V18 Release Candidate 2 Now Available

[N_G]

Fine tuning v18 for its final release! This RC2 includes important fixes and improvements to the Web Client and Windows Desktop App, among others.

Client improvements​

We improved the usability of the 3CX client in some key areas.

• The dial pad icon now at the top, has a handset icon - indicates that the user should cli...

Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

 

[Evolute IT]

That new Teams Dialplan is something else But it works great!

 

[Stephen Quam]

This is a great update. Glad that the caller id issue from teams is fixed.

 

[SteveITS]

Our v16.0.8.9 server is still offering "Version 18 Alpha (Includes OS upgrade from Debian 9 to 10)"...will that install RC2 or does it need to do that first and upgrade in order?

 

[Stephen Quam]

Our v16.0.8.9 server is still offering "Version 18 Alpha (Includes OS upgrade from Debian 9 to 10)"...will that install RC2 or does it need to do that first and upgrade in order?

If it is like the other ones, it will take you straight to the current beta. Going from 16 to 18 can take a while.

 

[Bolz IT]

What about the issue with "all contacts" not showing all the contacts?

 

[Constantinos Constantinou]

@Bolz IT yes on RC2 on Contacts > All Contacts you will get the full set of contacts.

 

[Evolute IT]

@Bolz IT yes on RC2 on Contacts > All Contacts you will get the full set of contacts.

But not the CRM ones? I don't see those in All Contacts.

 

[Phone systems NZ]

I would really like the global search bar to come back before the final release comes out.

I personally use it a lot and I'm sure my customers do as well. It's so simply and quick to make a call with it and I really like how it pop's up the dialler when you start the call.

With it removed I'm sure I'm going to get calls from my customers asking where it has gone and how do they now search for a contact and make a call, which I would very much like to avoid. If it is possible to add it back in please do so as this will make the transition to the new version / client much easier for all our end users.

Thanks.

 

[SteveITS]

it will take you straight to the current beta. Going from 16 to 18 can take a while.

It did, despite the verbiage. Painless, and took about 9 minutes. Thanks.

 

[N_G]

@Phone systems NZ Its very easy to make a call. Instead of clicking in the old search bar, click on the handset icon and you can immediately type name or number and it will search just like the old search bar. Hit enter and a call is made immediately. No extra clicks involved because you had to click on the search bar to give it focus. So same thing exactly.

 

[N_G]

But not the CRM ones? I don't see those in All Contacts.

No, although we will add more advanced filtering options. But generally companies dont want all CRM contacts displayed for security reasons but you can still search of course.

 

[Phone systems NZ]

@Phone systems NZ Its very easy to make a call. Instead of clicking in the old search bar, click on the handset icon and you can immediately type name or number and it will search just like the old search bar. Hit enter and a call is made immediately. No extra clicks involved because you had to click on the search bar to give it focus. So same thing exactly. Now please stop asking again and again.

Thanks for your reply Nick.

The new way will be fine for all the new customers I sell to as I will show them during training.

I was just asking as it would have helped with transitioning all the existing customers over to version 18 without having to point to much out to them or running any update training sessions.
Some end users are not tech savvy and evey though it seems easy to technically minded people it may not be to them.

I do like all the improvements and new features in version 18 so please don't think I'm being negative as I'm not. The new things like teams integration is going to open up some nice sales opertinutes for my company.

Sorry if my wording or question upset you as that is not my intention. (Message received and I won't ask for the feateature again)

Thanks

 

[JohnMooreCC]

Hi

Is there any reason why you have to click on the three dots to see extra options down the left hand side? Can you not just see everything your entitled to in the black area? Its just ease of use for the end user.

And although it has been asked time and again, having to click the phone icon to open the dialler to then search is a longer way of calling when a search bar in the actual APP would be quicker? But if its gone its gone.

Ringtone and individual volume in the volume mixer is also needed as you know already.

 

[GarrettL]

Will we have the ability to deploy self hosted instances of v18 via the partner portal once the GA release hits? I noticed it still errors and I did see a screenshot from a post that DigitalOcean is added to the self-host list which would be great news. We’ve been waiting since January for this to start rolling out to the DO marketplace or via the partner portal and move customers out of AWS and Vultr.

 

[BasRa]

Excellent work on the V18 release and incremental updates. I'm a new customer and really impressed by the solution you're offering.

From my experience, 2 items of constructive feedback:

• UX wise I would also recommend highly moving 'Contacts' and 'Voicemail' back to the left menu column (since on normal FullHD monitor resolution there is plenty of space, even with the client windowed) Especially Voicemails since it would be vital to see it with the number badge showing count of new VM messages.
  I noticed the three dots turn from grey to blue when there's VM notifications hidden away behind it, but that subtle change of color isn't something the end-user will notice. We use email to alert end-users of new VM but still that's a one-time reminder. Having the VM badge visible (I even prefer it in RED) will continuously draw attention that they must open and listen to it.
  
  
• I know it's been raised at lengths but still wanted to also voice this - I too do understand that removing the global search bar, and replacing it with search inside the dialer, will be less effective overall (even if mouse click count remains the same). People are just are simply used to having a search bar sitting in front of them somewhere on-screen, and be able to start their action from there, that's UX experience introduced by Microsoft / Google etc, simply imprinted on all of us.

Thanks for a great product, I love the V18 Windows Desktop Client so much over the old V16 client - huge improvements were made.

 

[N_G]

@Phone systems NZ - Thank you for your feedback - it is appreciated. I do understand the search bar can be handy but in the windows app (in the way envisaged) it will simply not fit at the top. We plan to make the search bar, currently at the top of people, the global search bar. Its there and already searches in people, we just need to add contacts to it and the dial number functionality.



@JohnMooreCC Its not a longer way, its the same number of clicks actually....

@BasRa , @JohnMooreCC I would say in regards to UX design its cleaner to have the most important options in the left side. Contacts and VoiceMail are not used as much (you would manage your contacts from CRM or 365) but in any case our plan is to merge contacts into People and VoiceMail into Calls. If we make a comparison with Teams as you did then you will see our left bar is almost identical.... Teams also does not inundate users with options on the left. THis is much easier to understand for new users.

@danielogne No i would stop provisioning it. If its for the click to call numbers this will be resolved soon. Any case extension uses an API which will be deprecated by Google in next few months (no exact dates given)

@GarrettL Yes we are working to release the new v2 PBXdeploy module which will support Digital Ocean with an account managed by yourself. You will basically get 3CX hosted under your own account. Maybe a month or so to get this done.

 

[MichaelB_3CX]

@Trust9 yes this is something which we will include in V18 Update 1.

 

[Digital-Stewards]

too bad MS Teams is only available in the ENT editions

 

[Gbot@Okam]

Hi
Is there a slice of hope to be able to manage the attribution of the number of extension using the office 365 syncing ?
Thanks for the great job achieved in v18 by the way !