2. Performance issues 

Applications that perform well in testing environments may experience slowdowns in real-world usage. Factors such as large datasets, inefficient queries, or poor app design can impact performance, leading to user dissatisfaction. 

3. Integration with third-party systems 

While PowerApps integrates well with Microsoft tools, connecting it to third-party software or legacy systems requires API configurations, data flow management, and expertise in system compatibility. 

4. Security and access control risks 

Without a structured approach to permissions, sensitive data can end up in the wrong hands. Setting up role-based access and compliance measures is crucial but often overlooked. 

5. Scaling limitations 

An app that works for a small team might not hold up when deployed across the company. Poor architecture can lead to security risks, maintenance struggles, and performance bottlenecks. 

 This is where PowerApps experts can help. Instead of struggling through trial and error, businesses can get apps that run smoothly, stay secure, and scale as needed. 

The Value of PowerApps Consulting Services 

PowerApps consulting services provide expert guidance to help businesses navigate these challenges effectively. Whether you are exploring PowerApps for the first time or tweaking existing apps, these services guide you every step of the way—from spotting automation opportunities to precisely crafting custom solutions.  

PreludeSys’ experts go beyond basic app development. Our advisory services help you identify automation opportunities, streamline processes, and design PowerApps solutions that fit seamlessly into your workflows. If you have existing applications, our team can enhance functionality, integrate with key business systems, and provide ongoing support to keep your apps running smoothly. And if you are looking to build from the ground up, we deliver custom, scalable PowerApps solutions that connect effortlessly with your business tools, ensuring rapid deployment and optimized workflows. 

From assessment and planning to implementation, training, and continuous improvements, our consulting services cover every step—so you don’t have to figure it out alone. With PreludeSys as your partner, you get a strategic, well-integrated solution that drives real business impact. 

Business Benefits of PowerApps  

Organizations implementing PowerApps experience measurable improvements. We’re not just talking about minor improvements—organizations are seeing a staggering 216% ROI over three years. According to a Forrester Total Economic Impact Study, this ROI figure is derived from several key performance indicators:  

Operational Efficiency Metrics  

• 74% reduction in manual data entry requirements
• 65% decrease in processing error rates
• Average time savings of 23 hours per week per department
• 32% reduction in legacy system maintenance costs

Productivity Enhancement  

• 28% increase in employee efficiency metrics 
• Approximately $1.2 million in annual labor cost optimization for medium-sized enterprises
• Substantial reduction in process bottlenecks
• Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration

Financial Performance Indicators  

• Reduced development costs compared to traditional solutions
• Decreased maintenance expenses
• Optimized resource allocation
• Improved return on technology investment 

These benefits translate into impactful use cases across industries, as demonstrated below. 

Industry Applications 

PowerApps isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s a toolkit adaptable to diverse industries and challenges. Here are a few real-world applications: 

Manufacturing  

With PowerApps, manufacturers can monitor production in real-time, spotting bottlenecks as they happen and keeping quality on point through automated checks. This minimizes operational disruptions, reducing costs and enhancing uptime. These tools let manufacturers focus on innovation and stay competitive in a fast-paced market. 

Healthcare  

PowerApps simplifies things by centralizing patient data for easy access, streamlining appointment scheduling, and reducing errors. PowerApps integrates seamlessly with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, creating a unified patient information hub that enhances coordination between medical teams. 

Education  

Tasks like student enrollment and faculty management are automated, clearing up time and reducing delays. Want to track student performance or allocate resources? Custom apps simplify it, leaving educators free to focus on teaching and mentoring students. 

Retail  

PowerApps powers smarter inventory management, ensuring shelves are stocked when customers need them. With real-time sales tracking, retailers can pivot quickly to meet changing customer demands. Personalized apps also enhance the shopping experience, building loyalty and setting businesses apart.  

How PowerApps Consultants Add Value  

• Expert Guidance: Consultants offer insights based on industry best practices, helping you avoid common pitfalls.
• Faster Implementation: Experienced consultants can expedite development to realize benefits sooner. 
• Tailored Solutions: Custom applications designed by experts ensure alignment with business objectives and user needs. 
• Integration Services: They ensure your apps connect seamlessly with your existing systems and data sources. 
• Ongoing Support: Ongoing support ensures smooth application adaptation to evolving requirements.

Strategic Implementation Considerations  

When implementing PowerApps solutions, organizations should consider the following:  

• Integration requirements with existing systems 
• Data security and compliance protocols (e.g., ensuring HIPAA compliance for healthcare apps or GDPR compliance for global operations) 
• User adoption strategies 
• Performance monitoring metrics 
• Scalability requirements

PreludeSys: Your Partner in Microsoft PowerApps   

When it comes to PowerApps consulting, choosing the right partner makes all the difference. With 25 years of IT excellence, PreludeSys is a trusted name in the field, delivering tailored solutions that align with your business goals.  

Here is what sets us apart:  

• Certified Expertise: Our team includes 160+ consultants specialized in Microsoft technologies, ensuring top-tier technical support and implementation. 
• Proven Track Record: With over 100 satisfied clients, we have the experience to back up our promises. 
• Comprehensive Solutions: From custom development and smooth integrations to ongoing support, we cover all aspects of PowerApps implementation.

Technical Capabilities  

Integration expertise with existing systems:  

• SharePoint 
• Dynamics 365 
• Azure SQL

Service Offerings  

• Custom Application Development 
• Integration Services

Ongoing Support and Training  

AI Integration utilizing AI Builder and Copilot for: 

1.Complex task automation

2.Data insights extraction

Our success stories at a glance 

Begin Your PowerApps Journey with Us

Whether you’re new to low-code development or ready to explore Microsoft PowerApps, the possibilities are endless. PreludeSys is here to help you unlock this potential and turn your business challenges into success stories. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see how PowerApps can redefine your operations. 

The post PowerApps Consulting: What It Is and Why Your Business Needs It appeared first on PreludeSys.

97% of Fortune 500 companies are using Power Platform, demonstrating its acceptance among leading enterprises. (Source: Microsoft) 

In this blog, we’ll explore the applications and benefits of Power Platform for B2B product and service spaces, emphasizing how it can help businesses modernize their legacy systems, improve operational efficiency, and foster innovation. We’ll also highlight how Microsoft Fabric services complement Power Platform, offering businesses a unified, scalable data solution to support their digital transformation journey. 

What is Microsoft Power Platform? 

At its core, Microsoft Power Platform is a collection of low-code/no-code tools that empower users to create business solutions without the need for extensive coding knowledge.  

5 Major Benefits Your Organization Can Get Power Platform 

By integrating seamlessly with other Microsoft services like Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365, Power Platform enables businesses to create solutions that drive efficiency, improve productivity, and foster innovation.

According to Forrester, businesses utilizing Power Platform have seen up to 48% reductions in development costs, along with significant improvements in productivity.

