Sweet Sixteen… 3CX v16 ALPHA

[neville]

Is there a way to auto mute participants when they join? I tested the new dial in and it work great, but the audio was active when I joined.

Everything is looking good so far.

Chuck

 

[[email protected]]

I love 3CX and by theway, congratulation for the new headquarters. Here are my comments on the ALPHA.

Good:
- Office 365 Integration (more and more companies use it) - nice to see that we can now sync users
- good to see that old contact-sync for exchange and public folders still exists
- central blocklist - again a little more security
- click2call is back and now finally a telephone dial-up is possible for the web conference - great
- cleaner backend
- more possibilities for the ivr
- some small enhancements for the webclient ui
- chat enhancements (emoticons, i dont need them but the most people love them; file sharing - great)
Missing: (i know it is an alpha, but this are the most important thing for me and my customers)
- BLF in webclient (come in the next alphe/beta, but with this https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/better-ui-for-blfs-queued-for-development.47363/)
- missing drag and drop for transfer or my idea, see https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...ts-more-touch-userfriendly.53672/#post-220073 (i will add a picture with my idea next days)
- Make successful backup-notifications as an option (https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...as-successful-alerts-just-if-they-fail.60604/)
- Set outbound caller id on outgoing rule (https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/ability-to-set-a-caller-id-for-outbound-calls.42840/)
- More BLF-Types, like DTMF, e.g. for doorbell systems (https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/more-blf-types-in-settings.58353/)
- More Provisioning options for phones like: internal/external caller ringtone, enable tls and srtp
- DATEV, TAPI, Outlook integraions for webclient (many business software do not support modern api)
Bad:
- Removing of CFD: It is a great feature. @nb said "The new scripting solution introduced is the standard the world uses". Really? For me it is a nice feature for quick an simple solutions, but the CFD is a really cool thing for complex solutions. And it is ok that it has a learning curve. I hope you do not remove thing cool stuff...how should i explain this to my customers...we can not update to v16 because all your CFD-Apps will not work anymore. We have a new scipt-based solution. We can migrate your CFDs to this scipts but have to create a lot of ivr, because an ivr can only play one prompt...we also can not use speech to text anymore and maybe some more problems. So please do not kill CFD.
- Call control API is not working (hope this is only because it is Alpha)
- If I use the webclient as "Chrome App" (create link) and i get a windows notification for a new chat for exsample and click on answer, a new chrome tab opens, but not the webclient on the "Chrome App"

So i am waiting for the next alpha or beta and really hope for let the CFD alive.

 

[TBWD]

Can we get some good examples (Complicated call routing type) of scripts to be used in the IVR?

+1

 

[tresearch]

@[email protected] I totally agree with your Bad points. If functionality is lost from the CFD we literally will need to find a new phone system. Program-ability is endlessly important for a proper PBX in any competent business. Your point regarding the call control API not working is even more worrying.

Also +1 to every single "Missing" bullet point from @[email protected] too.

I could see the new scripting solution being great if that meant the API has a slew of new methods available, opening up the possibility of full dialplan control. The ideal scenario is both though; an all encompassing API that the CFD makes use of visually.

 

[curtcar21]

We would like to understand more what you mean with this comment.

The web client looks cluttered with all those bubbles and frilly stuff going on. The windows client is clean and straight forward. Most if not all of our clients prefer the windows phone app as opposed to the webclient

 

[curtcar21]

Forgot to add drop and drag is very important. Doesn't seem available in webclient

 

[edossantos]

- DATEV, TAPI, Outlook integraions for webclient (many business software do not support modern api)

Please don't expect these integrations on the Web Client, because that's not possible. DATEV, TAPI and Outlook have COM interfaces, that means that you need a local Windows app to communicate with them, you can't do that from a browser.

 

[NeilSmith_UBT]

Some great new features coming on,

I agree with @[email protected] on outgoing caller ID in outbound rules - I have a customer that is needing this feature, at the moment the only way I can see easily to sort it is by adding multiple extensions per user one for each ID.

If the web client is being phased out will a solution to the older TAPI integration be provided or is it expected that the windows client will still be required to run in the background to perform these functions?

Re: the CFD - not a massive user of it but I have used it in very successfully one or two situations and it provides a very useful function and has great potential for the more advanced requirements, we can't lose this functionality. I may be thick, but I thought that the current CFD program effectively creates a script that is packaged up with the voice prompts for loading into the current call queue, is this not similar to the scripts that will be loaded into the IVR, surely the CFD program could be updated to output in this format rather than having to learn a programming language?

whatever happens I certainly feel that there needs to be an easy way to convert the existing packages into the new script method (and this should also be part of the automatic upgrade process) If this is not going to be possible then the current CFD function needs to remain usable until it can be easily transferred to the new method (please!!)

 

[dandenson]

I'm sad to not see any mention of OPUS.

