3CX integration with Zoho

[datamerge]

I have been testing 3CX with Zoho for a client who is about to roll out 3CX in their business. I am testing against v16 as it is far more capable and it should be GA by the time the client is ready to cutover from their old system.

Can someone please tell me if I am missing anything. It works, but the functionality is not fantastic and I suspect it is because Zoho wants us to use the Phonebridge.

Incoming and outgoing calls are logged correctly against the contact activity.
3CX learns the numbers and adds the contacts to its own database fine.

We can't do is call a contact from within Zoho, so we can enter call details as we go. We must add a call in Zoho and call them separately in 3CX to do this.
We can't get any sort of live response from Zoho on an incoming call. We must manually open Zoho and add an activity when a caller rings in. We then end up with 2 activities. One we created and the automatic journal entry from 3CX integration.

Is this the limit of what we should get at present, or am I missing a step?

Is there an intention to add the Phonebridge, or some other feature to make the phone system more controllable from within Zoho in the future?

 

[edossantos]

Hello @datamerge,

Yes, the functionality is as you describe it at the moment.

In order to make outbound calls, you can use the browser extensions we provide:
https://www.3cx.com/phone-system/click-to-call/

We have plans to implement a better integration with Zoho in the near future, not sure if using the PhoneBridge API or using the Widget API. But something that can be used from Zoho, instead of opening the contacts from the Web Client as we do now. There is no ETA for this, but it's in our roadmap...

Kind regards.

 

[zan5hin]

It is really disappointing to hear that this has no ETA. At least it is on the roadmap.....

I am soon to be tasked with building new systems for a new team, 10 field sales reps, dozens of call centre staff.... I plan to use Zoho, not having Phonebridge support means I have to look at other solutions than 3CX which is a big problem because I don't want the hassle of using Asterisk and the cloud platforms mostly charge stupid price for calls to mobiles in my country.

There are a lot of cloud VoIP platforms if you look there are lots of little ones that don't have the scale of 3CX so it's very disappointing, I must say again.... https://marketplace.zoho.com/crm#action=new&id=32e1e5ec-f9de-4900-bb63-bfe016438efb

 

[nicolas.pouliot]

Hello, I can't seem to configure my Zoho with 3CX properly. When I test it it's working, but the journaling isn't working.

What is the name of the field you created in users in Zoho for the extension?
What did you put in 3CX for the Extension Field ID?

On my end I used Extension for both and it doesn't seem to be logging the calls. Do I have to enter it in a different way in 3CX? Does something need to be changed in the template?

Let me know.

Thank you

 

[zan5hin]

Nicolas, it won't work the way you want, until 3CX build the Phonebridge functionality into their product.

Come on 3CX, I mean the guy you need to speak to at Zoho who is in charge of Strategic Alliances, works directly in the Zoho Phonebridge team, all you need to do is reach out to him and it would not take long to get a working solution: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivinayc/

 

[nicolas.pouliot]

I know it won't work exactly the way I want it to, but right now nothing is working. On version 15.5 at least the calls were being logged. Right now I can't even see them in my Zoho activities.

 

[datamerge]

I am having the same issue now since the v16 beta. On Alpha 2 I was getting journal logs. The test is good, but no calls are being picked up at all in Zoho.

 

[edossantos]

Come on 3CX, I mean the guy you need to speak to at Zoho who is in charge of Strategic Alliances, works directly in the Zoho Phonebridge team, all you need to do is reach out to him and it would not take long to get a working solution: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivinayc/

We're in contact with Vinay since long time ago. There are other issues that prevent us from implementing this. We need to build a REST API on the 3CX side first, because PhoneBridge requires this. Once we have this REST API, we will be able to build many things on top of it. So much more powerful integrations are on the way, but only once we have this API working...

I know it won't work exactly the way I want it to, but right now nothing is working. On version 15.5 at least the calls were being logged. Right now I can't even see them in my Zoho activities.

Are you defining the extension for each Zoho user as described here? This is important to match the call to the agent that handled it... If this is properly configured, please check the 3cxSystemService.log, there you will see why the call journal entry is not being created...

 

[datamerge]

With this is properly configured, please check the 3cxSystemService.log, there you will see why the call journal entry is not being created...

This is critical. Once I knew which log file to look into the rest was easy.

 

[zan5hin]

We're in contact with Vinay since long time ago. There are other issues that prevent us from implementing this. We need to build a REST API on the 3CX side first, because PhoneBridge requires this. Once we have this REST API, we will be able to build many things on top of it. So much more powerful integrations are on the way, but only once we have this API working...

If you have to build an entire REST API, well now it makes sense why it is taking a long time, and while it won't be happening tomorrow.

So in the meantime, I will be learning about a FreePBX solution as I have no other choice