Self-Service Purchase Capabilities for Microsoft Power Platform Products

At the end of last year, Microsoft announced that they would soon make it possible for self-service purchase, subscription, and license possibilities for the Power Platform products; PowerBI, PowerApps, and Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow).  

This capability will first launch in the US on the 14th of January, and then be followed by other geographical areas at the beginning of February.   

What does this mean for my organization? 

It means that tenant users (end-users) will be able to buy their licenses for Power BI, PowerApps, and Power Automate, without any tenant administration intervention. The end-users will also handle payments (via their credit card) and license assignment themselves. 

Pros and Cons – My opinion 

The upcoming change might, for some, seem a bit aggressive, and I can, to some degree, agree with that. But I would say, like many others, the change can hopefully encourage end-users to start utilizing the Power Platform more, without having to go through that darn slow IT-admin guy to get things started. * 
 
At the same time, the biggest con is the loss of administrative control. Admins will be able to see user-driven purchases, but they will not have the ability to manage these on behalf of the end-user.  

So, think about how this might affect you and your organization, read the FAQ below, and then make the decision based on what is best for your organization. 

How to disable this capability in your tenant? 

If you would like to disable the capability in your tenant, Tony Redmond has published the following article including a step by step guide.  

Do you have any questions regarding this topic? Don’t hesitate to contact us.  

* This is of course not applicable at Ironstone :) 

Sources: 
Announcement: MC193609 and MC200092 in the messages center of Microsoft 365.
Self-service purchase FAQ: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/commerce/subscriptions/self-service-purchase-faq