Update 2 Final: Search Across Contacts and Team Members

[Colorian92]

To All Those Complaining about the browser extension:

You had 2 months to prepare. Sorry but all you had to do was upgrade to v18 in that timeframe.

That is not correct. As I pointed out, it would have meant as well to contact our customers one by one and install the 3CX Desktop App instead of the extension, since the extension got replaced today and the dialer window disappeared as a consequence.

It wasn't as simple as a late night "click to update", if it was only that then we would have done it.

 

[Evolute IT]

That is not correct. As I pointed out, it would have meant as well to contact our customers one by one and install the 3CX Desktop App instead of the extension, since the extension got replaced and the dialer window disappeared.

It wasn't as simple as a late night "click to update".

Well, yes it would be if you trained your users accordingly.

We prepared a 2min docs that we sent to our customers regarding the upcoming updates and when we updated to v18, they switched apps without any issues.

Once again, all that could've been avoided by a little more communication with your clients as well as being proactive, instead of waiting of things to break.

 

[Colorian92]

Well, yes it would be if you trained your users accordingly.

We prepared a 2min docs that we sent to our customers regarding the upcoming updates and when we updated to v18, they switched apps without any issues.

Once again, all that could've been avoided by a little more communication with your clients as well as being proactive, instead of waiting of things to break.

I could copy your last line and repost it directed towards 3CX. But let's leave it at that. It's clear that there are many people surprised by this change that didn't see it coming. The way I, them or you communicate with our customers has little to do with that.

 

[Chris Waldie]

Return of the search is welcomed!

Is it possible to however get it to put internal extensions at the top of the list before contacts? We have to type the full name almost of the internet user to get them to show.

 

[Danvarii]

A little bit more clarification on the exact date of the change (today) would have been nice.
40% of our customers are on Chromebooks. All PBXes were already updated to v18 weeks ago.
We honestly did our due dilligence and preventive maintenance.

Today, all of a sudden, unannounced, all of their dialpads disappeard.
Now we have to scramble with multiple IT departments to swap the installed Chrome extension for the 'legacy' one. Only to find out that the newly released 'legacy' extension is only compatibile with the newly released Update 2.

So no matter how we spin this, we now need to insert emergency maintenance, during workinghours, to updates PBXes from v18u1 to V18u2. Just so that the call center agents can keep receiving call alerts.

Also we are still very unclear on what the future holds for Chromebook customers:
- What happens after June 2022 to Chromebook users?

 

[NickD_3CX]

What about users that use 3CX on MacOS ? They can't use the Windows Dekstop app and Click2Call not functioning in V18 like the old extension.

I'm glad you asked, that is precisely why we created the new plugin for Chrome or Edge, which work very similarly to the 'old' Browser Plugin (the one with the dialer). This can fill in until the Desktop App that is currently only for Windows, is also available for other platforms, like MacOS.

 

[rayotwin]

Well, yes it would be if you trained your users accordingly.

We prepared a 2min docs that we sent to our customers regarding the upcoming updates and when we updated to v18, they switched apps without any issues.

Once again, all that could've been avoided by a little more communication with your clients as well as being proactive, instead of waiting of things to break.

You clearly work with clients who only have 5 extensions or something. Complex customers with a couple of thousand users have allot more that needs to be tested. Upgrading these kind of customers takes months of preparations and meetings to align every aspect of the migration process. Phasing out the browser extension without communicating an effective date is a disaster. Therefore we can only request to restore the old extension as a separate plugin in the browser so we can finish the tests and preparation.

 

[Evolute IT]

You clearly work with clients who only have 5 extensions or something. Complex customers with a couple of thousand users have allot more that needs to be tested. Upgrading these kind of customers takes months of preparations and meetings to align every aspect of the migration process. Phasing out the browser extension without communicating an effective date is a disaster. Therefore we can only request to restore the old extension as a separate plugin in the browser so we can finish the tests and preparation.

There were betas before the v18 initial release. You had plenty of time. If you followed the blog, it was stated multiple time that the extension was gonna be deprecated and that was coming around Christmas.

Oh and we do have bigger customers, but our process of updates wasn't an issue. We tested during beta, and were ready to update once U1 was released (we always wait for the .1 version.)

