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EPC Group

Enterprise Microsoft consulting with 29 years serving Fortune 500 companies.

(888) 381-9725
contact@epcgroup.net
4900 Woodway Drive, Suite 830
Houston, TX 77056

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About EPC Group

EPC Group is a Microsoft consulting firm founded in 1997 (originally Enterprise Project Consulting, renamed EPC Group in 2005). 29 years of enterprise Microsoft consulting experience. EPC Group historically held the distinction of being the oldest continuous Microsoft Gold Partner in North America from 2016 until the program's retirement. Because Microsoft officially deprecated the Gold/Silver tiering framework, EPC Group transitioned to the modern Microsoft Solutions Partner ecosystem and currently holds the core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.

Headquartered at 4900 Woodway Drive, Suite 830, Houston, TX 77056. Public clients include NASA, FBI, Federal Reserve, Pentagon, United Airlines, PepsiCo, Nike, and Northrop Grumman. 6,500+ SharePoint implementations, 1,500+ Power BI deployments, 500+ Microsoft Fabric implementations, 70+ Fortune 500 organizations served, 11,000+ enterprise engagements, 200+ Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft 365 consultants on staff.

About Errin O'Connor

Errin O'Connor is the Founder, CEO, and Chief AI Architect of EPC Group. Microsoft MVP multiple years, first awarded 2003. 4× Microsoft Press bestselling author of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Inside Out (MS Press 2007), Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 Inside Out (MS Press 2011), SharePoint 2013 Field Guide (Sams/Pearson 2014), and Microsoft Power BI Dashboards Step by Step (MS Press 2018).

Original SharePoint Beta Team member (Project Tahoe). Original Power BI Beta Team member (Project Crescent). FedRAMP framework contributor. Worked with U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra on the Obama administration's 25-Point Plan to reform federal IT, and with NASA CIO Chris Kemp as Lead Architect on the NASA Nebula Cloud project. Speaker at Microsoft Ignite, SharePoint Conference, KMWorld, and DATAVERSITY.

© 2026 EPC Group. All rights reserved. Microsoft, SharePoint, Power BI, Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Fabric, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Dataverse for Teams is included with select Microsoft 365 licenses at no additional cost. It lets you build Power Apps, Copilot Studio chatbots, and Power Automate flows directly inside Microsoft Teams. EPC Group configures, governs, and scales Dataverse for Teams for healthcare, financial services, and professional services organizations.

Key Facts

  • Included at no extra cost with Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, E1, E3, and E5.
  • Build and deploy apps directly inside Teams — no separate portal needed.
  • Supports Power Apps (canvas and model-driven), Copilot Studio chatbots, and Power Automate flows.
  • Data stays inside the Teams environment with Microsoft-managed security and compliance.
  • Upgrade path to full Dataverse (Power Platform) when apps outgrow Teams capacity.
  • EPC Group serves healthcare (HIPAA), financial services, and professional services clients.
Back to Blog

Dataverse for Teams: Build Custom Apps, Chatbots, and Flows in Microsoft Teams

Errin O\'Connor
December 2025
8 min read

Dataverse for Teams — Build Custom Apps, Chatbots & Flows in Microsoft Teams

Dataverse for Teams is included with select Microsoft 365 licenses at no additional cost. It lets you build Power Apps, Copilot Studio chatbots, and Power Automate flows directly inside Microsoft Teams. EPC Group configures, governs, and scales Dataverse for Teams for healthcare, financial services, and professional services organizations.

Key facts

  • Included at no extra cost with Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, E1, E3, and E5.
  • Build and deploy apps directly inside Teams — no separate portal needed.
  • Supports Power Apps (canvas and model-driven), Copilot Studio chatbots, and Power Automate flows.
  • Data stays inside the Teams environment with Microsoft-managed security and compliance.
  • Upgrade path to full Dataverse (Power Platform) when apps outgrow Teams capacity.
  • EPC Group serves healthcare (HIPAA), financial services, and professional services clients.

What is Dataverse for Teams?

Dataverse for Teams is a lightweight database built into Microsoft Teams. It stores app data, chatbot session data, and automation results within the Teams environment.

It uses the same data model as the full Dataverse platform. Apps built here can be promoted to full Power Platform later without a full rebuild.

What you can build

Custom Power Apps

Build canvas apps for data collection, approvals, and process tracking — all running inside Teams tabs. No code required for most use cases. Users access the app without leaving Teams.

Copilot Studio chatbots

Build AI-powered chatbots that answer employee questions, route requests, and trigger automations. Bots run inside Teams channels or chat. They can connect to SharePoint, Dataverse tables, and external APIs.