 1. Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity 

Power Platform offers a suite of tools designed to streamline processes and boost productivity: 

• Automating Routine Tasks: Power Automate enables businesses to automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, report generation, and workflow approvals. 
• Real-Time Data Insights for Better Decisions: Power BI allows decision-makers to leverage real-time data analytics, enabling faster and more accurate decision-making all from a single dashboard. 
• Custom Solutions for Unique Business Needs: With Power Apps, businesses can develop custom applications tailored to their unique workflows and challenges.  

 2. Cost-Effective Solutions with Low-Code Development 

In a market where development costs are rising, Power Platform’s low-code/no-code approach presents an attractive alternative:

• Lower Development Costs: Developing custom solutions traditionally requires large teams of developers, lengthy timelines, and significant investment. Power Platform reduces these costs by enabling non-developers to create functional apps and automation with drag-and-drop features and pre-built templates.  
• Reduced IT Burden: Many industries struggle with the challenge of maintaining complex IT infrastructure. Power Platform helps ease this burden by allowing users to build and manage solutions without requiring constant IT intervention.  
• Scalability and Flexibility: As businesses grow, Power Platform scales effortlessly with them. Whether you’re expanding into new markets or scaling operations to meet increasing demand, Power Platform can grow and evolve alongside your business, offering flexibility to adapt to changing requirements. 

 3. Tailored Solutions for Specific Industries 

One of the most significant benefits of Power Platform is its versatility across industries: 

• Healthcare: Power Platform can be used to automate patient management systems, streamline appointment scheduling, and improve the delivery of care by integrating with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems. 
• Finance: Financial institutions can use Power BI to monitor transactions in real-time, ensuring compliance with regulations while optimizing risk management and customer service. 
• Manufacturing: Power Automate can help manufacturers automate supply chain processes, from procurement to inventory management, allowing them to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. 

 4. Improved Customer Experience 

A key differentiator for any B2B business is the ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Power Platform helps businesses achieve this by enabling personalized, data-driven customer interactions: 

• Personalized Engagement: Power Virtual Agents allows companies to build AI-driven chatbots that offer personalized customer support without requiring human intervention. 
• Data-Driven Insights: With Power BI, businesses can analyze customer data to uncover valuable insights about customer behavior and preferences. This information can then be used to personalize marketing strategies and improve product offerings. 
• Faster Time-to-Market: With Power Apps, businesses can prototype and launch new applications in days rather than months. This speed allows companies to be more agile in responding to changing market demands or launching new products and services  

 5. Application Modernization 

Many industries rely on outdated legacy systems that limit their ability to innovate. Power Platform offers a path to modernization: 

• Legacy Application Modernization: Businesses can leverage Power Platform to modernize legacy applications, transforming them into more efficient, flexible, and scalable solutions. This modernization process ensures that businesses remain competitive in today’s digital landscape. 
• Unified Data Analytics: By integrating Power BI with Microsoft Fabric, businesses can create a unified data analytics platform that consolidates data from multiple sources. This unified approach enables better decision-making and provides a single source of truth for all business operations. 

Industry Use Cases and Examples  

Microsoft Power Platform has been successfully implemented by various industries to solve real-world challenges. Some notable names are: 

• G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers: Used Power Platform to streamline their inventory management and sales processes. By creating custom apps with Power Apps and automating workflows with Power Automate, they reduced manual data entry and improved operational efficiency. 
• SNCF (French National Railway Company): Leveraged Power Platform to develop a mobile app for their maintenance teams. This app helped in real-time tracking of maintenance activities, leading to improved service reliability and reduced downtime. 
• T-Mobile: Utilized Power Platform to automate their customer service processes. By integrating Power Virtual Agents with their existing systems, they were able to handle customer queries more efficiently, reducing response times and improving customer satisfaction. 

Additionally, 70,000 new organizations have adopted Power Apps this year, reflecting the platform’s increasing popularity. (Microsoft) 

Competitor Landscape: Why Power Platform Stands Out?  

The widespread adoption of Power Platform underscores its effectiveness in solving business challenges. When comparing to other low-code/no-code platforms like Mendix, OutSystems, Appian, and Pega, several unique advantages stand out: 

• Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Power Platform seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products like Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365, providing a unified experience. 
• Extensive Data Connectivity: It offers over 400 connectors to various data sources (including SQL Server, SharePoint, and third-party services), making it easier to integrate with existing systems. Users can create custom connectors to integrate with proprietary systems or APIs. 
• AI and Analytics Capabilities: Power Platform includes AI Builder and Power BI, enabling users to incorporate AI and advanced analytics into their apps without extensive coding.  
• Security and Compliance: Power Platform integrates with Azure Active Directory and offers advanced data encryption, ensuring that sensitive data is protected at all times. It also helps businesses meet industry-specific regulatory requirements by offering compliance certifications such as ISO 27001 and GDPR.

Leverage Microsoft Fabric with Power Platform for Industry Transformation  

As businesses continue to navigate digital transformation, Microsoft Power Platform provides the tools needed to build custom applications, automate workflows, and gain actionable insights, all while reducing costs and improving efficiency. When paired with Microsoft Fabric, businesses can unlock even more potential, creating a unified, scalable solution that drives long-term growth.

PreludeSys offers expert consulting services in Microsoft Fabric and Power Platform, helping businesses modernize their legacy systems, streamline operations, and achieve digital transformation. By partnering with us, your business can harness the full power of these tools to stay competitive in today’s dynamic market.

Let’s explore how Microsoft Power Platform and Fabric can transform your business—contact us today to get started!

The post Power Platform: Driving Industry Transformation with Low-Code Innovation appeared first on PreludeSys.

Canvas Apps

Canvas Apps is the most popular app type in Power Apps. Canvas Apps provide complete control over the user interface and can be customized to meet specific business requirements. With Canvas Apps, businesses can create custom apps for everything from tracking inventory to monitoring sales performance.

Features of Canvas Apps

• Drag-and-drop interface: Canvas Apps provide a visual interface that enables users to customize apps using drag-and-drop features. This makes it easy for users without coding experience to create custom apps quickly.
• Formula bar: The formula bar in Canvas Apps provides a powerful tool for creating complex formulas and functions. It allows users to create custom calculations and automate tasks, making it easier to streamline workflows.
• Responsive design: Canvas Apps are designed to be responsive, which automatically adjusts to fit the screen size and ensures a consistent user experience across all devices.
• Collaboration: Canvas Apps allow users to collaborate on app development, making it easier to build complex apps.

Capabilities of Canvas Apps

• Customizable user interface: One of the primary capabilities of Canvas Apps is the ability to create custom UIs using drag-and-drop features. Users can customize the layout, font, and color to meet their business requirements.
• Integration with data sources: Canvas Apps can integrate with many data sources, including Microsoft SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and Excel. Businesses can leverage existing data sources to build custom apps and streamline their workflows.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Canvas Apps are compatible with multiple platforms, including web, mobile, and tablet. This enables businesses to create custom apps accessible from any device.
• Barcode and QR code scanning: Another key capability of Canvas Apps is the ability to scan barcodes and QR codes. This feature makes it easy to track inventory or assets and ensures data accuracy across the organization.

