2023 Wave 1 Release: New Features of Power Platform

by HubSite 365 about Rishona Elijah [MVP]

Microsoft MVP | MCT | Power Platform Evangelist | LinkedIn Learning Instructor

Citizen DeveloperPower AutomateM365 Release

Get the scoop on Microsofts Wave 1 2023 release for Power Platform and Dynamics 365 - updates in Power Apps, Power Automate, Virtual Agents, and AI Builder.

Microsoft's Power Platform New Features: Wave 1 2023 Release

Microsoft's Power Platform and Dynamics 365 have rolled out new features as a part of their Wave 1 2023 release. It includes features that will be rolled out from April 2023 to September 2023. This blog post by Rishona Elijah, points out some notable highlights from the Power Platform release plan for a brief overview of what one can look forward to in the coming months.

Updates include more accessible ways of building responsive pages in Power Apps - with a drag-and-drop feature. Canvas apps' containers have been updated to allow users to easily add and reorder controls, adding convenience and flexibility.

In Power Automate, improvements have been made to the connection with other environments in the same region from the Dataverse connector. This means that, unlike before, builders can now interconnect Dataverse tables in different environments with the same workflow. This upgrade is scheduled to go live soon.

The automated workflow tool is also introducing a feature that will generate expressions from examples. This feature, aimed at simplifying the flow building experience and reducing the need for users to write their expressions manually, is currently in its preview phase. It promises to save time and complexity in creating a flow, especially for those who lack in-depth knowledge about writing expressions.

Major enhancements have been made in Power Virtual Agents (PVA), presenting a unified canvas that amalgamates low-code PVA with high-end pro-code abilities from Bot Framework Composer. Some of these updates are expected to go general by May 2023. They involve capabilities to create and add Adaptive Cards, devise multi-modal responses, and use Power Fx for logical enhancement in conversations.

AI Builder will roll out a new feature that will enable users to retrain documents using its feedback loop features. In practice, this means that documents that previously received low accuracy predictions would be flagged and sent back to the training wizard queue for reiteration. This activity aids in maintaining quality control for AI models over time.

The Significance of Microsoft's Power Platform New Features

These new features suggest Microsoft's continuous commitment to making Power Platform an efficient, user-friendly tool that simplifies complex tasks. With the goal of synergising multiple environments and making efficient functioning accessible to everyone, these developments mirror Microsoft's objective of revolutionising digital technology innovation.

The introduction of the responsive design update in Power Apps enhances the visual and functional aspects of how users interact with the apps. The ability to easily add or reorder controls within containers provides a practical helper to cater to the diverse screen size usage by the users, thereby improving overall user experience.

The ability of the automated workflow tool to connect with other same-regional environments showcases the platform's work towards enhancement of data integration and exchange. The generation of expressions from examples is another notable feature that promises to revolutionise how the flow building experience is perceived- especially for those who are not experts in writing expressions.

Finally, the AI builder feature is a significant leap in maintaining the quality control of AI models over time. This feature can be critical in ensuring that the machine learning model accuracy remains stable over time, ensuring consistent high-quality results in the longer run.

Read the full article New Power Platform features: Wave 1 2023 release wave

Power Automate - 2023 Wave 1 Release: New Features of Power Platform

Learn about New Power Platform features: Wave 1 2023 release wave

The first half of 2023 heralds a wave of brand-new features spanning the Power Platform and Dynamics 365. Earmarked for rollout between April-September 2023, the collection of features, collectively known as Microsoft's Wave 1 release 2023, highlights exciting enhancements to Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents (PVA), and AI Builder. You can access the full release plan at Microsoft Learn.

One notable Power Apps update includes the revamping of containers in canvas apps to improve app responsiveness. This allows the applications to adapt flawlessly to screen sizes, especially on mobile devices. Users can easily add or rearrange controls within these containers to enhance user experience.

A significant enhancement to Power Automate (Microsoft's automation platform) lies in its connectivity feature. Historically, users could create a flow that would connect to Dataverse tables in separate environments. However, the current version only allows connectivity within the same environment. But, with the new updates, users will be able to link to other environments within the flow, as long they share the same region.

In addition to this, Power Automate rolls out a feature that maximizes efficiency. It allows users to generate expressions from examples, so you don't have to start from zero, a capability currently in preview. However, it is expected to go public by May 2023. No need to be an automation expert anymore - just provide data return examples, and Power Automate will create the expression for you.

Apart from automation enhancements, PVA sees substantial core authoring updates. These include the PVA unified canvas, aimed at blending the low-code PVA with pro-code capabilities from Bot Framework Composer. These features are in preview, but they are expected to be generally available by May 2023. Added features include the ability to add Adaptive Cards to your topics easily, create varied multi-modal responses, and employ Power Fx for enhanced logic in conversations.

To wrap it up, AI Builder introduces a feedback loop to retrain documents. It flags low-scored documents and forwards them to the training wizard for retraining. This maintains the quality and accuracy of the AI model over time.

Each of these features has been carefully crafted by Microsoft to shape the future of automation, AI, and digital application platforms steadily. Stay updated with new releases on Microsoft Learn.

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