Not possible to create conference call in V15.5 SP2

[sip.bg]

After update to SP2 is not anymore possible to schedule a conference call -- you can't invite participants. The only available option is to use Google calendar or Outlook, which is not doing the job, plus even possible to invite somebody (however I didn't managed) is not doing the job. How to invite somebody or enter a number which is not in contacts.

This behavior is frustrating and turn 3CX conference into something completely useless.

 

[capsec]

I don't understand the logic behind having the 3cx windows client installed and still HAVE to use the web client to schedule a conference? Why can't the 3cx software work like before? What was wrong with being able to use the 3cx windows client to create conferences before without having to go through the webclient? Why do you need two different pieces of software to do one function? Seems counter-intuitive to me.

If you install 3cx using the IP not FQDN the webclient has a certificate error and it's just another password that users have to remember.. In this case means a ton of calls from users that don't know their passwords which is a pain in the ass to support. Other than adding ad-hoc support back for conferencing it's still a fail regarding the scheduling of conferences.

You are looking at this as a programmer, I'm looking at it as a sysadmin... Your changes are making my job difficult.

Yes I agree, my job also is more difficult , I hope in a very brief solution we need simplicity not complications

 

[N_G]

@Brian Cross - The web client will be an integral part of 3CX going forward and will certainly have the most functions - including a built in web based softphone at some point. The Windows client will have core softphone functionality but never all of the web client functionality. So i would re install using a 3CX FQDN.

 

[oksio]

The web client will be an integral part of 3CX going forward and will certainly have the most functions - including a built in web based softphone at some point. The Windows client will have core softphone functionality but never all of the web client functionality. So i would re install using a 3CX FQDN.

Hello Nick,
I understand your point of view of the future use of the web client ...
However, at present, we can not use the web client as the Windows client.
You can not make a call with a headset from the computer without the Windows client !!!
So there is nothing intuitive or simple about explaining to end users that they need to use a second client to launch a scheduled conference after clicking on the first client button.

Indeed, at each customer where I explained it to 3CX's administrators, I was told: "OK it does not matter we will only use the Webclient." and I tell them "Yes, but you also need the Windows client to make a call"

I do not know how to convey to you their feelings of incomprehension following this explanation.
For all my clients the logic is that we choose either the Web client or the PC client but not that one is needed by the other.

So I hope quickly that either the windows client regains its functionality to be able to schedule conferences or the Webclient is finally the equivalent of the PC client and we can use it without installing the PC client to make calls with a headset connected to the computer.

Thank you for taking the time to read me.

 

[mchristsen]

Nick

As an avid user of 3CX, I too was disappointed and blind sighted by the changes to the conferencing features. We use Audio conferencing for our team extensively. I do not mind using the web client to create and schedule conferences, however I think some of the old functionality from SP1 would be welcomed. Here is my feedback on Audio conferencing:

- Please add back the function of calling the participants. This is most helpful, as we have road warriors on conferences in their cars and should not be operating their phone (checking email for conference info) whilst driving.

- Ability to add internal extensions and external phone numbers to a scheduled conference and a current conference. This would trigger the PBX to dial them. If the participant contact is an email, then that participant would dial in.

- Outlook Application integration (Mail API) to bring up the Appointment creation screen. This would satisfy on-premise Email.

- In Web Client on the People Tab, ability to select extensions and create an Audio Conference. Only Web Conference is available.

I hope this feedback from an End User is found useful.

Michael.

 

[arienne]

Nick,

Long time no see, hope things are well on your end.

We have been seeing the writing on the wall for some time now and have started directing our clients to use the Web Client when possible. That being said, IMO, there are still some critical features that are missing that make it not a true replacement yet, but it is getting there.

In regards to these recent changes, I have had some very unpleasant conversation with several customers recently about this removal of the Ad-Hoc conferencing to telephone numbers and forcing them to use the web client. We have several clients that regularly engage in this as a part of their business and this "upgrade" has broken a core functionality of the 3CX Phone System that our customers have grown to rely on.