Benefits of Canvas Apps

• Increased productivity: By streamlining workflows and automating tasks, Canvas Apps help businesses increase productivity and achieve better outcomes.
• Cost savings: By leveraging existing data sources and building custom apps, businesses can save money on app development and reduce the IT team’s dependency.
• Faster time-to-market: With its drag-and-drop interface and customization options, Canvas Apps enable businesses to create custom apps quickly and get them to market faster.

Model-driven Apps

Model-driven Apps are another app type available in Power Apps. These apps are built on top of the Common Data Service (CDS) and provide a pre-configured data model based on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform. Users can quickly create custom apps fully integrated with the CDS and Microsoft Power Platform. Model-driven Apps are ideal for companies to build complex business processes, such as HR management or financial operations.

Features of Model-driven Apps

• Business process flows: Model-driven Apps allow users to create custom process flows that guide through each step of a business process. This ensures consistency and accuracy across the organization.
• Form designer: The form designer in Model-driven Apps provides a powerful tool for creating custom forms. Users can customize the layout, field types, and flows to meet business requirements.
• Business rules: Model-driven Apps create rules, enabling businesses to automate tasks and streamline workflows which can increase productivity and improve outcomes.
• Role-based security: Model-driven Apps provide role-based security allowing only the users with access to the data and functionality. This ensures data security and privacy across the organization.

Capabilities of Model-driven Apps

• Pre-configured data models: One of the primary capabilities of Model-driven Apps is the pre-configured data models based on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform. Businesses can leverage and customize existing data models to meet specific business requirements.
• Integration with other Microsoft applications: Model-driven Apps integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft applications, including Power BI, Power Automate, and SharePoint. This enables businesses to build end-to-end business processes across different Microsoft applications.
• Customizable UIs: Model-driven Apps allow users to customize the user interface (UI) using drag-and-drop features that meet their business requirements.
• Metadata-based app development: Model-driven Apps use metadata-based app development, which means changes to the app’s data model are automatically reflected in the app’s UI, making it easy to maintain and update the app over time.

Benefits of Model-driven Apps

• Increased productivity: By streamlining complex business processes and automating tasks, Model-driven Apps can help businesses increase productivity and achieve better business outcomes.
• Customized user experience: Model-driven Apps enable businesses to create custom UIs that provide a unique user experience. This can increase engagement and user satisfaction.
• Cost savings: By leveraging existing data models and building custom apps, businesses can save money on app development and reduce the IT team’s dependency.
• Faster time-to-market: With its pre-configured data models and broad customization options, Model-driven Apps enable businesses to customize apps quickly and bring them to market faster.

Power Pages

Power Pages is a type of Power Apps that enables businesses to create custom web pages using pre-built templates and drag-and-drop features. With its customization options and integration with other Microsoft applications, Power Pages create engaging web experiences.

Features of Power Pages

• Built-in components: Power Pages provide a range of built-in components, including text boxes, images, videos, and tables, enabling businesses to create custom web pages quickly.
• Customizable styling: Power Pages customizes font styles, color schemes, and layout options enabling businesses to create custom web pages that match their branding and provide a unique user experience.
• Access control: Power Pages can restrict access to certain users or groups, ensuring data security and privacy across the organization.
• Analytics and reporting: Power Pages integrate seamlessly with Power BI, enabling businesses to track user engagement and activity on their web pages. This provides valuable insights into user behavior and can help companies improve their web experience.

Capabilities of Power Pages

• Pre-built templates: One of the primary capabilities of Power Pages is the pre-built templates that provide a starting point for creating custom web pages. Companies can leverage existing templates by customizing them to meet specific business requirements.
• Drag-and-drop interface: Power Pages provide a drag-and-drop interface to customize the layout, text, and images. Users with no coding experience can create custom web pages quickly and easily.
• Integration with Microsoft applications: Power Pages integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft applications, including Power BI, Power Automate, and SharePoint. This enables businesses to build end-to-end web experiences across different Microsoft applications.
• Responsive design: Power Pages are designed to be responsive, automatically adjusting to fit the screen size and ensuring a consistent user experience across all devices.

Benefits of Power Pages

• Engaging web experiences: Power Pages create engaging web experiences that bring back users.
• Customization: Power Pages enable businesses to customize their web pages to match their branding and provide a unique user experience. This can lead to increased engagement and higher user satisfaction.
• Cost Savings: By leveraging existing templates to build custom web pages, businesses can save money on web development and reduce IT team dependency.
• Faster time-to-market: With its pre-built templates and extensive customization options, Power Pages enables businesses to create custom web pages quickly.

PreludeSys’s Center of Excellence for Power Apps

PreludeSys recognizes the importance of efficient and streamlined business operations for long-term client success. That’s why our class-leading, proven Power Apps solutions have helped companies worldwide achieve their unique business goals. We have fine-tuned and optimized business processes for many global clients with our expert team. Our Power Apps solutions allow businesses to optimize resources, reduce redundancies, and operate efficiently.

FAQs

1. What are Power Apps used for?

You can use Power Apps for the following:

• Build interactive, agile business applications.
• Automate repetitive, redundant manual tasks.
• Create custom workflows to streamline processes.

2. Why use Power Apps?

Power Apps turns ideas into brilliant apps and simplifies custom app building to address daily business challenges easily, quickly, and cost-efficiently.

3. Which type of company can use Power Apps?

Power Apps enables you to build applications specific to your needs, regardless of the type of company. Power Apps can be used across any industry and department.

4. How much time does it take to build an app using Power Apps?

Microsoft Power Apps offers pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop interface that enable rapid application development and roll out constant improvements as needed.

5. How can Power Apps benefit your company?

• Integrate with data sources seamlessly.
• Build low-code, custom LOB applications.
• Provide high security and easy maintenance.
• Automate processes and improve time-to-market.

The post A guide to Power Apps application types: Boosting productivity and efficiency appeared first on PreludeSys.

Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code application development platform with built-in workflows, ready-to-use templates, and industry-specific tools. Power Apps platform provides the flexibility and functionality that modern businesses require. This innovative platform allows businesses to easily update and move their apps without recreating them from scratch. With Microsoft Power Apps, companies can streamline their workflows, automate manual processes, and build internal business applications easily in short timeframes.

In a recent report, Forrester cited that organizations spend 74% less with Microsoft Power Apps to develop an application

Microsoft Power Apps—build applications faster

Often, businesses presume that building applications consume time and cost. That is why they are reluctant to develop needed business applications. Microsoft Power Apps is their solution to build applications faster with limited resources. With this agile app creation method, you can save development costs and focus on driving your business forward. Moreover, the apps can be shared easily, improving collaboration and productivity. With Power Apps, you can now build low-code applications that modernize business processes and solve tough challenges.

