Integrating 3CX with Kerio ...

One of the great allures of an IP PBX is the promise and delivery of a single unified messaging (UM) inbox for its users.  What this means in the context of 3CX Phone System for Windows and Kerio Connect 7 deployed together, is a single repository (inbox) where both voice mail message (VM’s) and email coexist.  From the UM inbox, users are able to either read their email, or review and listen to their VM’s.  Combining 3CX and Kerio Connect will inexpensively and effectively do just that for those that wish to deploy these two products together.

By combining 3CX with Kerio Connect 7 users are able to have email with full groupware capabilities compatible with native support for Outlook MAPI / IMAP/POP3 / ActiveSync, SyncML, iCal, CalDav and a host of network-based, or over-the-air synchronization at no extra cost.  Kerio Connect 7 also comes with a sweet webmail client that can be used as a desktop replacement for email clients like MS Outlook.  Kerio Connect is cross-platform and is available in Windows, Mac, and Linux, costs much less that MS Exchange – and is ease as easy as apple pie to administer.  It also contains very good support for Mac and Linux clients as well.  If you are using Kerio Connect with 3CX – it does not matter what OS Kerio is running on, 3CX will talk to it just fine.  It also does not matter what client is connecting – Windows, Mac, or Linux.  Of course 3CX will be running on a Windows server itself as it is made for Windows only currently.  One note is that Windows users will also enjoy the benefits of the 3CX Assistant, a desktop application that puts all of the call control (hold, transfer, answer, hang up, etc) in a slick drag-n-drop interface.  Recently however, 3CX released a version of the 3CX Assistant optimized to the Windows Terminal Services environment, so this functionality is available to Mac and Linux users as well.

3CX provides a complete telephone system with functions such as auto-attendant, VM, call queuing, ring groups, transfer, hold, foreward, follow, and a bunch of other stuff.  The integration occurs between 3CX and Kerio at the VM level.  When a VM is left for a particular extension, an email address can be specified where a copy of the VM should be emailed (either the whole VM as an audio file, or just a VM notification).  Users then receive these in their inbox, and they can be reviewed and played from right within the PC, and most newer mobile devices.

In this first image – you will see the configuration section of the 3CX administration where you simply specify the canonical (domain) name of your mail server, or alternatively it’s IP address.

In this second graphic, we’re showing you the screen where you can configure how VM’s are handled for a particular users extension.

Finally, we’re showing you an actual VM message in the inbox of the user.  If caller-id is enabled the caller-id information  will be present in the message (where it says “anonymous” in this picture).

If your organization can benefit from increased efficiency, reduced cost, and simplified administration, you owe it to yourself to take a look at deploying these two products together.

Follow us on Twitter , Catch us on Facebook , Watch us on YouTube