In this update:
- Introduction to Parminder Singh – UC Sales Engineer
- 3CX’s Latest Product News
- Yealink product updates
- Grandstream News
- CommBox product updates
- Fanvil product updates
- Jabra product updates
- Demo equipment
- 3CX Technical Certifications – August bookings nearly full
- Case studies – stories sell products!
- Join our LinkedIn UC community to see the news first
Introduction to Parminder Singh – UC Sales Engineer
Last month we welcomed Parminder Singh to our Bluechip team in the role of UC Sales Engineer. Parminder has years of experience working with SIP technologies and a great understanding of networking solutions. Parminder is learning all about our core brands in the UC Portfolio and already holds an impressive 7 certifications including his 3CX Advanced Technical Certification! We know Parminder is going to bring great value to our team and customers in his pre- and post-sales role.
Akhila Vushke has moved across to another role within our Bluechip team, and we thank her for the great assistance she provided to our customers while in the UC team and know she’ll be helping our ManageEngine customers moving forward.
3CX Latest Product News
Update 6 with the new reporting was the most anticipated release of 3CX v20 and it went live on the 27th of June local time in NZ! The release blog is found here and takes you through the core changes to the CDR and the new Grafana reporting templates.
IMPORTANT SSL CERTIFICATE DATE: Another key announcement was sent out via e-mail to all partners that all v20 instances need to be updated to update 6 final (20.0.6.724) prior to Friday 3rd October 2025. This update has the latest SSL certificate embedded within it – update 5 and below will no longer be able to talk to the 3CX Activation Server from 3rd October onwards.
Earlier this month, 3CX hosted a webinar to walk through this new and exciting functionality in update 6. The webinar was hosted by Greg Garrett, Community Manager along with Nicholas Borg, 3CX Product Manager. They recorded the session and have released it to YouTube. Jump to the blog here which has an embedded recording of the YouTube webinar. During the webinar the team walked through the features and also did some live demos. The webinar is just over half an hour and well worth a review!
A key thing to note, is that until a system moves to update 6 the new functions are not available, and the new data is only available from the date of update – the CDR tables change when updated but it does not retrospectively change the previous data. You’ll need to be patient for a few days/weeks to gather some data to start using the enhanced reporting options from update date onwards.
V20 Windows Softphone, iOS App, and Android App each on version 5.2 go live – last month we saw versions introduced for the key apps and 5.1 went live. During July we’ve had betas and now go live versions for 5.2.
- Windows Softphone 5.2 – blog announcement found here. This update introduces voicemail greeting configuration and a new “All Calls” tab, giving users quick access to their active, held, and parked calls in a single view.
- iOS App 5.1 – blog announcement found here. This version introduces full support for iOS 18.2, allowing users to select 3CX as the default calling and messaging application on iPhones.
- Android App 5.1 – blog announcement found here. This update delivers performance improvements for faster app loading and better responsiveness across the UI.
Upgrading to v20:
The EOL of v18 will become final very soon – the 31st August 2025 deadline is when the PUSH notifications for mobile apps and SSL certificates end, we’re now in the final month to get customers up to v20 without going offline.
Important reminders before upgrading to version 20 – if you do nothing else, please ensure that you read these two very important documents:
Upgrade from v18 to v20 Configuration Guide – this guide is kept up-to-date by 3CX and part of the Administration Manual.
Upgrade checklist & FAQ Blog – this was released in early January 2024 to cover all the important steps you must do before proceeding with an upgrade. Remember you’re moving from Debian 10 through to Debian 12 and there is no roll back from the upgrade. License keys move from being v18 to v20 keys as part of this process.
IMPORTANT – SET YOUR SYSTEM OWNER! We’ve had a few cases of customers locking themselves out during the upgrade process and new charges will be incurred if you need 3CX’s support teams help.
V18 went EOL at the end of 2024 and support is no longer available on this version. While v18 update 9b is still able to communicate with the 3CX Activation Servers that time is limited. V18 PUSH notifications were due to end by the end of April 2025, however 3CX has extended the PUSH notifications for iOS and Android until 31st August 2025.
Yealink Product News
The requirement for meeting rooms to be fitted continues to accelerate and Yealink has a solution for all spaces from small huddle to large Pro AV.
In the last couple of months, you’ve seen our updates on the new MeetingBoard Pro available in 65”, 75”, and 86”. We’ve also featured the A40 Android MeetingBar which is ideal for small to medium meeting spaces and we cannot keep up with demand!
This month, we’re excited to say that the A40’s big sibling the A50 has arrived in country! We have and have had some of the first stock to hit the country with more stock inbound to NZ. The A50 Android MeetingBar is designed for large meeting room spaces with up to 16 people and features some impressive specifications.
