sipXecs 4.2

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Last updated: Feb 15, 2011 by Former user (Deleted)Version comment
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Instant Messaging - Openfire Integration

This release adds Instant Messaging and Presence for sipXecs. The Openfire XMPP server runs as a component of a sipXecs cluster with centrally managed configuration. Users created on the SIP side automatically synchronize with the XMPP side. Presence federation between phones (BLF presence) and IM presence allows seeing when a contact is on the phone. Presence based routing allows call handling based on presence state. Phones, such as the Counterpath Bria softphone, are auto-configured to include both SIP and XMPP capabilities. Federation with Google Talk allows for Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) applications. Federation with other public IM services and social networking site's IM capability.

Personal group chat rooms

Every user on the system who has a personal conference bridge assigned also gets a personal group chat room auto configured. Escalating a group chat session to a conference call is easy using the @conf directive.

Personal Assistant

The Personal Assistant is an IM bot that is automatically added to a user's buddy list. The personal assistant allows interacting with the system using IM. It can be used as an FMC application where it allows to initiate calls using the corporate dial plan. It allows corporate phone book lookups. And it allows dynamic control of a user's personal conference bridge, where the user can see participant entry and exit messages and the owner of the conference is able to kick, mute, isolate and invite participants. The personal assistant also provides notification of incoming calls and it notifies the user when a caller is in the process of leaving a voicemail message. The user can then choose to either listen in or brage in. Other functionality includes call history and a list of missed calls.

Federation with Google

Server-to-server XMPP federation between sipXecs and Google Talk allows using the GTalk client as an FMC client for sipXecs on any smartphone for which GTalk is available (includes almost all of them). The GTalk client allows monitoring the presence of extensions on the sipXecs system as buddies in GTalk. If both ends are capable of IM then chat is possible. The Personal Assistant can be added as a buddy into GTalk where it provides all the functionality described above acting as an FMC client. Such server-to-server federation is possible with any XMPP server, including Google Talk.

Dynamic call routing based on presence

Presence based dynamic call routing allows changing the user's find-me / follow-me rules dynamically by setting a custom IM presence state. For example: If the users includes a phone number into the custom presence state, then calls are automatically also forwarded (parallel forked) to this number. This is very handy when in a temporary office or in a hotel room. If the user's IM presence state is set to DND, then calls automatically divert to voicemail directly.

Dimdim Integration

Since Salesforce.com acquisition Dimdim is no longer an open product. Therefore sipXecs integration was removed starting with sipXecs 4.4 version.

Dimdim integration brings Web conferencing to sipXecs (screen sharing, white-boarding, presentations, and shared Web surfing. The Dimdim server runs as a component of a sipXecs cluster, centrally managed. Web conferences can be combined with audio and video conferencing provided by sipXecs.

New Voicemail System

The main objective with the new voicemail system is scalability. It is expected to offer between 5x and 10x better scale as compared to the old voicemail system. In addition, it supports HD audio and mixing between narrow band and wide band. The new voicemail system includes an IMAP interface that will turn the voicemail server into an IMAP client. This allows using a standard email server, including Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Yahoo Zimbra and others as the central message store for voicemail, offering unified messaging.

Centralized Voicemail

The sipXecs system can act as a Centralized Voicemail for a Legacy PBX. This allows Message Waiting Indication to be sent to phones on the Legacy PBX. See the Centralized Voicemail page for more info.

Bridged (Shared) Line Appearances (BLA)

There is still quite a bit of uncertainty around the final IETF standard for BLA. Our current plan is to implement BLA according to what Polycom supports in their current firmware for SoundPoint and SoundStation phones. This is identical or close to BLA as implemented by Broadsoft. See the Bridged Line Appearance page for more info.

Auto Attendant Improvements

There is a list of pending improvements to the current auto-attendant and voicemail system. Among them an improved dial-by-name functionality.

Call Detail Record (CDR) Improvements

The plan is to improve the data set contained in a CDR record with items such as call type, account codes, originating phone info. This allows more comprehensive reporting to be generated.

Improved User Portal

The current user portal offers quite a lot of functionality, but from a usability and look & feel perspective leaves quite a few gaps. We are introducing a REST (Web Services) based API for all user portal functionality that allows creating independent widgets around the functionality offered. In addition, we are working on a new implementation of the user portal using this new API. Initial design ideas.

Enhanced Directory Services

This release extends the information stored about a user and made available for directory lookups in a significant way. User profiles will become a lot richer, including profile pictures, IM handles, alternative phone numbers, and a location. The possibility to synchronize or share address book data between sipXecs and other applications is going to improve.

Allow Multiple ACD Servers in a Cluster

This is a requirement we missed in the 4.0 release. In order for the ACD server to scale we need to allow several instances of the ACD server to run on dedicated hardware, centrally managed as part of the sipXecs cluster.

E911 Notification by SMS

This is also a feature we missed in the last release. The alarm server introduced in release 4.0 can send email when an emergency number is dialed. This capability extends this to SMS.

MyBuddy personal IM Bot

The MyBuddy Personal Assistant is an IM bot that is automatically added to a user's buddy list. The MyBuddy personal assistant allows interacting with the system using IM. It can be used as a mobile application that allows a remote user to initiate calls using the corporate dial plan. It allows corporate phone book lookups, and it allows dynamic control of a user's personal conference bridge, where the user can see participant entry and exit messages and the owner of the conference is able to kick, mute, isolate and invite participants. The personal assistant also provides notification of incoming calls and when a caller is in the process of leaving a voicemail message. The user can then choose to either listen in or barge in. Other functionality includes call history and a list of missed calls.

Enterprise MIB

This release includes an enterprise MIB to send application specific alarms as SNMP traps to a monitoring and reporting system.

Recording of conference calls

The ability to record conference calls was added. If permitted by the admin the conference moderator can record a conference. He or she will receive the recording as an email or the recording can be accessed from the voicemail management application.

New Phone auto-provisioning

A new capability was added to auto-discover phones. It now allows to auto-discover phones connected on different subnets and provides for complete plug & play configuration of newly commissioned phones.