 

[Rhys Haskell]

Why is it not possible to publish a link with the old extension as a stop gap?

 

[Evolute IT]

Why is it not possible to publish a link with the old extension as a stop gap?

There is the link in both the blog post and a couple post above this one too.

 

[Rhys Haskell]

There is the link in both the blog post and a couple post above this one too.

That works for V18 only not V16.

 

[Evolute IT]

That works for V18 only not V16.

Well, v16 is gonna be EOL eventually (probably soon) so just upgrade to v18? At this point, what difference does it make?

 

[ENCOM-GEFFRAY]

Before offering free hosting, on restricted machines and with poor firewalling capabilities. Start by not putting your integrators in trouble, by not breaking their park with uncontrolled updates. Today, all the V16 clients using the browser plugin are down because of your amateurism.

Since V16 and V18 will coexist for a few months, it is unthinkable not to maintain the plugin, and not to have published the click to call in a new plugin.

As a reminder, we were not able to upgrade our customer base to V18 insofar as this one, although offering many nice features, also offered some nice bugs, especially on the reports that our customers use on a daily basis.

Back off quickly, the situation is untenable.

We have more than 400 servers in service with thousands of users complaining!

@Nick Galea Help us please

 

[ChrisC_3CX]

@Danvarii

Also we are still very unclear on what the future holds for Chromebook customers:
- The legacy extension doesn't show a red bar, as discussed in the blog post. How to enable it?
- What happens after June 2022 to Chromebook users?

What @NickD_3CX mentioned here should work for Chromebooks too: https://www.3cx.com/community/threa...s-contacts-and-team-members.86335/post-407048

Completely remove the current extension, install the one from the link in the blog post, go to the webclient and you should see a red icon in the upper-left corner. Click on that to activate it.

 

[N_G]

The extension is used by all 3CX users, including both v18 and v16 users. The "old" extension didnt work well for v18 users so at some point we had to update so it works well for v18 users. Obviously we chose for the user base that stays current, but we still gave a 6 months head start to v16 users to either upgrade or prepare.

No, we will not make all our v18 users install the extension again just so v16 users can stay on the same version.

V16 users can continue using the Windows app, no issues. If you really must use the old extension, upgrade to v18 and then re install the old extension. It will be a stop gap solution until June 2022

In terms of chromebook support - chrome notifications shows a answer / reject button now.

In terms of communication - we explained it in a blog post some months ago. I would expect partners to follow our blog with important product releases. We are not going to email out every blog post, thats ridiculous.

 

[PJLN]

For those saying you had 2 months to upgrade, where did you communicate about this critical change affecting thousands of customers in a blog? please...

This is one of the basics of change in any IT framework, good communication. You have the email addresses of everyone that has bought a license from you, use that to communicate changes such as this not just to remind us that our license is about to expire.

Instead of arguing admit you did a horrible job at communicating and learn from it don't piss customers off cause that will backfire. If this is how you go about changing things it's time to consider other options.

 

[StefanW]

Why is it not possible to publish a link with the old extension as a stop gap?

In order for the "linking" between the WebClient and the Extension to work, the APP and WebClient need both to know the ID of the Extension. A republish under another ID would simply not work for this given reason.

 

[Evolute IT]

For those saying you had 2 months to upgrade, where did you communicate about this critical change affecting thousands of customers in a blog? please...

This is one of the basics of change in any IT framework, good communication. You have the email addresses of everyone that has bought a license from you, use that to communicate changes such as this not just to remind us that our license is about to expire.

Instead of arguing admit you did a horrible job at communicating and learn from it don't piss customers off cause that will backfire. If this is how you go about changing things it's time to consider other options.

Here, in October: https://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/chrome-edge-extensions-beta/

 

[PJLN]

Here, in October: https://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/chrome-edge-extensions-bet

So you think the best way to communicate critical changes is through your online blog?

 

[Evolute IT]

So you think the best way to communicate critical changes is through your online blog?

You get emails for the newsletter, and in the 3CX case, YES!

You have 1 thing to follow but yeah sure blame 3CX for not holding you by the hand to upgrade to v18 when YOU want.