- Powered by a Qualcomm 8550 chip which boasts 50% more performance in CPU and over 10 times performance in AI processing compared to the previous generation chip.
- Boasts triple 50MP camera system which combines a wide-angle lens and two telephoto lenses to capture every voice, face, and detail—even in larger spaces.
- 4 stereo speakers and 16 MEMS mic with a 10-metre pickup range! That’s impressive.
- AI powered views – Intellifocus and Video Fence make for a great experience.
- Simple plug-n-play configuration in around 10 minutes!
- Configure for MTR, Zoom Room, or BYOD.
Check out Parminder’s video overview of these new features on YouTube here.
Do you want to know more? Reach our team on uc@bluechipit.co.nz.
Headset news: Yealink’s NFR promotion came to an end on the 30th June – if you do need to equip your team, please reach out to us on uc@bluechipit.co.nz and we’ll see how we can help. If your team use and love the headsets, it’s much easier to sell and support them for your own clients.
Grandstream news
Wi-Fi 7 is a key buzz these days as everyone looks to have faster access to data and with how technology moves, it’s always best to future proof new deployments.
Earlier this month, Grandstream unveiled their first Wi-Fi 7 tri-band model. The new GWN7672 is a powerful, enterprise-grade access point that provides speeds up to 11Gbps (BE11000) and supports up to 384 concurrent clients. With 2x 5-Gigabit Ethernet ports and support for advanced QoS, low-latency real-time applications, mesh networks, captive portals, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3, and more, the GWN7672 is an ideal Wi-Fi access point for demanding wireless network deployments with medium to high user density.
First stocks are now in NZ, and we have a demo unit available if you want to take it for a test drive!
You can check out Parminder’s blog at this link which covers what you need to know about the new Wi-Fi 7 tri-band and this unit.
If you’d like to know more about any of the Grandstream range – from SIP phones and facility access, to switches, routers and Access Points we can assist, reach our UC Team on uc@bluechipit.co.nz.
CommBox product updates
CommBox’s Commercial Displays are well known in the ANZ market. CommBox have solutions from Meeting Room Displays to Intelligent with Android on board, through to interactive and onwards to large format and LED. We can assist you to find the right solution for your needs.
If you’d like to know more about any of the CommBox family of products, reach out to us on uc@bluechipit.co.nz.
Fanvil product updates
Fanvil has a vast array of business SIP phones that meet many different customer requirements. For our 3CX partners many of the units can also act as a router phone (SBC onboard) option. There are limits of how many phones can connect via the various models, but these give a great option for customers with a Cloud hosted instance of 3CX. Last month we featured the V62 Pro unit with the Bluetooth wireless handset. Below are some of the most popular XU and V series units at present.
Jabra product updates
Jabra have you covered for all your headset requirements from wired; Bluetooth wireless; and DECT wireless options. They also have the fantastic video conferencing solutions available.
The Evolve2 Buds are commercial grade ear buds designed for business. It also meets the need of customers that prefer this style of “headset” vs a more traditional office headset. These units feature advanced Bluetooth multipoint technology allowing you to stay connected to all your calls. You can stay connected to your laptop and smartphone, with a handy notification if a call comes in on your mobile while you’re in a meeting on your laptop. You can switch, switch, and switch again. They are available in MS certified or UC options with USB-A or USB-C dongle for your PC.
If you’d like to know more about it or any of the Jabra offerings contact our team on uc@bluechipit.co.nz.
Demo equipment
3CX Technical Certifications – August Bookings nearly full!
The 3CX Basic and Advanced certifications have been updated for version 20! 3CX have now made the new v20 exams available to everyone that holds the v18 certs. You’ll see the “Take the Basic Exam” option at the top of your page again.
Be sure to prepare by visiting the Academy landing page and the Basic and Advanced pages. There are links to all the relevant guides. The current exams are accessible from your Partner Portal and/or your own personal login to the portal (create a login at this link and you can link it back to the Company Partner Portal via the “Company Users” menu). It is a requirement of the 3CX Partner Program that all 3CX Partners have at least one staff member fully technical certified – it’s recommended to have two.
The 3CX training preparation pages on their website are updated and you can access these at:
Our next training is coming up in August and will be delivered online. The dates are:
- Wednesday 13th August 9am to 4.30pm – 3CX Basic Certification Training and Exam – online
- Thursday 14th August 9am to 4.30pm – 3CX Advanced Certification Training and Exam – online
Case studies – stories sell products!
Join our LinkedIn UC community to see news first
