Rest API

[telis]

Hi,

Is there any news on the upcoming Rest API?

 

[Evolute IT]

@edossantos @Constantinos Constantinou @StefanW

Can you at least confirm that there's an API in the works? No need for an ETA, but knowing would be great so we can prepare!

 

[VoIPTools]

An extensive REST API already exists. Unfortunately, like the 3CX Call Control API, 3CX has decided to not make the documentation public. I don't know why. I don't know if they will ever publish the API documentation. It is clear that it has been around for a long time. So, I would not count on this API being public anytime soon.

As a result, we had to build our own REST API. Under the covers we use the 3CX Call Control API. REST is appropriate for making requests and receiving a response, but for published events you need something like webhooks or websockets (SignalR in our case).

 

[telis]

An extensive REST API already exists. Unfortunately, like the 3CX Call Control API, 3CX has decided to not make the documentation public. I don't know why. I don't know if they will ever publish the API documentation. It is clear that it has been around for a long time. So, I would not count on this API being public anytime soon.

As a result, we had to build our own REST API. Under the covers we use the 3CX Call Control API. REST is appropriate for making requests and receiving a response, but for published events you need something like webhooks or websockets (SignalR in our case).

I must admit I'm flummoxed by it.

Maybe they don't want to publish the API because they don't want the burden of keeping it stable and secure? The lack of a supported and open modern API is very strange. A few times they have indicated they would publish a REST API on this forum (but I wonder of they were referring to the CRM toolkit).

@voiptoys I have looked into your product VoIP Tools and you now have a shiny new REST API with the SignalR call backs as a paid subscription option. But sadly there is no documentation for that either yet. You must have taken an awful risk spending all the development time making an API when at any time 3CX could come and release one or indeed discontinue the Call Control API that your API wraps in the next version. Or is it the various 3CX addons that gets you the customers not the API per se, but the API is just something you need to make that happen?

Maybe 3CX just don't want to have to support an API? Maybe it just wouldn't get them any extra sales or enough extra sales to justify the cost? Maybe they are concerned that people could use the API to add features to the product to bridge the gap between STD, PRO and ENT? (Although they could perhaps make it PRO or even ENT only).

If the future of the Call Control API wasn't so uncertain the community might be able to make an open source REST API wrapper?

@voiptoys have you ever thought of open sourcing your API? Might sound crazy but maybe you'd get more customers if you weren't just a lone coffee shop on the prairie but were the founders of a new town? Or maybe it would completely backfire and you'd have people undercutting you using your own API. Also maybe the community could document it (other outcomes are possible!)

@3cx Will the semi-secret call control API still be around in a few years? Is it worth anyone writing a REST wrapper for it?

 

[VoIPTools]

@voiptoys I have looked into your product VoIP Tools and you now have a shiny new REST API with the SignalR call backs as a paid subscription option. But sadly there is no documentation for that either yet.

We debated whether to hide the fact that we have an API until the documentation if complete, or make it available and catch up with the documentation as time permitted. We decided to make it available now. We are working on Swagger documentation now. We should have full documentation in the next week or two.

You must have taken an awful risk spending all the development time making an API when at any time 3CX could come and release one or indeed discontinue the Call Control API that your API wraps in the next version. Or is it the various 3CX addons that gets you the customers not the API per se, but the API is just something you need to make that happen?

We needed the API for our own internal requirements (for both our commercial and custom solutions). The Call Control API is used by 3CX in much the same way, so I doubt they will delete it entirely unless they move entirely to REST. With any business where you are building add-on products there is always the risk that the manufacturer will change something or release a similar feature. We knew the risk from the start, and thus far we have had a good 10+ year run .

@voiptoys have you ever thought of open sourcing your API? Might sound crazy but maybe you'd get more customers if you weren't just a lone coffee shop on the prairie but were the founders of a new town? Or maybe it would completely backfire and you'd have people undercutting you using your own API. Also maybe the community could document it (other outcomes are possible!)

Our company exists, like all businesses, to make money and thus provide jobs for our employees (over 60 employees now). We regularly add new tools to our stable of 3CX add-ons and our API is just another tool. Our API goes far beyond the capabilities of both the 3CX Call Control API and REST API. Like our other tools, we focus on adding value. It is not likely that we will open-source the API since that's the lifeblood of our company and represents more than 10 years of work and millions of dollars of investment.

 

[telis]

@voiptoys Many thanks for the comprehensive reply, you seem to have built an amazing business. I look forward to the documentation being released for your REST API.

 

[hogan71088]

There's many partners that would like to find out what the plan is with the REST api.

 

[VoIPTools]

@voiptoys Many thanks for the comprehensive reply, you seem to have built an amazing business. I look forward to the documentation being released for your REST API.

We released Swagger documentation today. There is more work to be done, but a huge improvement over what we had previously.

 

[telis]

We released Swagger documentation today. There is more work to be done, but a huge improvement over what we had previously.

Fantastic, just got back from holiday I'll have a look later in the week.