It's Official, Microsoft Response Point on Auto-PilotWednesday, July 01. 2009![]() In a recent post I discussed growing industry concerns that Microsoft was downsizing efforts for its Response Point Phone System software, and further development of the SOHO Phone System was in question. Well, following a Microsoft Town Hall meeting this week - it's official, Response Point will no longer be developed - meaning no new major releases are forthcoming. A small team will stay in place to maintain the product however, and bug fixes and some potential features may find their way into the Response Point software. Microsoft's Response Point Software runs on embedded Windows XP, which is largely why the system is perceived as easy to set up and configure. 3CX Phone System however is a much better alternative as it actually runs on regular Windows flavors, is rapidly developed, and can reside and talk to the computers and applications that you already own. Here are the finer points of the Microsoft Town Hall Meeting announcement wrt Response Point: Response Point Project Update MailFlow and 3CX a Hit at Internet Retailer!Tuesday, June 23. 2009
Essentially, MailFlow can be described as an email PBX that is used by customer service departments. It is especially useful for organizations that are using email for a customer, vendor, or partner contact point. For a few more details - see the following blog post from the recent 3CX Boot Camp that Deerfield participated in. If you are interested in previewing the new MailFlow and 3CX solution, or becoming a Deerfield reseller - send an email to sales at deerfield.com, or call 989-732-8856 3CX Offers Online Phone System Training CourseFriday, June 19. 2009![]() In an effort to further reduce the barrier of deploying a VoIP IP PBX, 3CX has announced the immediate availability of their free online training course. This training consists of a series of video tutorials, which will take you through setup, configuration and maintenance of 3CX Phone System. The 3CX training will benefit both reseller partners, and end user customers looking to deploy 3CX into a production environment. This move propels 3CX to the front runner position as the easiest IP PBX to install, configure, and maintain. Once users have completed the training course, they can elect to complete the certification test to further validate their understanding of the 3CX Phone System by becoming 3CX Certified. Chicago: 3CX Boot Camp a SuccessMonday, June 15. 2009
Of particular interest - Deerfield's Mike Ryan, Product Manager showed a preview of the new integration between 3CX and VisNetic MailFlow, which is an on-premise, web-driven email "PBX" used for customer service. By utilizing the new 3CX CRM integration, Deerfield created a plug-in that allows for integration between VisNetic MailFlow and 3CX. While using VisNetic MailFlow with the 3CX CRM plug-in, users are able to received a pop-up screen on their computer (when an incoming call comes into their phone) that displays contact information about the caller from the MailFlow database. Users can instantly view the contact history of the caller by simply selecting a link; both phone and email correspondence - while also creating a new "note" for the contact during the current call which will time/date stamp and record the duration of the conversation. Typed notes recapping the call can also be stored in the note which than can be later viewed by any user with the proper credentials with a few clicks of the mouse. In a later post - I'll detail the 3CX/MailFlow integration, but you can also get a look at it yourself by contacting Deerfield Sales here. Reminder: 3CX Channel Partner Training in Chicago Tuesday, June 9th 2009Thursday, June 04. 2009We are anticipating a very successful 3CX partner meeting next week in Chicago! We are expecting roughly 40 companies will be represented and about 65 attendees. In addition to the training opportunity there are going to be some great giveaways by 3CX Distributors - including SIP phones by Aastra and SNOM (Courtesy 888VoipStore), Sangoma VoIP Gateway adapters (courtesy Sotel), VisNetic MailFlow Software (Courtesy Deerfield.com), and a VoiceGear Skype Gateway (Courtesy Deerfield.com)! There's still time to register - but hurry! Register by clicking here. The meeting will be focused heavily on technical training with sales pointers sprinkled in throughout the day. We want to inform you there has been a change in the schedule regarding presentations. Unfortunately, Nick Galea, CEO and Founder of 3CX is not able to attend this year’s partner meeting but sends along his wishes for a most profitable meeting. Nick’s presentation, the 3CX Roadmap, will be presented by Brian Conway, 3CX Channel Manager. Also, Mike Ryan, representing Deerfield.com will conduct a short 10 minute presentation showing the new CRM integration between 3CX and VisNetic Mailflow - Deerfield's Email Customer Service solution. Mike Harris, from Worksighted, will be conducting the technical training endorsed by 3CX. Mike has been extremely successful deploying 3CX throughout the world and is a Premium 3CX partner. 3CX would like to invite you to a Monday evening get together at the Fairmont Hotel next to the Microsoft Training Center for an informal meet and greet time. Please join us at the Aria Bar and Restaurant on the first floor of the Fairmont Hotel at 7:30 PM if you are able to join us.We look forward to seeing you next week! New Prompt Sets for 3CX Available TodayThursday, June 04. 2009