Power Automate flows

Automate approvals, notifications, and data sync between Teams, SharePoint, and other Microsoft 365 services. Flows trigger on form submissions, Teams messages, or schedule. No licensing upgrade needed for standard connectors.

Industry use cases

Healthcare

HIPAA-compliant apps for patient intake, staff scheduling, and incident reporting. Data stays in your Microsoft tenant under your BAA and compliance controls. Chatbots handle common HR and IT support requests inside Teams.

Financial services

Compliance tracking apps, loan request workflows, and client onboarding forms. Audit trails are captured automatically in Dataverse tables. Power BI connects to Dataverse for reporting without data exports.

Professional services

Project status trackers, time and expense collection, and resource request flows. Consultants update project data from Teams on mobile without switching apps. Managers get automated status digests in Teams channels.

Dataverse for Teams vs. full Dataverse

Feature Dataverse for Teams Full Dataverse (Power Platform)
Cost Included in M365 Requires Power Apps per-user license
Environment scope Teams environment only Standalone Power Platform environment
Storage 2 GB per environment Up to 10 TB with add-ons
Premium connectors Not included Included with Power Apps license
Upgrade path Can promote to full Dataverse Full Power Platform capabilities

How EPC Group helps

  • App design and build — custom Power Apps inside Teams for your specific workflows.
  • Chatbot development — Copilot Studio bots with knowledge base and API connections.
  • Flow automation — Power Automate workflows for approvals, routing, and notifications.
  • Governance setup — environment policies, DLP rules, and access controls.
  • Upgrade planning — assess when apps need to move to full Dataverse.
  • Training — citizen developer enablement so your team can maintain and extend apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dataverse for Teams really free with Microsoft 365?

Yes. It is included at no additional cost with Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, E1, E3, and E5 licenses. You do not need a separate Power Apps license to build and run apps inside Teams with Dataverse for Teams.

What are the limitations of Dataverse for Teams?

Storage is capped at 2 GB per Teams environment. Premium connectors (Salesforce, SAP, etc.) are not available. Apps are scoped to the Teams environment and cannot be shared outside of Teams without upgrading to full Power Platform licensing.

Can I upgrade from Dataverse for Teams to full Dataverse later?

Yes. Microsoft provides an upgrade path. Your tables, app logic, and flows move to a full Power Platform environment. Some redesign may be needed for apps that use Teams-specific features, but the core data model transfers without rebuilding.

Is Dataverse for Teams HIPAA compliant?

Microsoft's M365 platform, including Dataverse for Teams, supports HIPAA compliance when configured correctly with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). EPC Group architects the configuration, DLP policies, and access controls needed for HIPAA environments.

How long does it take to build an app with Dataverse for Teams?

Simple data collection and approval apps take 2–4 weeks including testing and training. Complex apps with chatbots, external API connections, and multi-step flows take 6–12 weeks. EPC Group delivers a defined scope and timeline before work begins.

Build your first Teams app

Call (888) 381-9725 or request a discovery call to discuss your Teams app, chatbot, or automation project.

Microsoft Teams Strategy: 2026 Considerations for Dataverse For Teams Build Custom Apps Chatbots And Flows In Ms Teams

Teams Rooms (Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro license at $40/room/mo) brings governance, security, and remote management to conference-room hardware in 2026. Compared to dumb HDMI projectors, the per-room cost is offset within 12-18 months by reduced AV-support helpdesk volume, automatic firmware patching, and Microsoft Endpoint Manager-driven device compliance. Healthcare and financial services deployments typically standardize on Logitech Rally or Yealink for the room hardware.

Microsoft Teams Phone in 2026 is the modern enterprise PSTN replacement: Teams Phone Standard ($8/user/mo) for outbound calling via Microsoft Calling Plans, Teams Phone with Calling Plan Domestic ($15/user/mo) bundles 3,000 outbound minutes/user/mo, and Operator Connect lets enterprises retain incumbent carriers (BT, Verizon, Lumen) while integrating natively with Teams. The total-cost comparison vs legacy PBX favors Teams Phone for any deployment over 500 users.

Decision factors EPC Group evaluates

  • Teams Phone Standard vs Calling Plan vs Operator Connect TCO comparison
  • Communication Compliance policies for executive and regulated roles
  • Teams Rooms hardware standardization (Logitech Rally vs Yealink)
  • Microsoft Purview information barriers for cross-business-unit segregation
  • Microsoft Sentinel detections for Teams compliance recording requirements

For a tailored read on this topic in your specific tenant, contact EPC Group at contact@epcgroup.net or +1 (888) 381-9725. Engagement options at /pricing.