Microsoft Power Apps empowers your team to build and deploy apps rapidly using drag-and-drop simplicity, pre-built templates, and quick deployment. Power Apps solutions are extensible and scalable, allowing you to roll out improvements as needed. Pre-built components and AI-assisted natural language development in Power Apps enable anyone with little coding knowledge to create professional-grade apps with advanced functionalities. Microsoft Power Apps also provides skilled developers the tools and custom connectors to extend app capabilities with Azure Functions and integrate into proprietary, cloud, or on-premises systems.

The Power Platform

The Microsoft Power Platform comprises various components, such as Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual agents. Together, they are much more than the sum of their parts. The Microsoft Power Platform integrates with other Microsoft products and hundreds of third-party apps. When connected with other Microsoft products, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure, and integrated with third-party applications, the Power Platform allows users to build end-to-end solutions catering to their specific business needs. Whether you want to streamline workflows, create sophisticated analytics dashboards, or automate tasks, the Power Platform empowers you to create cohesive solutions that enhance work productivity and maximize profits.

Steps to build an app with Microsoft Power Apps

There are two ways by which you can build applications using Power Apps. One, you can develop the app directly from data sources such as SharePoint Online, Dynamics 365, Excel, or OneDrive. Two, you can create a blank app and connect to data sources later. Let us see them one by one.

Option 1:  Create an app directly from the data source

STEP 1: The most straightforward way to build an app using Microsoft Power Apps is to start from the data source. Let us start from a Microsoft list, as shown below:

STEP 2: Next, select Create an app option from the Power Apps menu.

STEP 3: This navigates you to the Power Apps Studio, where you will find a fully functional canvas app generated by the system, as shown below:

Remember that these are only the default choices. Microsoft Power Apps provides more comprehensive options, configurations, and architectural decisions.

Option 2:  Create a blank app and add a data source

Step 1: Go to make.powerapps.com and choose the Power Apps environment. Microsoft Power Apps provides five tools or environments with their roles and capabilities.

1. Power Apps Website

Power Apps Website is where you can create or manage existing apps.

2. Power Apps Studio

Here’s where you can create apps for your specific business needs. Power Apps Studio designs, builds, and manages Canvas apps. You can learn more about Canvas apps in step 2.

3. Microsoft Dataverse

Dataverse allows you to store and manage business data. Data is stored as a set of tables in Dataverse. Dataverse has a set of standard tables that cover practical scenarios, but you can create custom tables and populate data using Power Query. With Microsoft Dataverse, you can directly develop apps and workflows in Microsoft Teams without switching between multiple devices.

4. Power Apps mobile app

You can create mobile and tablet-compatible applications using Microsoft Power Apps. Irrespective of the platform, Power Apps provides a run time environment to execute all your apps, including default ones and the custom apps you coded and designed yourself.

5. Power Platform Admin Center

Administrators can manage their Microsoft Power Apps in the Power Platform admin center. They can create and manage environments, apply data loss prevention policies, and adjust user roles here, among other capabilities.

Step 2: You must choose the application type after selecting your environment. The following are applications you can create with Microsoft Power Apps:

1. Canvas apps

Microsoft Power Apps provides a blank canvas onto which you can drag and drop components and fabricate a user interface. When you think everything is in place, you can adjust the size and formatting of each component. You can connect your design to one or more data sources when satisfied with your design. SharePoint forms integration is a Canvas application that can customize any SharePoint library or Microsoft list.

2. Model-driven apps

Model-driven apps enable you to create an app without code and with simple or complex business logic. Model-driven apps can run as a standalone application or as a Canvas apps’ back-end app and are based on underlying data stored in the Common Data Service (CDS). All Model-driven apps are integrated into CDS, a secure cloud-based storage used to store business application data.

3. Power Pages

Power Pages enable businesses to create low-code, responsive, personalized websites that allow internal and external users to interact with the application. These users can view and create data in the Dataverse or browse content but must verify their identity upon log-in.

Step 3: You must choose a data source to store your data after it is imported into the app. More than 200 data connectors are available to integrate into Microsoft services such as Excel, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Azure and external applications such as Salesforce, Slack, and DropBox. You need a premium subscription to connect to advanced applications such as Salesforce.

Step 4: The final step is to connect your app to a cloud or on-premises data source. As Microsoft Power Apps is native to the cloud, it can connect to any cloud data source. It can also connect to on-premises data sources by configuring a data gateway. This gateway is shared between cloud services such as Azure Analysis Services, Power Platform, and Azure Logic Apps.

Note: Model-driven apps and Power Pages can only use Dataverse as their data source.

PreludeSys’ Power Apps Center of Excellence

Looking for support in your Microsoft Power Apps journey? Reach out to PreludeSys. Our Power Apps Center of Excellence has a team of highly skilled Microsoft-certified experts who can help you unlock the full potential of the Power Platform suite and Power Apps. From building top-notch solutions to training your team members on developing Microsoft Power Apps applications, we deliver class-leading solutions and guide you to success.

The post Building business solutions with Microsoft Power Apps: A comprehensive guide appeared first on PreludeSys.

Power Apps low-code platform is a versatile solution that allows users to build robust, user-friendly applications quickly and easily without requiring specialized technical knowledge. This platform is designed to help businesses take advantage of digital transformation opportunities, remain agile in a fast-changing landscape, and improve business productivity. Its features enable users to create apps quickly and dynamically, including drag-and-drop controls, pre-built templates, custom visualizations, and cloud connectivity. With the Power Apps low-code application development platform, companies can quickly develop innovative, user-first apps explicitly tailored to their unique needs.

Why adopt Microsoft Power Apps?

In the current digital age, businesses seek ways to transform their operations quickly, and Microsoft Power Apps leads the way. With low code, anyone in your company can build apps without advanced technical skills. You can offload some tasks from IT and empower other departments to take charge of their technology needs. Power Apps low-code platform simplifies application development with techniques such as drag-and-drop functionality and visual guidance. This can enable your business to build top-quality internal workflow applications, time-saving automation, and seamless integrations improving operational efficiency and workplace productivity. Power Apps belong to the Power Platform suite comprising Power Automate, Power Virtual Agent, and Power BI, which can deliver class-leading solutions together.

The benefits of Power Apps development platform

Businesses constantly face challenges that require unique solutions. Power Apps offers a high degree of customization that allows companies to tailor apps to solve their problems. Whether tracking employee expenses or automating communications, Power Apps has them covered. And with the ability to incorporate AI functionality, the possibilities are truly endless.

Listed below are the top benefits that companies witness with Power Apps:

Efficiency: With the Power Apps low-code platform, your team can develop apps for multiple business functions without waiting for developers. This approach saves time and enables rapid testing and execution of ideas. The intuitive features of the platform, such as drag-and-drop functionality and user-friendly APIs, make Power Apps development easier and more accessible to team members who may not have extensive coding knowledge. By using Power Apps, businesses can streamline their processes with quick automation.

Flexibility: With the low-code Power Apps platform, developers can craft robust, flexible apps that accomplish specific tasks tailored to every business need. One of the significant advantages of low-code technology is its ability to facilitate scaling and app extension, making it essential for businesses whose primary focus is quick project completion. This flexibility ensures that the apps created can evolve with the business and adapt to changing requirements. The Power Apps low-code technology allows developers to complete projects faster and empowers businesses with solutions that enable growth and development.

