In this webinar, our experts showcase a variety of demo use cases of how different components of the...
Software development is a constantly evolving field, with new technologies and techniques emerging all the time. Most notably, low-code and no-code platforms constitute a growing percentage of new software development. These tools, like the suite of apps in Microsoft Power Platform – especially Power Apps, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents – offer several benefits over traditional development methods, including accelerated development timelines, lower costs associated with citizen development and greater collaboration between tech experts and end users.
Businesses have taken notice: according to Gartner, the global market for low-code development technologies is projected to total $26.9 billion in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022. It all begs a simple question: if your organization is not yet using low/no-code tools, why?
And while it hardly seems possible, app development is about to get even easier. Microsoft has begun to roll out test versions of a next-generation low/no-code solution that will change the way the world creates and uses software applications. Power Platform Copilot is a new AI-powered tool that makes it even easier to build apps.
With Power Platform Copilot, you simply describe in natural language what you want your app to do and the AI-powered copilot generates the code for you. For example, if you need help tracking inventory, you could type something like, "I want an app to track the inventory of my store." Copilot will then generate the code for an app with a table to store your inventory items, as well as all forms and reports you’ll need for inventory management.
We are truly entering a new era. With the help of large language models (LLMs), we are moving to the next stage in the evolution of code abstraction, from custom code to low code to natural language authoring, where humans and machines work together to create applications. And in lockstep with partners like Microsoft, HCLTech is at the forefront of this AI revolution.
How it works
Using the Copilot control, users can interact with applications in a more intuitive way, using natural language queries and refinements as well as the help of an AI assistant embedded directly in the app. Users ask questions – like "What is our average monthly sales number?" or "What are the top five products we sold last year?" – and the AI assistant finds the answers.
It can also help refine queries. For example, in response to the What is our average monthly sales number? query, the AI assistant might suggest narrowing it down by specifying a particular product or region, making it easier for users to get the insights they need from their data.
Quite simply, Copilot will greatly improve the usability and efficiency of Power Platform – a set of tools that was already remarkably intuitive and efficient. The Microsoft Business Applications experts at HCLTech are now leveraging Copilot to help our clients build apps faster with less code and fewer errors. Critically, our strategy in this area is to ensure secure and ethical implementations wrapped in the cloak of data confidentiality and privacy.
Let’s look at Copilot through the lens of each tool within Power Platform.
Power Apps Copilot features
Power Virtual Agent Copilot features
Instantly create a conversational dialog for your bot by simply describing what you want it to do in natural language, making it accessible for everyone to create bot-driven conversations for customers. By utilizing Copilot, you can reduce the development cycle of bot building, turning what used to consume months or years into weeks or days. Below are some of the key capabilities:
Power Automate Copilot
Describe the workflow you need in a conversational way and Copilot creates your automated flow. And it’s not limited to building new flows only; it can help you understand existing, potentially complex flows and recommend changes and optimizations to improve your automations.
Copilot for Power BI and Power Pages are both in the works, as well. More on these in a future blogpost.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into the Copilot features that Microsoft is introducing with Power Platform to empower businesses to do more with less. As the future unfolds and we see new technology challenges and the continued expansion of the developer community, HCLTech will be at the forefront along with partners like Microsoft, bringing down the total cost of ownership and technical debt that remains from the old ways of app development. In the meantime, let us continue learning and exploring as much as we can.