In this update:
- 3CX v18 update 5 is live
- 3CX iOS and Android apps updated
- 3CX and Raspberry Pi4
- Upcoming Webinar – 3CX latest updates
- Grandstream’s WP825 ruggedised portable WiFi phone
- Grandstream expands GWN range
- Grandstream GWN Access Points
- VoIP Hardware NFRs – Yealink or Grandstream
- New VoIP resources from Soft Solutions
- Yealink promotions
- 3CX partnership
- Need demo equipment?
- Submit a great 3CX case study
- Firmware for IP phones
- Join our LinkedIn VoIP community
3CX v18 update 5 is live
Update 5 for 3CX has just gone live – the key addition is the WhatsApp integration. There are SMS changes but not yet any NZ providers for this service. Movement of key management out of the Management Console and on to the WebClient for staff with Admin Rights.
As there were two Alpha releases, then two Beta releases, and a Release Candidate prior to going live it’s important to check each of the blogs for changes that occurred through the development process until go live. You can find the links below:
- Alpha 1 – released July 29th – this is the first look at WhatsApp integration and configuration of LiveChat moving to the WebClient for those with Admin privileges. Read the full release information here.
- Alpha 2 – released August 8th – important improvements for the WhatsApp integration and more detailed information on who can make alterations to LiveChat and the settings that users require. See the blog at this link.
- Beta 1 – released August 12th – a first look at the enhancements to Live Chat with customisations able to be made from within the WebClient by those with the correct privileges. WhatsApp is integrating into StartUP as well as this continues to gain features. See the full details here.
- Beta 2 – released September 6th – WhatsApp and SMS are the main focus but key changes to the Admin Rights for selected users with these features moving from the Management Console on to the WebClient. Read the full info here.
- Release Candidate – released September 14th – template updates and fixes prior to release. Full details at this link.
- General Release – released September 19th – the final release with WhatsApp integration, new SMS integration (not yet available for NZ) and LiveChat customisations and improvements. Android and iOS apps now only connect to v18. Some changes to EOL IP phones configuration were added to the general release – see full models on the blog as this may affect customers with hardware on sight. For the full release visit here.
- Hot fix – on September 21st 3CX issued a hotfix for an intermittent issue with WhatsApp integration – the update does not affect the PBX but important to install and be up to date. You can read the blog here.
In the documentation for update 5 Alpha 2, near the end a few key things were noted – it’s important to highlight these. These key things were:
- The Instance Manager is removed at update 5, this was foreshadowed in the roadmap announcement.
- They intend to deprecate Facebook support at update 6 Alpha in favour of WhatsApp, but once Facebook updates their API to work like WhatsApp it may be added back in. More on this is in this blog.
- The old messaging implementation will be removed in update 6, when upgrading to update 5 (once it’s live), you will need to delete customers previous configurations and redo in the new improved and simplified way.
- MS Teams integration support is now in maintenance mode – there are no plans for new updates to the Teams feature in favour of SIP gateway. More information will follow when we have it, but this is a shift and should be noted.
If you have any queries, reach out to us on voip@sofsol.co.nz.
3CX iOS and Android apps updated
We very quickly saw beta releases and live releases of new iOS and Android apps between the update 5 release candidate and update 5 general availability. This integrates the WhatsApp messaging into the apps along with optimisations for updated iOS 16 for the iOS version. There is key information in the beta blogs and the live blogs so we’re providing all links here:
- iOS beta app – released September 15th – view here
- iOS official release – released September 19th – view here
- Android beta app – released September 15th – view here
- Android official release – released September 19th – view here
The apps are now only compatible with 3CX v18 – the apps no longer work for previous editions of 3CX.
3CX and Raspberry Pi4
On September 13th, 3CX announced via a blog found here that they are removing support for on-prem deployments of 3CX on the Raspberry Pi4 devices. On-prem deployments on the Raspberry Pi4 for v18 can only update to update 2 and we’re now at update 5. Customers will need to migrate to another platform for hosting. Options include Hosted by 3CX or StartUP (still in beta) for cloud hosting and re-configuring the Raspberry Pi4 device as the SBC or looking to migrate to a NUC.
They’ve also mentioned in the blog that support for the SBC running on the Raspberry Pi4 is still supported for now, but they are looking at changes in the future.