Responsiveness: In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, companies need to be agile, adaptive, and always ready to pivot in response to market changes. The best way to achieve that is by embracing digital initiatives. Power Apps allows businesses to deliver and change a full-stack application quickly. With the Power Apps low-code capability, businesses can innovate at a rapid pace and respond to customer demands and market shifts as they happen.

Iterability: In today’s digital world, businesses need to establish a positive relationship with their customers and build a strong brand reputation in the market. Customers expect a consistent, frictionless experience when they engage with your company online. Prebuilt templates and business process workflows in Power Apps can ensure that each interaction with their brand is seamless and user-friendly. Whether it’s a query about a product or service or a simple thank you message, customers should feel that their needs are addressed.

If you want to empower your employees with app development skills, the Power Apps low-code platform is a great option. But did you know that it’s an excellent choice for professional developers too? Power Apps offers building blocks designed for developers, making it an excellent choice. Power Apps’ extensibility allows you to build on existing features to create even more sophisticated apps to meet your business needs. The cost savings of keeping app development in-house can be significant. With the low-code approach, you can develop apps faster and with fewer errors, leading to increased profitability.

Why Microsoft Power Apps for low-code app development?

In today’s fast-paced business world, productivity and agility differentiate success and failure. That’s why Power Apps, with its low-code platform, is increasingly becoming the go-to solution for businesses looking to streamline operations and empower their teams. Using a visual interface and pre-built templates, Power Apps empowers business users to create custom apps and take ownership of their processes. Power Apps saves time and resources increasing productivity by allowing non-technical users to automate workflows without requiring extensive coding knowledge.

The platform also facilitates rapid prototyping and testing, empowering businesses to adapt to changing market demands and achieve greater agility quickly. With Power Apps, everyone can become a problem solver and contribute to the company’s success. With its ease of use and speed of implementation, Power Apps is truly a game-changer for businesses of all sizes.

Difference between low code and no code

Low code and no code are two terms often used interchangeably, but they have some key differences. Both are designed to simplify the app development process and make it more accessible to a broader range of users. However, while low-code platforms require some level of coding knowledge, no-code solutions are geared toward users who have no experience with programming at all. Low-code platforms require minimal coding and use existing code to build apps, whereas no-code platforms rely entirely on visual modeling to create apps.

Which one is right for your business depends on your level of technical expertise and the specific needs of your project.

Microsoft Power Apps’ business use cases

Here are a few business use cases about what you can create with the Power Apps low-code platform:

Line-of-business apps: Power Apps can migrate outdated line-of-business apps that fail to meet current processes and streamline automation. Power Apps can get rid of obsolete features and poorly optimized workflows.

Customer experience apps: The digital age has transformed customer expectations, leaving them in search of mobile apps that offer seamless experiences. Power Apps can revamp outdated apps and accelerate the creation of new ones. This enables developers to deliver user-friendly, feature-rich apps tailored to customer needs with minimal coding efforts.

Automation apps: Power Apps gives you the tools, templates, and workflows to automate manual tasks and reduce your dependence on paper-based processes.

Why PreludeSys for Microsoft Power Apps implementation?

PreludeSys is a Microsoft Gold Partner that helps companies address their everyday business challenges with appropriate solutions that rely heavily on costly, time-consuming development cycles. We have deployed the Power Apps app-building platform to deliver innovative solutions embracing user-friendly interfaces. We customized app functionalities and features with diverse templates and industry-specific tools to suit their unique needs, allowing for greater efficiency and productivity.

If you go through the frustrating app development process, you are at the right place.

Talk to an industry expert today.

The post Power Apps for beginners: Getting started with low-code app development appeared first on PreludeSys.

With Power Apps business application integration, they experience innovation without the difficulties associated with high-impact digital transformations. Users can customize and extend their existing business services to meet their needs, such as Salesforce, Service Now, and Dynamics 365. Power Apps transforms app development, enabling organizations around the globe to innovate more quickly than ever. Power Apps is ideal for companies that want to update or create custom business apps dynamically.

Power Apps for businesses—Integration benefits

Incorporating Power Apps in operations has revolutionized how businesses tackle app development. Automating intricate and monotonous procedures for application development, Power Apps enable organizations to focus on other areas of growth. Power Apps integrates seamlessly with various platforms to foster a more agile work environment and empowers businesses to save valuable time, innovate, and adapt swiftly to the ever-changing business landscape. Companies that embrace Power Apps future-proof their operations and maintain a competitive edge in their respective industries.

The Microsoft Power Platform is a leading automation and productivity solution in today’s modern business world. Power Apps provides businesses with a quick, convenient, and affordable way to build custom applications. Power Apps has three features: canvas apps, model-driven apps, and portals (websites). This dynamic suite incorporates apps, connectors, services, and an integrated data platform to cater to diverse business needs. Using Power Apps, users can create apps that support mobile devices and browsers. With Power Apps, users can efficiently design tailored business applications in a rapid development environment without prior coding expertise.

With Power Apps integration into business, organizations can enjoy numerous benefits:

• Offer a low-code approach to app development.
• Resolve business challenges quickly.
• Provide solutions for any business inefficiency.
• Automate complex business processes.
• Integrate business apps with the AI builder.

Power Apps integration allows businesses to take advantage of features such as improved workflow organization, streamlined processes, and effortless customization options in addition to the following benefits:

1. Integration into other services

Power Apps integration provides exceptional communication between any application (Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow) or Microsoft product (Excel /SharePoint/OneDrive). With Power Apps’ bidirectional functionality, users can access Power Apps from their Office 365 environment. In addition, Power Apps integration allows people to quickly transfer data between Excel, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, Salesforce, and other services with a single click. This makes Power Apps integration invaluable for organizations that have to maintain connections with different services and platforms to get work done.

2. Security checks

Power Apps provides exceptional security by implementing robust storage solutions such as Azure Active Directory and Common Data Services (CDS). This safeguards sensitive business information from cyberattacks and other dangers lurking in the digital space. Power Apps’ role-based security model empowers businesses to manage and control information flow, ensuring end-users can only access the data they are authorized to view. This perfect blend of features maintains the integrity and privacy of information assets.

3. Microsoft 365 integration

Power Apps is a powerful yet easy-to-use service from Microsoft available as part of Office 365 subscriptions. It enables seamless integration with the Microsoft products frequently used by organizations, such as Office 365, SharePoint, and Excel. This cohesive integration expedites data transfer between these applications and enables smoother operations. Moreover, this synergy of powerful tools allows businesses to run their processes faster and maintain uninterrupted workflows.

4. Data accessibility

Power Apps is a powerful tool that allows businesses to centralize data within the organization. Power Apps creates a single source of truth for internal data by integrating with commonly used software such as SharePoint and Excel. This makes data much easier to access and manage, leading to better decision-making and improved efficiency. In addition, Power Apps ensures all stakeholders have access to the same data sources so that everyone works from the same information—ultimately leading to greater collaboration and productivity.

