Although Power Apps Portals have been available for some time, we often get asked about what it is and how Portals can be used within an organisation. At Microsoft Build in May 2022, Power Pages also joined the Microsoft Power Platform family as a new standalone product. In the following blog post we will learn about them individually and how they are different from each other. There is more description about the implications and use case scenarios for each of them and how they can make work in and outside an organisation efficient.
Power Apps Portals
What Is Power Apps Portals (Platforms)
Power Apps Portals is a tool that will help you create external-facing websites, like a customer portal or a self-service site for people outside your organisation. It’s used by businesses or organisations that want to give their customers, partners, or anyone outside their company access to specific information or services.
Example: You can use it to build a portal where customers can check their account information, submit support requests, or access resources.
Power Apps offer a good amount of flexibility to design and customise how the portal looks and what it does. You can also control who gets access, making sure only authorised users can use the portal.
Power Pages
Power Pages are a bit like webpages, but they’re created using Microsoft Power Apps. These are typically used internally for your organisation. It’s for people within your organisation who want to build web-style pages to display information or create apps.
Example: You might use Power Pages to create an internal knowledge base, show department-specific data, or build a tool for employees such as ‘Employee Self Service Portal’.
Power Pages are flexible and can be designed to look like a web page or app that fits your organisation’s needs. Since it’s for internal use, you can control who in your organisation can access the Power Pages.
| Parameter | Power Apps | Power Pages |
|---|---|---|
Audience | External users (customers, partners). | Internal users (organisation’s employees). |
Purpose | Sharing information and services with the outside world. | For creating content and tools for your organisation’s internal use. |
Access Control | Portals are for a broader external audience which has permission or licence to access Power Apps. | You have more control over who can access Power Pages since they’re meant for internal use. |
Implications of using Power Apps Portals and Power Pages
Power Apps Portals:
- External Engagement: Power Apps Portals allow you to engage with external users such as customers, partners, or suppliers. This implies greater exposure to external stakeholders, which can be beneficial for business.
- Scalability: Depending on your licensing and infrastructure, you may need to consider the scalability of Power Apps Portals to ensure it can handle the expected volume of external users and data interactions.
- Customisation: Portals offer a high degree of customisation to tailor the user experience. However, extensive customisation can also require more development effort and maintenance.
- Security: Managing user authentication and authorization is crucial to protect sensitive data in external-facing portals. Proper security measures must be in place to prevent unauthorised access.
- Cost: Licensing costs can vary based on usage and features. Organisations need to assess the cost implications of providing external users access to Power Apps Portals.
Power Pages:
- Internal Use: Power Pages are designed for internal use within your organisation. This implies that they are typically used for creating internal tools, dashboards, or content repositories.
- Knowledge Transfer: Power Pages can be used to create internal knowledge bases or documentation repositories, making it easier for employees to access and share information. This can facilitate knowledge transfer and collaboration.
- Workflow Efficiency: They can streamline internal processes by providing employees with custom tools and dashboards tailored to their roles. This can lead to improved workflow efficiency.
- Data Security: Since Power Pages are for internal use, there’s less concern about external data exposure. However, you should still manage access permissions to ensure sensitive information is protected.
- Development Resources: Building and maintaining Power Pages may require development resources or expertise, especially if complex functionality is needed.
To summarise, use of Power Apps Portals and Power Pages depend on your organisation’s specific needs and use cases. Portals are ideal for engaging external stakeholders but require attention to scalability, security, and cost. Power Pages are suited for internal use, promoting knowledge transfer and workflow efficiency, but may require development resources. Both should align with the organisation’s strategic objectives and data security policies.
Use case scenarios
When should Power Apps be chosen?
- When the organisation needs to provide external stakeholders, such as customers, partners, or suppliers, with access to specific information or services, Power Apps Portals is the right choice.
- When there’s a need to create a self-service portal where customers can access account information, submit support requests, or interact with your organisation’s services, Power Apps Portals is a suitable solution.
- When data needs to be shared securely with external parties, like sharing project status or product information with partners, Power Apps Portals provides a controlled environment.
- If the organisation requires a highly customised and branded external-facing web portal to match its specific look and feel, Power Apps Portals offers extensive customisation options.
- When there’s a need to manage user authentication and authorization for external users effectively, Power Apps Portals provides tools for access control.
When should Power Pages be chosen?
- For internal tools, dashboards, or content repositories designed to streamline internal processes and workflows, Power Pages are a suitable choice.
- When the organisation needs an internal knowledge base or documentation repository to facilitate knowledge transfer and collaboration among employees, Power Pages are well-suited.
- If custom tools are needed for specific roles or departments within the organisation to improve workflow efficiency, Power Pages can be designed to meet those requirements.
- When data needs to be presented in a visual and interactive format for internal users, Power Pages can be used to create dashboards and reports.
- If sensitive data is involved and you want to ensure that it remains within the organisation, Power Pages can be used for internal data management without external exposure.
In some cases, an organisation may choose to use both Power Apps Portals and Power Pages to cater to different user groups and requirements. The choice ultimately depends on the organisation’s goals, the nature of its interactions whether internal or external, and the level of customisation and control needed for each scenario. It is advisable to conduct a thorough assessment of the specific use cases and consult with experts to make an informed decision. By leveraging the strengths of both Power Apps Portals and Power Pages, businesses can unlock a comprehensive suite of tools to meet diverse external and internal requirements efficiently.