If you need help with discussing options for migrating your customers, please reach out to us on voip@sofsol.co.nz so we can work through the options that will work best for your customers.
Upcoming Webinar – 3CX latest updates
Join Megan Twentyman (Brand Manager) and Anisha Mohammed (Technical Specialist) tomorrow, Thursday 29th September, at 11.30am for a 3CX Webinar to review the latest updates for v18 and recent announcements. We want to keep you updated with the important changes that are occurring. We look forward to you joining us – please register for your spot here.
Grandstream’s WP825 ruggedised portable WiFi phone
This month Grandstream unveiled the newest model of their popular portable WiFi handset range. The WP825 is a ruggedised unit. It features being IP67 Rated, waterproof, dust-proof, cleaning chemical resistant, anti-microbial casing and 2.5m drop safe. It also has a unified firmware with the WP810 and WP822 phones meaning the template for easy configuration with 3CX is already available. (NB: The Grandstream provided template is not supported by 3CX – if you need to discuss more please contact us.) The first units have come into stock and have flown out the door – we’re awaiting our second consignment next month so don’t delay, pre-order in advance. We do have a demo unit available for loan but there is a wait at present as it’s proving so popular. For more information, reach out to us today at voip@sofsol.co.nz.
Grandstream expands GWN range
New GWN Routers have just been announced and first stocks are due mid to late October. The GWN7052 and GWN7062 dual-band Wi-Fi routers are perfect to support secure and robust connections for residential and small office deployments. Secure management from GWN.Cloud and a standard 3-year warranty for both units. They both support Mesh networking with Grandstream access points to provide easy network expansion.
The GWN7264 in-wall Access Point is the most recent addition to the range, and first stocks are due any day. This is a WiFi 5 unit featuring 4×4:4 MU-MIMO technology on the 5G band and 2×2:2 MU-MIMO on the 2.4G band.
Reach out for more detailed product specifications on these or any of the range – voip@sofsol.co.nz.
Grandstream GWN Access Points
Grandstream has released a great blog article looking at their entire GWN Access Point range. There are some great tips on looking for the right AP for your customer along with Grandstream’s key features and differentiators. An easy Indoor and Outdoor comparison chart so you can see the full range at a glance – Grandstream have both WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 units available. And don’t forget they recently announced that all AP’s come with a standard 3-year warranty.
VoIP Hardware NFRs – Yealink or Grandstream
If you need to equip your team or office with hardware, reach out to Megan (megan@sofsol.co.nz) to find out what is available and the special pricing we can offer. Limits do apply and the NFRs must be for inhouse use and not on sold to customers.
New VoIP resources from Soft Solutions
We’re working hard to provide additional resources around VoIP. This includes recordings of our popular monthly bite-size webinars as well as reviews of popular equipment as we put it through its paces. If you’ve missed anything recently, links are below for you to review over a morning or afternoon coffee:
- 3CX Meeting with Yealink UVC40+BYOD Meeting Unit – in this blog Anisha walks through how 3CX Meeting can be utilised with team members for a small to medium meeting room configuration. The blog has key information found here which also links to Anisha’s video review found on our YouTube page here.
- Yealink A20 Teams Build with CTP18 Touchscreen plus VCH51 Sharing Box – in this video Anisha unpacks the popular meeting bar for small huddle spaces. This unit is designed for a MS Teams Room environment and is popular at present as it has a hot special coming with the VCH51 Sharing Box. Check out the video here.
- Webinar – Portable phone technology – in this Webinar we look at the different types of technology available for portable phones. Does your customer need single-cell DECT, multi-cell DECT or portable WiFi? Maybe it’s a combination of both. Check out the video here to learn more and feel free to reach out to us on voip@sofsol.co.nz for a consultative conversation to assist you further.
- Webinar: Call4Tell NX32 Lite Devices – we’ve recently signed a distribution agreement with Cal4Care to distribute their Call4Tell NX32 Lite devices. These can run 3CX on-prem or be run as a SBC unit. They come pre-loaded with 3CX and the SBC and have a simple user interface to switch between options. Catch the webinar at this link.
Yealink promotions
Q3 is almost at a close, but we’re pleased to advise some promotions are continuing or are added for Q4. You can view the full flyer of promotions at this link and we highlight these in our Weekly Newsletter Promotions section each week.