5. Custom solutions

Power Apps is quickly becoming a go-to solution for organizations looking to modernize and streamline their processes. With Power Apps, you can quickly design and create custom applications for various platforms, from the web to mobile devices. In addition, it is beneficial for administrative tasks that can be automated, such as data entry or employee evaluations. Power Apps saves business time and energy in manual procedures, enables access to data across multiple departments, and simplifies the flow of information throughout an organization. In recent years, Power Apps has significantly impacted companies by giving them the tools they need to stay ahead of the competition.

6. Employee productivity

Integrating Power Apps into your workplace has the potential to increase employee productivity and decrease employee stress, which can ultimately result in better performance across all areas of a company. Power Apps can eliminate mundane manual activities, freeing up time for employees to focus on creating solutions that benefit the company and add value. Moreover, it offers companies greater visibility and control over user activity, allowing them to stay ahead of challenges and opportunities presented by different consumer trends. A well-integrated Power App platform can drive improved organizational performance, increased revenues, and satisfied customers.

7. Cost savings

By providing rapid delivery and out-of-the-box connections and functions, Power Apps lowers the cost associated with app development and maintenance; it allows organizations to adapt quickly to evolving user requirements, and resource use is maximized. Additionally, accessing the Power Apps Marketplace helps save time and money in app development by allowing users to leverage pre-made templates or purchase existing apps for customization. With these solutions, businesses can create quality applications faster than traditional app creation methods.

Power Apps: what every business needs now

Power Apps is revolutionizing application development, allowing users to rapidly build and share low-code applications that reduce development costs and do more with fewer resources. You can rapidly create business solutions from scratch without significant expertise or hardware by leveraging Power Apps’ prebuilt templates and easy drag-and-drop functionality. Power Apps also comes ready with a library of connectors that let you quickly and securely connect to over a hundred data sources and build a single source of truth for your operations. This powerful integration of business apps can drive automation and bridge gaps between Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI while making your development process smoother and faster. Furthermore, Power Apps offers integration with Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure services, so you can customize and extend those capabilities as needed. With Power Apps, you will reduce development costs while doing more with less.

PreludeSys, your Power Apps implementation success partner

Power Apps can be an excellent tool for custom solutions that fit your business perfectly, and PreludeSys can help you take full advantage of it. We are a Microsoft Gold Partner that offers professional Power Apps consulting services. Our experts have the experience and knowledge to help you set up Power Apps quickly and easily. Additionally, we can assist in application development projects for superior results.

Reach out to us for details on how you can take advantage of Power Apps.

The post Empower your enterprise with Microsoft Power Apps integration appeared first on PreludeSys.

But with many enterprise integration platforms currently available in the market, enterprises must shift to the right integration platform. Here are the seven reasons your enterprise must choose the MuleSoft Anypoint platform.

1. Advanced API management

MuleSoft’s advanced API approach helps enterprises to adjust to market fluctuations quickly. The MuleSoft integration solutions offers stringent API security measures to improve network security. Furthermore, it allows for utilizing reusable APIs to modernize enterprise operations. Efficient API management will enable companies to unshackle systems and increase network capacity.

2. Extensive range of integration capabilities

The Anypoint platform offers various integration capabilities that ensure easy connectivity between applications and systems.MuleSoft makes this possible through its pre-built MuleSoft Connectors that help in connecting to other CRM applications like Salesforce and SAP. As a result, muleSoft data integration allows enterprises to increase their productivity and efficiency.

3. Ease of deployment

Mulesoft’s Anypoint Studio IDE provides an integrated environment for drag-and-drop development tools, which speeds up the deployment process. With the Anypoint Studio and Anypoint Platform, users can rapidly build centralized, multi-channel experiences across mobile, IoT, and SOA environments.

4. Applicable for any business environment

The MuleSoft Anypoint platform is highly versatile and can be implemented in any organization, regardless of size. Various MuleSoft integration patterns and a wide range of tools will assist in handling all your enterprise application needs.

5. Easier to implement and train

MuleSoft uses the same tools Java developers are already aware of, such as Maven, Spring, and XML configuration, and its graphical “drag/drop” environment helps users to implement new changes quickly. With the proper training for existing developers, implementing MuleSoft can be quick and efficient. Additionally, Anypoint Studio Eclipse, a free program, allows non-developers to code, making it easier to implement and train

6. Increase in ROI

Enterprises expect higher returns on investment. They want to free their resources and reduce their expenses. MuleSoft is valuable as it utilizes reusable APIs to facilitate the connections necessary for smooth operations, thereby decreasing costs. Costly and complex implementation procedures will be avoided because of the easy-to-install, plug-and-play solutions.

7. Extended support

Depending on your organization’s needs, MuleSoft’s components and functionality can be enhanced and scaled. In case of any drawbacks, enterprises can visit the MuleSoft community page for support. It has downloadable research material, user instructions, and tutorials to solve your queries with integration.

You may also collaborate with a MuleSoft integration partner and get insights from MuleSoft specialists. PreludeSys is a MuleSoft-certified partner offering enterprise integration services. Visit our MuleSoft Integration Service Page or Talk to our experts directly to continue.

The post Seven Reasons to Choose MuleSoft Anypoint Platform appeared first on PreludeSys.

Today, workplaces are no longer confined to their physical form. Working remotely or virtually has replaced much of the need to commute every day to a designated space. Productivity can be achieved and measured in many forms, and hybrid models have proven successful. As the debate over in-person, hybrid, or fully remote work continues, it is comforting to know that advanced digital solutions are playing a role and are set to revolutionize workplaces.

Digital workplaces to dominate coming decades

Companies worldwide have been slowly adopting digital workplaces, platforms their employees can log on to anywhere and start contributing instantly. However, we believe the trend will grow, and the adoption of the digital workplace will accelerate. The era of rapid virtualization and advanced application modernization. It is only a matter of time for companies to take advantage of it.

What is a digital workplace?

A digital workplace is a set of online tools employees use to get work done, ranging from simple instant messaging to business apps, enterprise social media tools, virtual meeting tools, etc. For example, Slack, Microsoft 365, Cisco, Teams, and other popular systems are the major players. A digital workplace gives employees access to everything they need, such as process management, collaboration, and project management, to handle their everyday work.

A digital workplace is a virtual space that integrates disparate business applications and other critical components used within an organization into one platform enabling employees to access necessary business data and tools from wherever they are, anytime, on any device.

Advantages of a digital workplace

• Reduces costs – Virtual platforms offer immediate savings on travel and overhead expenses by eliminating the need for in-person interaction.

• Improves productivity – The ability to collaborate and resolve challenges together in real-time has sped up companies’ workflow around the globe.

• Enhanced communications – Encouraging increased two-way communication between hierarchies and verticals offers easy transfer of information and ideas throughout the organization.

• Employee satisfaction – A well-developed digital workspace encourages networking with colleagues to share ideas. This freedom of expression increases the mental satisfaction of the workforce and makes every individual feel more valued.