The following language prompsets are new or updated and are available today: Out With the Old, In With the New!Tuesday, June 02. 2009My son Tyler (who is home for a few weeks from college) and I actually removed it ourselves. I wanted to use it as a training opportunity for him. I must be a complete geek because I want to show him how much advantage there is to open systems running on Windows vs. proprietary hardware. He and I have had these conversations many times wrt Xbox and PlayStation, etc. This was an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and have at it firsthand. During the process, it really hit home to me today how much more space efficient, less complicated and less expensive our 3CX Phone System (that replaced the Nortel) is. It's almost unbelievable, no wonder Nortel are in bankruptcy! lol .. I have attached some pictures of the old system to the blog - and I think you'd have to agree. All of this hardware (each module has it's own separate power supply) was replaced by a single rack-mount computer running Windows, a Patton VoIP Gateway, a POE Switch, and an FXS Gateway. Since the old Nortel System cost somewhere around 30K just for the grey boxes, plus phones @ 300+ each, and various ATA's etc., I estimate that we replaced this system for 1/10 of its original cost - and we have a system that integrates to our back-end messaging systems, provides unified messaging and remote extensions, along with a host of other features that the old system did not provide. Not to mention the the reduced power consumption and conservation of raw materials used to make all of those gray chassis, etc. Certainly a much "Greener" solution. On top of all of this - I also found the folder with our service contract agreements, which ran about 2,500-3,500 per year. An adequately configured 3CX system can for the most part be administered internally, and maybe a few hundred dollars a year for support and upgrade insurance. So. Goodbye old TDM key system - you've served us well, but your time has come... and gone! Continue reading "Out With the Old, In With the New!" Sangoma Ships First Inside-the-Server VoIP Gateway That Supports Both Analog and Digital CardsMonday, June 01. 2009-Application Vendors Leverage NetBorder Express 2.0 To Use Sangoma Interface Cards on a Windows Platform- TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 1, 2009) - Sangoma(R) Technologies Corporation (TSX VENTURE:STC) today announced that the new release of its NetBorder VoIP Gateway Cards, which is first on the market to support both analog and digital interfaces, is now shipping. Providers expect great demand for NetBorder Express 2.0 in broad markets. Aside from supporting analog cards, NetBorder Express 2.0 adds a powerful Web interface that takes care of installation, configuration, and SIP to TDM gateway management. Customizable tone processing features, and the new management console, all add up to lower-cost, easier deployments for developers and end users. NetBorder Express 2.0-based solutions are unique because the card can reside in the same server as the developer's application, so SIP-based PBX resellers can package single-box solutions with an internal gateway. End users with limited VoIP expertise can still implement VoIP gateway functionality. Early adopter 3CX, an award-winning SIP-based PBX provider, eagerly awaited the upgrade because NetBorder Express 2.0 has enabled them to extend the use of Sangoma cards on a Windows platform. 3CX has been able to create some custom management interfaces, which provide tight integration between NetBorder Express and 3CX PBX. 3CX CEO Nick Galea thinks his customers will benefit enormously. "Sangoma cards are good for our customers because the complete solution of Sangoma, plus NetBorder Express 2.0, plus 3CX will be easy to install, easy to use and very cost effective," said Galea. Continue reading "Sangoma Ships First Inside-the-Server VoIP Gateway That Supports Both Analog and Digital Cards" More Accolades for 3CX Phone System IP PBXFriday, May 29. 2009
For more about WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Award - below is a snippet from their website: "Readers’ Choice Awards give visitors to our site the opportunity to vote for the products they view as the very best in their respective category,” said Sean Buttigieg, WindowsNetworking.com manager. “WindowsNetworking.com users are specialists in their field who encounter various solutions for Enterprise Networking at the workplace. The award serves as a mark of excellence, providing the ultimate recognition from peers within the industry.” Softswitch IP PBX: Windows vs. Linux, or Black Box ?Tuesday, May 26. 2009
By looking at the data provided by Netcraft - a long time Internet server statistic provider, we can see that Apache still leads as the most popular web platform - followed by MS IIS. One item to note here however - is that Apache is also available on Windows platforms, so some percent of these are actually running Windows also. Looking a little more granular, I believe that Windows servers are more popular amongst the SMB market segment. I believe the reasons for this are several - but at the top of the list would be its simplicity and familiarity amongst this audience - say vs. Linux, which is more complex and not nearly as well supported as an enterprise operating system for SMB's. Why? Simple. Applications. More SMB software applications exist for Windows than any other operating system. For some of these same reasons - the next phase of adoption of Softswitch IP PBX's will be running on Windows servers and 3CX is leading the way. For the IP PBX phone system to reach maturity in the SMB market - it is a necessary step because SMB's will demand that their corporate IP PBX run on the same back-end servers as their corporate messaging, accounting, and CRM applications. The same argument applies wrt black-box PBX's, which are inherently complex and difficult to interface to. To further illustrate this point - please view the following short video on the topic produced by Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX.
