New Chrome and Edge Browser Extensions (Beta)

[jed]

@Frederick Marcoux , unfortunately this should not be the normal case. On 94.0.4606.8 build of Chrome, I have tel protocol set to 3CX Desktop App and I get each time the prompt from browser to open the phone number with 3CX Desktop App.

You could create this in your registry:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome] "ClickToCallEnabled"=dword:00000000

And you only have to approve once

HOWEVER, we do see a increased delay in the copy / past of a eg. TEL: number to the Electron App, which is a VERRY BIG problem for outbound call centers. Will you be able to do something to the Electron App so it works as instant as when we are using the "old" Softphone? PLEASE.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Constantinos Constantinou]

@jed @Frederick Marcoux we will give it a check whether there is some kind of optimization that we can do in this area, and we will keep you posted.

 

[Constantinos Constantinou]

@jed @Frederick Marcoux we will give it a check whether there is some kind of optimization that we can do in this area, and we will keep you posted.

I can confirm that on the internal build (next update), speed on opening links will be drastically improved.

 

[Grant Moxom]

Hi Nick, thank you for your reply on Sunday! We're actually holding back because we have to retrain around 100 agents to use the new interface. They're scattered all around the world and they speak three different languages, and they are on Linux, Windows and Mac OS. Most of them uses the chrome extension on Windows, only a fraction uses the current client integrated in the web interface or the stand alone app. We were waiting until until v18 irons out all the wrinkles and with the clients available for all the environments.
So which are the current options for the MacOS users?

Thank you again and keep up the good work!

I want to echo this concern - we have users spread across platforms and most all the mac and windows users use the chrome extensions. If this update is going to make the chrome extension not work (as in they can't make calls using this extensions anymore with the dialpad etc) this is going to be a huge problem for us. We will be rolling out V18 this quarter but the timeline is a little tight and it also makes calling for mac users pretty much impossible as our workflow doesn't let us simply use the web browser, we need the extension. Any chance to delaying this a little? MOving fast is cool, but breaking workflows with such a quick turnaround is a bit concerning

 

[ca_maer]

I just want to chime in with what other users said in this thread. We are a 100% mac business and since the mac client was discontinued couple of years ago we migrated to the Chrome extension which work OK but many of our users prefer to use safari which mean they need to keep chrome open just for 3CX.

We would much prefer a dedicated mac client. There is also the fact that it's way easier for IT admins to deploy, manage and configure than a chrome extension. If I understand correctly the new windows 3CX client is running under Electron which should open the possibility to port it to multiple platforms quite easily.

Thanks

 

[Evolute IT]

I just want to chime in with what other users said in this thread. We are a 100% mac business and since the mac client was discontinued couple of years ago we migrated to the Chrome extension which work OK but many of our users prefer to use safari which mean they need to keep chrome open just for 3CX.

We would much prefer a dedicated mac client. There is also the fact that it's way easier for IT admins to deploy, manage and configure than a chrome extension. If I understand correctly the new windows 3CX client is running under Electron which should open the possibility to port it to multiple platforms quite easily.

Thanks

A Mac app is planned.

 

[Grant Moxom]

A Mac app is planned.

This doesn't address the issue of phasing out the extension so quickly and forcing movement to V18 - if this is truly going to happen can I please get an exact date? This totally screws my quarter plan as it means I have to upgrade the entire company to V18 urgently which is a little terrifying

 

[KjetilSorby]

Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

Hi Nick! Do you have a comment on this matter? https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/job-title-and-or-department-fields-within-3cx.75622/

 

[MH_INDUS]

I concur with the others.
Redesigning the webclient, deprecating the browser extension and not having the full capabilities of the browser extension in the replacement was a terrible decision.

I have to retrain all our staff, some of which took over a year to understand the current webclient.
Some of the changes in the webclient make no sense (e.g. changing the location of the status and queue buttons, relocating the device selection dropdown...)

Thanks for ruining my month.

 

[Ruymar Castro]

How are Linux users with regards to the browser extension? How can they have the POP-UP and other functionalities that the extension reaches had?

 

[N_G]

@davide.bonavita Thank you for the heads up and sorry for late reply! Mac client is not far off... cant give an exact date but its a matter of testing and tuning.
@KjetilSorby Good point, we will look into it....
@Grant Moxom Well the apps and the extension are always designed for the latest version. This extension is not for v16 users exclusively but for v18 users also. We now have 100K plus companies on v18 and the extension needs to work well for v18 first and foremost. So this is why it will be updated, not to force you to go to v18.
@ca_maer Yes a mac app is coming and will look identical to the windows/webclient app
@MH_INDUS Eh no, you have the new windows desktop app which is exactly the same as our web client and available for windows and soon mac. It baffles me how your staff took a year to learn our webclient but the new app is mostly the same as the old web client, so your comments are a little over the top in my view.
@Ruymar Castro Unfortunately the linux desktop makes up a very small portion of our users. However you can use one of the many softphones available for linux in combination with our web client and i think this is a workable option? Else you can also just use the web client on its own....