• Increases revenue – Digital workspace application modernization offers organizations the ability to reduce costs and increase productivity while simultaneously resulting in higher profits.

But while virtual tools have managed to bridge a huge gap in communication and collaboration, not every organization or industry has been able to thrive and grow on these alone. Just like business strategies, there is no perfect one-fits-all virtual platform from which everyone can benefit. Application modernization is another important instrument that can supplement and enhance the digital workplace.

How application modernization helps create a digital workplace?

The recent global health crisis has exposed the drawbacks of the one-size-fits-all approach to tackle industry-specific hurdles. It clearly shows the need for more profound digital transformation within organizations to keep up with changing market demands and customer expectations. Companies seek simple, secure, and agile digital solutions that add value to the customer experience.

Application modernization not only transforms offline, siloed business processes into digitally aware contributors but restructures legacy applications with modern technologies such as microservices to enhance productivity and reduce costs. Application modernization helps businesses move from on-premise to the cloud environment, enabling businesses to scale and meet current and future requirements.

Here is a small list of proven benefits that modern digital workplaces offer to organizations.

Benefits of application modernization in a digital workplace

• Aids employee productivity

Regardless of where and how employees log in to work, every team member will need easy access to all resources, data, and workloads to meet production targets. Cloud-based modernizations can be a reliable alternative. It offers increased scalability and helps maximize employee productivity while maintaining a seamless workflow.

• Faster development

Modern, virtual workplaces give organizations an advantage over their competitors saddled with legacy apps. While competitors squander time optimizing their workflows, you maintain the edge by rolling out new and improved products—giving you a head start.

• Advanced customer experience

We are quickly moving towards a digital-first world where customer expectations are demanding and feedback—good or bad—is instantaneous. Delays, bugs, and a lack of features can easily lead to losses in business and competitors’ gains. To keep existing customers on board and acquire new ones, application modernization is becoming increasingly important.

• Automated workflow

Application modernization is not just about ensuring the long-term viability of older, established solutions, but it also encourages automated workflows and cross-platform synergies. Enhanced communication channels and real-time collaborations can be a catalyst for constant development and dynamic solutions.

Build the perfect digital workplace with PreludeSys’s application modernization solutions

If you are looking to move past traditional software and insufficient digital tools that limit your organization’s workflow, we can offer progressive solutions. PreludeSys—a Microsoft Gold Partner—can help you find the perfect balance with application modernization and various cloud-based solutions. Having helped over 50 organizations go digital by leveraging several application modernization techniques, we have amassed a proven track record working across different industries. If you are in search of digital solutions that can address your operational hurdles, please reach out to our consultants.

The post Create a Digital Workplace with Application Modernization appeared first on PreludeSys.

Even though technological modernization has been around in different forms over the years, the current need to reinvent faster has become essential. Legacy application modernization is becoming a primary demand for tackling today’s modern world’s risks and security concerns.

The growing need for modernizing legacy applications

Technology and social relations operate on two different spectrums. Where older links are valued more, technology takes the opposite route. An older software or application is exposed to more threats compared to new and improved ones. So, to address the problems of a technologically driven world, periodic updates of age-old legacy systems become a prime necessity.

But before moving on to the reasons and benefits of investing in legacy application modernization,it is important to understand what legacy applications or frameworks are.

What are legacy applications or systems?

The terms legacy application, or legacy system, refers to a combination of technological tools: compute platforms, software, and UI devices, that are quickly losing their relevance. Each industry has had its heyday of technology overhaul that made headlines in the past. Some have transitioned to modern architecture, others have not, with more than a few becoming obsolete. Thus there are no universal pointers to look for as every industry has its own set of changing needs and ability to transform—or not.

In today’s digitally connected world, there remains a mix of old and new. While some companies rely on old and familiar tools, others have invested heavily in legacy application modernization.While older platforms offer the workforce a familiar work environment, they can limit growth and flexibility. Most legacy applications were made for the early 2000s, but their relevance in the current decade—let alone future years—has faded. But age is not the only defining factor to provide incentives for legacy application modernization strategies.

Common traits of legacy applications

• The tool does not support the scaling business requirements
• Problems integrating existing tools with modern systems
• Difficulty to maintain software
• Limited scope to make improvements
• Outdated user interfaces and workflow

Like everything else in this world, software and applications have a discrete lifespan. Most run their course within five to ten years, underscoring the urgency of legacy application modernization.

Legacy application modernization – explained

Legacy application modernization is the process of either updating or rebuilding existing applications to meet current and future business requirements. The upgrades are implemented using strategic legacy system modernization approaches offering advanced compatibility suited for the present day.

But defining a legacy modernization strategy is not always easy. Often, companies and industries need to address specific factors that have prevented them from moving forward. Factors such as:

• Application downtime
• Impact on the workforce
• Operational disruptions
• Added costs
• Uncertain redevelopment timeline

These are just a few primary concerns that organizations assess before adopting legacy application modernization strategies. Furthermore, there is never a universal approach to modernizing outdated tools. Every industry and business has its own set of business goals for which tailored solutions become a prime concern. Companies want a perfect balance that ensures a smooth transition to the redeveloped platform.

For a risk-free legacy application modernization, selecting the right approach is a must. Here are the most commonly used legacy system modernization approaches proven to be a success.

Best legacy system modernization strategies

• Encapsulate – Extends features by encapsulating data and functions using APIs suited for industry-specific requirements.
• Rehost – Migrate existing applications from costly on-premises services to cloud-based platforms.
• Replatform – Move applications to a new runtime platform with minimal changes to code.
• Refactor – Rehaul existing codes to eliminate technical debt and improve non-functional attributes.
• Rearchitect – Alter code for a shift to new application architecture and incorporate newly updated features.
• Rebuild – Complete redevelopment of applications while preserving original business goals
• Replace – Elimination of legacy apps and replace them with modern alternatives for changing business demands.

Proven legacy application modernization benefits

Lower operational costs

Obsolete tools are often the biggest barriers to digital transformation. Most legacy software and application developers stop technical support after a certain point in time, making upgrades and maintenance increasingly difficult. Old technologies do not just pose a risk of downtime but also skyrocketing maintenance costs. The scarcity of engineers who understand decades-old programming languages is genuine.

Optimize performance

Old software and applications generally offer slower workflows with outdated user interfaces running on ancient hardware. Often with adverse effects, legacy applications are usually found to be detrimental to operations and business goals. Redeveloping and reconstructing existing tools with advanced legacy application modernization techniques helps eliminate performance hurdles.

Strengthen data security

Data-oriented strategies drive modern businesses. But most legacy systems do not offer the appropriate data security necessary for today’s world. With growing concerns of data security and countless breaches worldwide, the need to invest in legacy application modernizationis a must to ensure client loyalty when their data is at stake.

Faster workflow

Constant changes in customer demands and an on-demand economy have made agile workflow a defining factor in business growth. Also, new technologies like AI, along with machine learning, are fast outpacing most old systems. Finding the right legacy application modernization approach has become a primary need to stay relevant in a world of cut-throat competition.