Is Microsoft Putting Response Point on Auto-Pilot?Tuesday, May 19. 2009
Apparently on May 7th, Microsoft Response Point GM John Frederiksen made a clearly "fuzzy" statement on the Response Point Team blog, leaving more questions than answers wrt the release of the awaited V2.0 Response Point Software. You can read that blog post here. Some speculate that the Response Point team fell victim to the recent round of layoff's at Microsoft, and others speculate that the seed money MS used to bootstrap the Response Point business unit has dried up. If true (which will be known in the coming weeks and months) it does put those SMB's who purchased Response Point based systems in a potentially precarious position, essentially bringing end-of-life to their proprietary IP PBX that they've just purchased under the assumption that it was new and cutting edge. On this issue - I guess that's why we've always subscribed to the theory that open architecture is preferable to proprietary software/hardware for most horizontal customers (those not having industry specific needs). Unfortunately, the Response System Phones and PBX box are proprietary and most likely will not be able to run another IP PBX software without extensive modification. Of course, this will only come into play if the Response Point deploying SMB has needs beyond what the current system is providing (quite likely), or unresolvable bugs. In the wake of this potential black-eye for Microsoft we restate one of main advantages of deploying a software-based IP PBX like 3CX Phone System for Windows. We don't expect it to go away soon (development and new releases have continued at a blistering pace), and if it ever does - it won't take your complete phone system hardware with it. The more likely situation will be that you will need to continue to expand it over it's service life, and doing so couldn't be easier or more economical since it lives on the same machines that your back-end server applications live, and uses industry Standard SIP devices. 3CX Approaches Hospitality Industry with New Hotel ModuleThursday, May 07. 2009
Deerfield Communications Partners Up With IndustryDynamics, the International Skype Gateway ManufacturerTuesday, May 05. 2009The official press release is now out, disclosing the new partnership between Deerfield Communications Inc. and Industry Dynamics to deliver the VoiceGear line of Skype Gateways to Deerfield's VoIP Channel. The following is an except of the release: "Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) May 4, 2009 -- The timing for cost saving technology is now! As the economy continues to face a downturn, companies are eagerly seeking practical strategies to tighten their belts and find solutions that deliver a fast ROI. With VoiceGear, Deerfield is fully equipped to help global SMB and Enterprise customers benefit from the fantastic cost savings and numerous advantages of Skype communication." The complete press release can be viewed here. As part of the release, the following Podcast was produced featuring Dmitry Baev, CEO of Industry Dynamics, and Don Hoyt (Sales Manager), and Mike Ryan (Product Manager) at Deerfield Communications. You can listen to the 5 minute Podcast by clicking here. Patton Offers New Lower MSRP on 3 SmartNode FXS ModelsThursday, April 30. 2009OK - so, I'm not going to mention the poor economy - or some sort of VoIP stimulus package ;-) Am I the only one sick of this? lol .. What I will mention however is something that is always in style, lower prices. This time it is Patton Electronics stepping up to the plate and offering new reduced MSRP (and reseller) prices on their 2, 4, and 8 port FXS Gateway(s). This is welcome and timely with the release of 3CX Phone System V7.1 and the new Call Assistant, which makes it practical to use even low-cost analog phones with 3CX and still enjoy the features of high-end SIP Phones Here's the new price points: SN4112/JS/EUI END USER Was: 346.95 NOW: $229.95 SmartNode Solves fax & PSTN Connectivity for SIP-based Enterprise Phone SystemsWednesday, April 29. 2009Brief: In a recent Patton newsletter Marco Liechti, SmartNode product specialist discusses the advantages of using a Patton SmartNode with 3CX Phone System for Windows. The article can be read in its entirety here.
(Page 1 of 7, totaling 104 entries)
» next page
Competition entry by David Cummins powered by Serendipity v1.0 |
QuicksearchAbout the Author
Links
Blog Home
Deerfield.com (USA 3CX Distributor) 3CX User Forum3CX Compatible Software (VisNetic MailFlow Customer Email Mangement) Syndicate This BlogFavorite Blog Feeds3CX Corporate Blog |