Honestly, if feels like 3CX is forgetting what is like to have 100s of end users that are NOT tech savvy come in to work one day and have a feature that they have come to rely on not function. Or even saying "Oh, just use the web client instead" is really a terrible response. It puts a huge pressure on system admins to now have to retrain all their people on a moments notice. These types of major system changes should be well documented and alerted to us resellers well ahead of time.

So I have a few questions:

1. How are you proposing that they initiate Ad-Hoc conferences to folks without access to e-mail? This was SO simple in the client before.
   
   
2. Why would you remove a perfectly functioning aspect of the desktop client? I get adding features to web client, but why break something that was working SO well. Up until this I have NEVER received any complaints about the telephone conferencing features. They have been one of the great easy use things of 3CX. Now my customers are PISSED.
   
   
3. Will 3CX make a commitment to NOT remove working features of the system? Or at least make it VERY obvious when a working feature is going to be removed (or moved to another version of the client) prior to that release so that we know NOT to upgrade???

Thank You...

 

[D Caviness]

DO NOT REMOVE THIS FEATURE!

We have standardized on the web-client, so that in itself wasn't an issue for us. But, until I realized that my pop-up blocker was blocking the opening of Office 365, I was ready to throw our PBX out the window. Since then, it's been a perfect integration that solve the problem of getting our Web Meetings into our Outlook Calendars.

 

[Randall]

Get a hold of an old 3CX client and do some testing. My old Windows client seems to still work fine. I have an end user testing it in production as well in order to restore the ad-hoc, scheduled, and call-out conference functionality.

 

[YiannisH_3CX]

We just released clients for Android, Windows and MacOS, with the iOS client following next week (awaiting Apple approval) which include conference changes and improvements.
For a list of changes go to the 3CX Change Log however the main change is that now pressing the Conference button in the dial pad will create the conference and prompt you to add either a contact from your contacts or a number of your choice. An ad-hoc conference will be created and participants will be automatically dialled. The conference management view has also been brought back together with mute/unmute, kick/redial functions.

Check the video to see a live demo of how conferencing now works in the clients.

To update your clients do the following:

• iOS: Update through AppStore (available early next week)
• Android: Update through Play store
• Windows and Mac: Either download the MSI/DMG installer from here or go to the 3CX Management console > Updates > and click on the 3CX Client update for Windows.View attachment 6653

 

[Randall]

YiannisH_3CX,

Is there still a plan to bring back the ability to schedule a conference call w/o the need for an email address and the ability to have the PBX perform the call-out to participants in the next SP or in an update to SP2?

 

[N_G]

@arienne - I am good thanks, hope you are too! The ad hoc conferencing functionality in the client was never meant to be removed. Actually it wasn't, a bug was causing it not to show up correctly. This was fixed some time ago. However we have now taken the opportunity to improve it even further, there will be an update early next week. Ad hoc conferencing should definitely be in the clients - thats a promise In regards to feature changes - I will make a separate blog post about this in the coming weeks to explain better because i think there is misunderstanding around this.

@mchristsen - thank you for your feedback. Yes you can easily add users to an existing conference by phone number. Old functionality is back but we are improving it, check out our blog next week.

In regards to Outlook - the old method of adding by email and not using a calendar app will be back in SP3. Integrating with the old outlook desktop app is difficult, our focus is on Office 365. Thats where Microsoft has its APIs anyway. Being able to select extensions from the web client and quickly setup an audio conference makes sense, we will be doing it. Re your and Randalls request we will discuss it internally.

@oksio - Making a softphone integrated in our webclient using WebRTC is in our to do list. To make a really good one is not a trivial task though, so it will take a bit of time. Meanwhile a softphone and a web client are two different things - a user should be able to understand that in my view. Scheduling a conference from our clients - we will discuss.

@Randall - Yes we have decided to add it back, we will be researching how and when it can be done.

In addition we are going to add a schedule conference option in the native clients.

 

[nitrox]

@MathieuDube: I agree with your opinion.

 

[N_G]

https://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/audio-conferencing-news-flash/