So for companies to stay relevant and build on the years of success, reinventing and optimizing operations for the future is as essential as developing business strategies. Legacy application modernization techniques offer simple and clear solutions making the business ready for the decades ahead.

Want to know more about application upgrades and legacy application modernization best practices? Feel free to connect with us.

FAQ

1.benefits of legacy application modernization?

• Lower operational costs
• Optimize performance
• Strengthen data security
• Faster workflow

2. What are the best legacy system modernization strategies?

• Rehost
• Replatform
• Refactor
• Rearchitect
• Rebuild
• Replace

Legacy application modernization powered by PreludeSys

For companies looking for a smooth transition from legacy platforms to modern systems, PreludeSys is a name trusted globally. We are a Microsoft Gold Partner with a proven record of digitally empowering 50+ companies around the world. Committed to providing profitable solutions by implementing tailored legacy modernization strategies, we can help address future challenges. To learn more about our legacy application modernization services, feel free to reach out to us anytime.

The post Legacy Application Modernization Strategies and Best Practices appeared first on PreludeSys.

Make your business future proof with application modernization

Organizations using legacy systems require huge resources to maintain existing applications, thereby hindering innovation while consuming resource bandwidth. Moreover, existing systems are hard to replace as they are central to business operations and carry vital organizational information. Enterprises are starting to realize this and are gradually adopting legacy modernization by investing in the latest approaches to upgrade their applications while reducing maintenance costs.

Application modernization helps organizations stay on top of their business imperatives by aligning them to IT investments. This develops agility, improves operational efficiency, and delivers an excellent customer experience.

“According to MarketsandMarkets, the global application modernization market is expected to grow to USD 24.8 billion by 2025.” Growth of cloud services, migration of workloads to the cloud or Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), and the rise in demand for modern infrastructure are considered the key factors driving application modernization. To sustain the rapid technology evolution and the demands of current market trends, organizations are urged to modernize their legacy systems and increase application migration services.

Application modernization services

Various application modernization services include cloud application migration, cloud deployment, hybrid cloud, application re-platforming, and application portfolio assessment. These are discussed below.

Application re-platforming

Re-platforming applies legacy applications that are converted into more efficient cloud applications with enhanced system features and functionalities to support and avail the features of the cloud. Simply put, re-platforming is nothing but application cloud migration with low code changes to consume maximum cloud benefits. This approach is more suitable for organizations unwilling to change the core application architecture and business logic yet leverage the cloud features.

Re-platforming offers faster application delivery, reduced TCO, faster networking speed, and shorter time-to-market. Below are some of the expected changes implemented during application re-platforming that will help avail the common cloud components such as auto-scaling, auto-dynamic loading, etc.

• Expose service methods as micro or macro services.
• Identify code blockers incompatible with the cloud and replace them.
• Convert the on-premises database to a cloud database.

Re-platforming helps you overcome the major disadvantages of rewriting, which is time-consuming, and rehosting, which does not take full advantage of the cloud.

Hybrid cloud

Hybrid cloud is a mixed computing, storage, and services environment comprised of on-premises infrastructure and private and public cloud services. Cloud promises agility, speed, and cost-savings and supports a fast-moving digital transformation. Hybrid cloud solutions help solve complex cloud challenges such as data gravity, regulatory compliance, cost management, security, and the need for organizational change.

Applications that can reside on hybrid cloud infrastructures—with the help of containerization and microservices, utilizing the best of public and private features—have increased the demand for application modernization.

Characteristics of hybrid cloud architecture

• A hybrid cloud enables an organization to match data management requirements to the public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises resources—whatever best suits them.
• On-premises data centers, private and public cloud resources, and workloads stay distinct but are linked together under common data management.
• An easily scalable public cloud can be used for dynamic workloads while retaining more sensitive or less volatile workloads to a private cloud or on-premises data center.
• Public cloud resources can be used for short-term projects at a lower cost in a hybrid environment, preventing overinvestment in expensive physical assets.

Application portfolio assessment

Application assessment is an automated objective analysis of your portfolio’s structural and architectural quality of applications. Lack of understanding of your IT landscape can degrade performance, security, and stability, potentially bringing down entire systems while driving up maintenance costs. In fact, application assessment helps delivery teams do a better job communicating with business partners and aligning with business constituents.

Application portfolio assessment is an exercise to assess applications and systems against a set of parameters such as cost, ease of migration, migration benefits, etc., to determine which applications and systems are suitable to host on the cloud.

Application assessment objectives include

• Identify coding mistakes and improve production stability
• Identify violations in the application’s last release
• Detect performance issues and improve end-user experience
• Compare application quality across portfolios to identify problem areas
• Understand the structural quality of applications to manage maintenance budgets

Cloud application migration

Application migration is the process of moving a software application from an on-premises server to a cloud provider’s environment or from the public to a private cloud environment. Moving applications to a new environment can pose a number of challenges, particularly if they have been developed for a single cloud platform or specific network architectures.

Different applications can take different paths to the cloud even within the same technological environment. Hence, it is important to determine the right application strategy based on each application’s dependencies and technical requirements plus your enterprise’s compliance, security, and cost constraints.

Different cloud migration strategies

• Re-host, known as lift-and-shift, is a common strategy in which enterprises move applications from an on-premises server to a virtual machine in the cloud without making significant changes.
• Re-platforming an application involves making changes to it to benefit from cloud architecture.  
• Refactor or re-architecture refers to making significant changes to the application to scale and perform better in a cloud environment.
• Retire or replace refers to decommissioning the application when it is more cost-effective to replace it with a new offering rather than simply migrating the application.

Cloud deployment

Hosting an application either through the software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), or infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) model to the cloud is known as cloud deployment. There are private, public, hybrid, and community models, and enterprises choose a deployment model based on the user and needs of the organization.

Following are some of the benefits of an effective cloud deployment model:

• Automate builds (including resource provisioning) that deploy code, databases, and application releases.
• Control costs based on consumption and eliminate CAPEX-heavy on-premises environments.
• Leverage the global infrastructure offered by various cloud service providers and seamlessly expand the business into other geographies.
• Overcome fault tolerance, disaster recovery and ensure business continuity of applications to make the business resilient.
• Without provisioning for excess capacity, use autoscaling and scalability to meet peak demands of the business.
• Increase productivity by empowering users with portals, DevOps pipelines, operational dashboards, and other self-service options on the cloud.

Legacy application modernization powered by PreludeSys

PreludeSys offers progressive solutions to move you past traditional software and insufficient digital tools that limit your organization’s workflow. PreludeSys—a Microsoft Gold Partner—can help you find the perfect balance with application modernization and various cloud-based solutions. With a proven record of digitally empowering 50+ companies worldwide, we are committed to providing profitable solutions. We can implement tailored legacy modernization strategies and help you address future challenges. To learn more about our legacy application modernization services, feel free to reach out to us anytime.

The post Build a Future-Ready Business with Legacy Application Modernization appeared first on PreludeSys.