Launched in October 2019, Power Apps Per App plans introduced a new, cost-effective way for users to access Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. We take a look at how these licences are applied.
Traditionally, Microsoft licences are purchased and then applied to a person’s user account; however, a Power Apps Per App licence is applied to an environment (Production or Sandbox for instance) and then automatically allocated to a user when they access an App that has been shared with them.
What does the Power Apps Per App plan grant access to?
One plan licence allows an individual to access:
- Two Apps, whether they be model-driven or canvas
- One Portal
Importantly, these must all reside in the same environment. For instance, if your users are using apps in your production environment and wish to access the same apps in your sandbox for testing/training, they will need an additional Plan licence.
Where do I start?
Currently, there is a one-off step that tenant administrator will need to carry out before proceeding with the App plan allocation process. This requirement will be removed in due course, but here are the steps as they stand at the time of writing:
- A Power Apps Per App Baseline Access licence needs to be applied for and added to the tenant by a Global Administrator. This can be done here at no cost and once you have completed the process, 10,000 of these licences will appear in your Microsoft Admin Center.
- These Baseline licences now need to be applied to any users that will be needing to use a Per App plan. The easiest way to achieve this is to create an Active Directory group and assign the licence to the group. That way, any users added to that group will automatically inherit the Baseline licence. The allocation process can be carried out here, clicking All Products and you should see the licence as below:
You are now ready to use the Power Apps Per App plans.
If these plan licences are not added to the user account, how do I allocate them?
- Purchase the required number of licences based on the number of users and their app/portal requirements
- Via the Power Platform Admin Center and navigate to Resources>Capacity
If you have App Plan licences (often referred to as passes) available, you will have access to a button that allows you to assign Plans to your environments
Click the ‘Assign to an environment’ button and allocate your new licences to the required environment(s). - Ensure the relevant Apps and Portals are configured to automatically assign per Apps passes. This setting is enabled by default so should not normally need to be changed.
- Share the App with the relevant users. Once they access the app, the App Pass will be automatically allocated to them. You will also want to ensure that they have a security role applied to them so that they are able to access the data within the app.
Summary
Although the new process is not as simple as for other licences, it provides extra control as to what apps and portal a licence can access, hence the extra administration required. If your business is interested in purchasing and implementing these new licences, Strategy 365 can help. Simply get in touch with one of our experts and we will be happy to help.