- MVC840 MS Teams Large Room Systems – special bundles offer a significant saving to customers – must order by 16th December 2022 to ensure delivery prior to Christmas:
- Bundle 1 = 1 x UVC84 12X USB PTZ 4K Camera, 1 x MCore Mini-PC, 1 x MTouch II, 1 x VCM38 Ceiling Mic, 1 x MSPEAKER II Soundbar.
- Bundle 2 = 1X UVC84 USB 4K CAMERA MCore Kit (Mcore mini-PC & Mtouch II) 1x WPP20 2x VCM34 Mic 1x Mspeaker II 1x POE Switch, 1x VCM38 and 1x RoomPanel RoomSensor.
- Room Panel for Teams or Zoom – special pricing applies until 16th December on this fabulous panel to show if a room is available or not. Designed of course to integrate with your Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms system.
- UH34 and UH36 USB Headset bundles – buy 5 and receive 6 – special bundle SKUs apply. Extended to 16th December 2022.
- A30 and A20 MS Teams meeting bars with CTP18 touch panel – special pricing plus a free VCH51 sharing box – extended to 16th December 2022.
- Deal registration of MTR opportunities – receive a $20 Uber Eats voucher for registering a deal and a further $30 Uber Eats voucher when you close the deal and order!
- Yealink NFR programme – reach out to megan@sofsol.co.nz for options.
- Yealink Academy – training for sales and technical team members. Complete a certification and share on LinkedIn, tag us in and we’ll arrange a spot prize! Get bragging rights to being one of the first in NZ to complete – will it be you?
For any questions, reach out to our sales@sofsol.co.nz team.
3CX partnership
If you’re not a 3CX partner, now is a great time to explore how effective the 3CX IP PBX unified communication platform is. We’re sure it will fit several of your clients’ requirements – with options for Cloud hosted / on-prem and Linux / Windows installations, it’s highly flexible. 3CX have recently updated their website but a great overview is straight on their landing page at 3cx.com. To chat around becoming a partner and what 3CX’s expectations are, please reach out to our VoIP Brand Manager Megan Twentyman. Or if you’re ready to sign up – use this specific link. Soft Solutions will help speed up your application.
Need demo equipment?
Just a reminder that we operate quite an extensive range of Grandstream and Yealink demo equipment. Borrow a device to put it through its paces, or for a client event to showcase. We also have access to EPOS-Sennheiser and Jabra headsets. If you have a requirement, please reach out to megan@sofsol.co.nz and she’ll be happy to assist.
Submit a great 3CX case study
Would you like a lunch shout on Soft Solutions? We want local NZ stories of 3CX in action. We’ll get a good story out, featuring your skilful team. You can also use it for your own marketing. No story is too big or small – it’s about your customer’s success and a unique angle on how 3CX has solved their challenges. We have a simple questionnaire you can work through with your customer. 3CX’s marketing team will also consider stories around larger deployments but we’ll work on localised NZ content. It’s a great reason to touch base with your customer and ensure their 3CX is working as it should be. You can also check if they need a larger license or extra hardware. Propose a case study for consideration and we’ll arrange a treat for your next team lunch. Reach out to our VoIP Brand Manager Megan Twentyman. We’ll make the process painless and treat your team!
Firmware for IP phones
Remember it is vital to keep checking for updated firmware, for your VoIP hardware. Grandstream and Yealink release new firmware as it is developed. The firmware is available free of charge from their respective websites. It does take some time for 3CX to verify new firmware so be sure to check the latest supported firmware that 3CX advises you to use. This is found on the 3CX website here. If you are ever trouble-shooting any issue with 3CX, the first thing they will check is whether your hardware has the supported firmware version. Now is a great time to ensure everything is up-to-date and working optimally.
Join our LinkedIn VoIP community
Our “Soft Solutions NZ VoIP Community” group has been created so our customers get all the latest news quickly. We post regularly and welcome new members to the group. Keep up to date with upcoming Soft Solutions events, VoIP updates and any other general VoIP news. Join the LinkedIn group here.
Thank you for reading.
The VoIP Team at Soft Solutions
Phone: 09 306 0450, Freephone: 0800 733 233, E-mail: voip@sofsol.co.nz.