I'm really hoping to see
*OPUS on all compatible phones, mainly yealink T4xS and T5x models that support it today and only need default templates updated to support it.
*SIP-TLS. I really need to use TCP for some connections which works with custom templates. Really hoping to see SIP-TLS (and SIP over TCP) in this release
*BLF in the mobile clients. It's *very* hard to support parked calls on mobile or portable devices.

 

[dandenson]

Also
*OPUS at lower bitrates. Would really love to see Opus-NB supported. This does NOT work today with custom templates, 3CX only 'speaks' Opus-WB 16khz

 

[N_G]

Thank you all for the great feedback! And thank you for the Xmas to do list info@matic-tec We we're wondering what we could do on our Xmas holiday but you have solved that problem!

But seriously, I will try to answer as many questions as possible. Many of the things you have raised are in the works for the release version or update 1/2. Here goes:

1. First off the CFD and Call API. We are well aware that programmability is key for larger installs and so we have set about to drastically improve this part of 3CX. We are working on a solution which will be infinitely more powerful, performant and integrated natively into the PBX. Finishing this will take at least another few months - its going to be worth the wait. Meanwhile you can use the new script IVR which allows you to script at least 90% of what the CFD could do. Furthermore of course you can use 15.5 as its fully up to date and supported.

2. In addition we want to create more configurability in the IVR and the queue so that many call scenarios can be done without any scripting at all.

> re CFD and API - please await a new post (we will try to do this before xmas, but more likely second week of January) and continue the discussion on that thread. Rest assured that scripting / programmability /API is a focus point for us. Meanwhile do feel free to prepare some things that you do with the CFD so that we can discuss those and show you how they can be done in the new solution.

3. Outbound caller ID - we are working on making this much more configurable (just like inbound caller ID) and should be out in an update soon after release.

4. Web client - Not in this alpha but in alpha 2 / beta 1 (hopefully out before xmas), you will see that we have added BLF configuration from the web client as well as a new switchboard view. We will also be working on a new compact view which allows you to replace the windows manager view.

5. Provisioning options including OPUS - Re Opus be aware that some yealink models dont reliably implement it, even if it says so on the brochure/website. We will be rechecking with newer firmwares but when we released OPUS support some phones had problems with it (it has to work across the board and interop with different phones). We did not disable it for fun.

> lets start a new thread about provisioning options.

6. I did not understand this comment "If I use the webclient as "Chrome App" (create link) and i get a windows notification for a new chat for example and click on answer, a new chrome tab opens, but not the webclient on the "Chrome App" - Let us know as we are working to improve usability of web client and also considering a chrome extension.

7. TAPI will remain available for windows client but you really should look for modern solutions that implement a REST Web API because this dinosaur technology will go away at some point.

I hope this helps!

 

[clarityscg]

The queue manager from client is not present on new version client. It's a bug or it's supposed to be this way?

I too noticed both the "Manager," "Receptionist," and "Q-Manager" ability in 3CXPhone is gone. I believe this to be an important feature. Our clients (and us) use this all of the time. Is this simply the alpha or is this the plan.

 

[clarityscg]

Thank @Marari @jmstw18 @florink for the heads up! A specific post about office 365 integration is coming soon

@giaol - do you mean queue manager view in windows client? its being moved to the webclient and will be in alpha/beta 2
@safemode - BLF config from web client coming in alpha/beta 2, its being tested as we speak
@plochu - voice apps. Do you mean iOS and Android apps? you can use same ones as for v15.5

Nick - very nice job. Please do not kill 3CXPhone Client. Web client is very nice but I still prefer and have customers that will prefer to use 3CXPhone and not the eb client.

 

[dandenson]

@Nick Galea great info. Can you expand on this at all?
"5. Provisioning options including OPUS - Re Opus be aware that some yealink models dont reliably implement it, even if it says so on the brochure/website. We will be rechecking with newer firmwares but when we released OPUS support some phones had problems with it (it has to work across the board and interop with different phones). We did not disable it for fun."

Which phones are we talking about here? This would be excellent information to have out there because it may affect buying decisions. ie, if T46S can't do reliable opus but T52/4S doesn, then that would steer the purchase towards the T5x phones.

I have mostly T48S and T46S phones out there (well, a bunch of pre-S too but...) and I've had solid luck with them and opus on other platforms.


Also, can comment you're able to make on enabling TCP on these phone templates?

 

[N_G]

@Nick Galea great info. Can you expand on this at all?
"5. Provisioning options including OPUS - Re Opus be aware that some yealink models dont reliably implement it, even if it says so on the brochure/website. We will be rechecking with newer firmwares but when we released OPUS support some phones had problems with it (it has to work across the board and interop with different phones). We did not disable it for fun."

Which phones are we talking about here? This would be excellent information to have out there because it may affect buying decisions. ie, if T46S can't do reliable opus but T52/4S doesn, then that would steer the purchase towards the T5x phones.

I have mostly T48S and T46S phones out there (well, a bunch of pre-S too but...) and I've had solid luck with them and opus on other platforms.


Also, can comment you're able to make on enabling TCP on these phone templates?

