CRM integration - whishes

[ToniSa]

Actually, my Windows-app uses TAPI for phone-integration. On a new-call-event (in/out) the app popups a window with call-information, on the call-end-event the duration of the call is shown in the windows, during speaking with the counterpart user can just annotate and categorize the reason of the call. TAPI is also used to make a new call from the app. All this works fine. TAPI, as we know, works only with 3CX-Windows-client.

Now there are rumours TAPI or 3CX-Windows-Client will no longer be developed / supplied with new versions of 3CX. So, I’m looking for alternatives.

The API-MakeCall-Request in v18 is not documented. I found only some forum thread saying “comes soon”.

Setting the CRM Provider Integration to write a database journal entry for every call writes only one record per call, in particularly when the call is passed from first responding agent to another one. Therefor it is no suitable for my customers as they normally have a central point taking incoming calls to transfer them to the interested agent. Seems to be a known issue

Setting the CDR through active socket, a journaling message is sent when a call terminates definitively, so when agent A passes a call to agent B, for agent A no journal message is created but only when agent B terminates the call. It would be necessary to have a message per every agent with begin, end, duration, …

What would be needed to accomplish the same functionality of TAPI:

• creare a message (and/or database entry) for call-begin AND for call-end for every agent, so transfering a call from agent A to B to C, for every agent there should be a message when beginning and ending the call, still for conference-calls.
• Provide the possibility to make a call via API
• Provide the possibility to terminate a call via API

Toni

 

[VoIPTools]

Hi Toni,

There is a lot to unpack in your post...

Let's start with TAPI. The last time I checked, Microsoft discontinued development and support of TAPI over 20 years ago. If your Windows-app is dependent on TAPI, with no option to use a modern REST-like API, then it is time to find a new application vendor. They have had over 20 years to update their technology, and, in my opinion, that is more than enough time.

Next, 3CX does include the Call Control API. It is true that 3CX withdrew the API documentation, presumably in preparation for their newly announced REST API. Nevertheless, the Call Control API still exists and in fact the internal workings of 3CX are dependent on this API, so I do not expect it to go away until the REST API is released (if ever).

This API makes it possible to Make and Drop calls. There are, however, some limitations to the 3CX API. The limitations include: (1) it only accepts requests coming from "localhost", and (2) you can only have one 3rd-party application utilizing the API at a time.

Note: you can technically have more than one connection, but if both connections try to use the API at the same time, only one of the connections will succeed.

While we wait for the new REST API, I should point out that we have our own VoIPTools REST API. This API has hundreds of methods including the ability to make and drop calls. MakeCall is included for free.

We have created a "Relay" agent that installs directly on the 3CX server (Windows or Linux). This relay makes the one permitted connection to the Call Control API (from localhost), and then exposes the Call Control API (along with many of our own APIs) via REST. Our API is fully documented, and we are adding additional APIs on a weekly basis.

You also talked about the optional CDR information available from 3CX. While the CDR data is very valuable, it does have some shortcomings that you have accurately pointed out. However, the idea of using the IP socket connection to get this information is a flawed approach (in my opinion).

As has been discussed many, many, times before... depending on a socket connection runs a SIGNIFICANT risk of data loss. For example, if your 3CX server is hosted in the cloud, and you experience an internet connection failure, even a brief loss (a few seconds) will likely result in data loss that is unrecoverable. Additionally, if your socket client service goes down for any reason (the reasons are legion), again, the data is lost forever.

The only dependable way of getting CDR data is by processing the physical files 3CX can create. This ensures that no data is ever lost. If your socket client service, or internet goes down, it is not a problem. You simply process the files when your service is restored.

The challenge is how to access the CDR files when 3CX is running in a hosted environment. There are many commercial tools available (FileZilla is free and is what I use to easily exchange data over a SSH connection),
but I encourage you to also take a look at our 3CX Exporter tool. This tool completely automates the process of parsing the CDR data and replicating this data automatically to either SQL or MySQL. And it works with hosted instances of 3CX too.

Finally, you have expressed interest in the ability to have a dialog pop up for inbound and outbound calls. As stated, you want this dialog to display call information along with the duration, provide the ability to categorize the call, and enable the agent to take notes on the call. I encourage you to take a look at our 3CX Wrap-up Codes tool. It does all of these things, and more.

3CX is a very robust and feature-rich platform and, at the same time, is highly customizable. We love 3CX and have built our entire business around 3CX. There are practically no limitations to what you can do with 3CX if you know how.

 

[ToniSa]

Hi Matthew,

Many thanks for your response. I’m using TAPI since years with lot of different PBX-Systems, most of them provide TAPI natively, for others Estos-Tools are used. Since it’s a widely known standard, it does the job without I’ve to change one line of code with all the different PBX. Sure, it’s no longer suitable for new-kind types of applications (web-based, smartphones, softphones, ...). So, it’s time to move.

I’ve just seen your homepage of voiptools.com and will write you by private mail.

From the 3CX-team would be fine if they could publish a roadmap for implementing new features with completed documentation. Based on this we (developers / resellers / customers) could decide if moving to other pbx, buy (or make buy the customers) some third-party tool like voiptools or wait for 3CX.

With best regards

Toni