 

[Ruymar Castro]

[USER = 116126] @ davide.bonavita [/ USER] Obrigado pelo aviso e desculpe pelo atraso na resposta! O cliente Mac não está longe ... não posso dar uma data exata, mas é uma questão de teste e ajuste.
[USER = 106059] @KjetilSorby [/ USER] Bom ponto, vamos investigar isso ....
[USER = 119412] @Grant Moxom [/ USER] Bem, os aplicativos e a extensão são sempre projetados para a versão mais recente. Esta extensão não é exclusivamente para usuários da versão 16, mas também para usuários da versão 18. Agora temos mais de 100 mil empresas na v18 e a extensão precisa funcionar bem na v18 antes de mais nada. É por isso que ele será atualizado, não para forçá-lo a ir para a v18.
[USER = 111900] @ca_maer [/ USER] Sim, um aplicativo mac está chegando e será idêntico ao aplicativo windows / webclient
[USER = 110861] @MH_INDUS [/ USER] Eh não, você tem o novo aplicativo do Windows Desktop que é exatamente igual ao nosso cliente da Web e disponível para Windows e em breve Mac. Fico perplexo como sua equipe levou um ano para aprender nosso webclient, mas o novo aplicativo é basicamente o mesmo que o antigo web client, então seus comentários são um pouco exagerados, na minha opinião.
[USER = 114970] @Ruymar Castro [/ USER] Infelizmente, a área de trabalho do Linux representa uma minúscula porção de nossos usuários. No entanto, você pode usar um dos muitos softphones disponíveis para Linux em combinação com nosso cliente web e eu acho que essa é uma opção perfeitamente viável? Caso contrário, você também pode usar o cliente da Web por conta própria ....

Hi Nick, I understand your point of view, but it's really a pity the loss of the chrome extension, as we connected in v16, as it made our life much easier, I hope that in the near future 3CX will achieve something similar or better!

 

[Grant Moxom]

Hi Nick, I understand your point of view, but it's really a pity the loss of the chrome extension, as we connected in v16, as it made our life much easier, I hope that in the near future 3CX will achieve something similar or better!

Hey nick - thanks for the reply.
The issue is really the speed for me. V18 is only just out and obviously it takes a bit of time to roll out a new system with planning etc. Removing the existing system completely (with the v16 extension functionality) means we are forced to move to V18 in order to work effectively. That puts a lot of strain on IT Departments to rush a roll-out causing a lot more possible issues and reducing the general trust in the 3CX product. It really effects me and the image of the 3cx product that it has only a few months legacy support before making breaking changes to production environments with no ability to continue with the old method.
Is it not possible to at least publish a legacy 3cx chrome extension for those that are unable to make the change fast enough? Or at least give an exact timeline when support will be dropped? I'm rushing the roll out for all clients but I'm not sure how fast I can get it done

 

[N_G]

@Grant Moxom I understand the situation you are in and I am sorry about it. Unfortunately republishing the extension requires some work to v16 and it also depends on Google approving it. We also dont know for how long, as it has warned some of the APIs will be deprecated. Chrome updates are "fast and furious" and this is in part the reason we are reverting back to an app which is independent of browser updates. In any case let us do update 2 and we will look into what we can do for v16 users....

 

[Ruymar Castro]

@Grant Moxom I understand the situation you are in and I am sorry about it. Unfortunately republishing the extension requires some work to v16 and it also depends on Google approving it. We also dont know for how long, as it has warned some of the APIs will be deprecated. Chrome updates are "fast and furious" and this is in part the reason we are reverting back to an app which is independent of browser updates. In any case let us do update 2 and we will look into what we can do for v16 users....

Hi Nick, I'm sure 3cx won't be indifferent to Chrome extension users and will find an efficient solution to help, because today the Chrome extension really is of great help and much used.

Please think carefully about helping us with this question!!

 

[Danvarii]

One of our clients is 100% on chromebooks (170+ users). The new app is not yet released for ChromeOS.
So currently they are still on v16 + browser extension.

How will this affect them? What should we be doing to prepare?

 

[NickD_3CX]

One of our clients is 100% on chromebooks (170+ users). The new app is not yet released for ChromeOS.
So currently they are still on v16 + browser extension.

How will this affect them? What should we be doing to prepare?

You should start showing them how to use and make/receive calls via the WebClient.

 

[N_G]

We are considering publishing the extension for v18 so that chromeOS and mac users can still use it.... But it requires v18. Maybe this is a solution @Grant Moxom @Danvarii ?

 

[Grant Moxom]

It still requires V18 which is a problem for us - but yes that would at least give us a backup. Still would need to know the date that this would happen @Nick Galea so we could be sure to have rolled out V18 by that time. My team has stopped all operation to work on this. This change with this timeline has been quite expensive for us and really effected the opinion on 3cx from management =( But hopefully the new changes make up for it once all the kinks are ironed out.

 

[Danvarii]

You should start showing them how to use and make/receive calls via the WebClient.

Thank you Nick. I'm trying to get me head around this. On v18 these ChromeOS users need to keep a chrome browser tab open to the 3CX Web Client at all times? Becasue on V18 there will be no extension so closing the browser tab means that the user will not be able to receive any calls? Am i understanding this correctly?

We are considering publishing the extension for v18 so that chromeOS and mac users can still use it.... But it requires v18. Maybe this is a solution @Grant Moxom @Danvarii ?

This would definetly be better than no extesion at all for the reason stated above
I'm hoping 3CX would be able to accomodate the 'old' extension on V18.