Thank you for your feedback - i will ask for more info and have my colleague reply in more detail. But overall i can say that probably Yealink will fix issues and release a new firmware. So it does not have to affect your buying decision.

All i want to point out is that sometimes we have to wait for phone firmwares to be fixed before we can publish a feature - which means in many cases our hands are tied. We do A LOT of testing and bug fixing on the firmwares with the IP phone vendors. They rarely - actually correct word is never - come to us bug free. This is why "our" firmwares take longer to be released to the 3CX user base. We have to test it on all the different models, which often have different firmwares and then we also have to ensure they are compatible with each other - otherwise there will be problems in the field.

 

[CodeTwo]

Will you add ability to record only incoming queue calls in v16? This is the most wanted feature for me.

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you all for the great feedback! And thank you for the Xmas to do list info@matic-tec We we're wondering what we could do on our Xmas holiday but you have solved that problem!

But seriously, I will try to answer as many questions as possible. Many of the things you have raised are in the works for the release version or update 1/2. Here goes:

1. First off the CFD and Call API. We are well aware that programmability is key for larger installs and so we have set about to drastically improve this part of 3CX. We are working on a solution which will be infinitely more powerful, performant and integrated natively into the PBX. Finishing this will take at least another few months - its going to be worth the wait. Meanwhile you can use the new script IVR which allows you to script at least 90% of what the CFD could do. Furthermore of course you can use 15.5 as its fully up to date and supported.

2. In addition we want to create more configurability in the IVR and the queue so that many call scenarios can be done without any scripting at all.

> re CFD and API - please await a new post (we will try to do this before xmas, but more likely second week of January) and continue the discussion on that thread. Rest assured that scripting / programmability /API is a focus point for us. Meanwhile do feel free to prepare some things that you do with the CFD so that we can discuss those and show you how they can be done in the new solution.

3. Outbound caller ID - we are working on making this much more configurable (just like inbound caller ID) and should be out in an update soon after release.

4. Web client - Not in this alpha but in alpha 2 / beta 1 (hopefully out before xmas), you will see that we have added BLF configuration from the web client as well as a new switchboard view. We will also be working on a new compact view which allows you to replace the windows manager view.

5. Provisioning options including OPUS - Re Opus be aware that some yealink models dont reliably implement it, even if it says so on the brochure/website. We will be rechecking with newer firmwares but when we released OPUS support some phones had problems with it (it has to work across the board and interop with different phones). We did not disable it for fun.

> lets start a new thread about provisioning options.

6. I did not understand this comment "If I use the webclient as "Chrome App" (create link) and i get a windows notification for a new chat for example and click on answer, a new chrome tab opens, but not the webclient on the "Chrome App" - Let us know as we are working to improve usability of web client and also considering a chrome extension.

7. TAPI will remain available for windows client but you really should look for modern solutions that implement a REST Web API because this dinosaur technology will go away at some point.

I hope this helps!

Oh no...next time i will wait until after xmas ;-) Sorry to the 3CX team.

1) +1 This is something you can tell to your customers.
2) +1 We will post a CFD in the next few days.
3) +1
4) +1 Another idea from one of our customer. For "(Individual) Quick Dial" make it possible to choose contacts from compnay/extension phonebook.
5) For many scenarios we still use G711 because our customers says this is the best quality. Also many VoIP providers prefer this codec.
6) Sorry. I will try to make some screenshot next days.
7) Yes. I understand the problem, but a lot of industry software will take many years to get up to date APIs. Perhaps a chrome extension is neccessary to provide a solution.

For me the webclient is the right way, because you do not need to deploy software. Every client is always up to date. We have a nice UI and if you make a chrome link to the desktop, it feels like an native app. We use Office 365 intergration a do not need TAPI or the other integrations. But I think 3CX should support the "old/legacy" way for another year.

 

[neville]

I noticed that recording has gone away in Standard? I assume this is part of the new licensing.

When will we see something that will let us know what functionality is going away or added for each version?

I am reluctant to even renew maintenance on any standard's I have until I have more information. I would hate to spend money and then lose a feature that client use.

Example is a wrecker company that auto records all calls to their dispatch. It is in their V15.5 8SC standard perpetual but is missing on the V16 alpha I am testing in my lab.

 

[craigreilly]

I noticed that recording has gone away in Standard? I assume this is part of the new licensing.

When I click on Recordings from the 3cx Dashboard in 16 - it tells a good story...

"Feature available only in 3CX PBX Professional and 3CX PBX Enterprise Edition"

 

[neville]

You are correct. I know this is alpha still in the works, and that the new feature list is not out. However, it is worrisome, for myself and others, that are supporting multiple clients. We need to have a little idea what is coming in the final release. Without this, we are just stumbling around and finding things in the alpha release.

Without the recordings feature, I would never upgrade to V16 for clients unless we get a free upgrade to PRO to handle features that we now have access to, paid for and pay maintenance for.

But, I will wait until the final is out or some accouncement is made before making any decisions.