Senior Software Developer and Architect, Keith Atherton's take on the potential of Power Platform

Data has become an integral part of our daily lives in the digital age, and the amount of data that companies generate only continues to grow. All of this data is inevitable, but its value to companies remains intangible until they have insights into it.

That's what makes the Power Platform so exciting. Through Power Platform, digital information can be made available to non-technical users, enabling data democratization.

To learn about the latest technology trends and to gain more insight into the potential of Power Platform, we spoke with Senior Software Developer and Architect Keith Atherton.

Let Us Quickly Get To Our Expert's Point Of View

Question 1- What according to you are some of the top Microsoft technology trends to watch out for in 2023?

Microsoft does an incredible job leading the way with many technologies, but I'm particularly excited about Power Platform, Microsoft Azure, and artificial intelligence services.

Power Platform continues to evolve rapidly, opening up intuitive low-code opportunities which enable technical and non-technical (or citizen) makers alike to achieve amazing things.

Azure is one of the leading cloud computing platforms, and like Power Platform, it is evolving into an excellent ecosystem of tools and services.

And artificial intelligence services are growing so fast that we're seeing systems that we've never seen before, such as ChatGPT and DALL·E 2. Obviously, new systems can come with benefits and risks.

These technologies can often be combined, so the potential for creating new solutions is even more mind-blowing!

Question 2: What are some opportunities you would be looking at the next year?

Power Platform is constantly being updated, with more features constantly added.

This also means that the possibilities made available are also increasing, which means even more ways we can help organizations!

Keeping up to date with Power Platform developments is vital to stay aware of new opportunities.

I'm also keen to follow the Microsoft Power Up Program for career switchers, as it can offer fantastic options for people looking to work with the Power Platform industry regardless of their previous experience.

Question 3: Would you like to share some tips on Power Platform implementation?

Power Platform is an awesome collection of services that have the potential to create all manner of solutions.

Studying towards a Microsoft certification like Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals may be a good first step in navigating the vast number of options available.

Also, it's easy to create complex systems, but keeping things simple is often the best approach, particularly when considering future maintenance and support.

And finally, be aware of good practices such as good architecture and reusability. For example, creating reusable components and code can mean more efficient development by avoiding duplication of effort.

Question 4: What is the potential for Microsoft Partners in the UK?

Microsoft Partners in the UK have massive potential to help organizations, now more than ever, in my opinion.

Becoming a Microsoft partner means the organization gains access to various relationships, insights, tools, resources, and programs.

However, more importantly, these benefits can positively impact clients in a significant way.

Question 5: A piece of advice that you’d like to share with our readers?

Keep growing. Every time you learn something new or try something new, you're growing and improving.

Moving outside of your comfort zone can be challenging, and you may even make mistakes. The key is to learn from your experiences and keep moving forward.

Get to Know Our Influencer

What is the best event that you attended recently? What were your key takeaways?

There have been a lot of amazing in-person and remote events recently, but my favorite has to be the first-ever Microsoft Power Platform Conference in Orlando, Florida, in September 2022.

We had some great announcements, many brilliant workshops and sessions full of advice, and excellent opportunities for networking.

Honorable mentions go to the Scottish Summit and DATA: Scotland conferences over here in bonnie, Scotland.

What's your success mantra?

Do what you love! Your time is precious, it's better to spend it doing something you love rather than something you don't.