In this update:
- IMPORTANT: 3CX v18 update 3 + hotfix
- 3CX v16 important dates during 2022
- New from Grandstream
- Yealink promotions
- New 3CX partners
- Upcoming webinar and technical training
- Submit a great 3CX case study. Get pizzas for your team!
- 3CX blogs – essential knowledge
- Need demo equipment?
- Firmware for IP phones
- Join our LinkedIn VoIP community
IMPORTANT: 3CX v18 update 3 + hotfix
Update 3 for v18 went live at the beginning of the month. This brought updates to the WebClient, desktop app and native-like web app (PWA) with PUSH notifications even when closed. It also includes critical security updates – see the full blog and link to release notes here.
On the 17th of March, 3CX announced an urgent hotfix for update 3 to fix a security and memory leak issue – see the announcement here. Please ensure your clients instances are updated.
3CX v16 important dates during 2022
Since late 2021 we’ve been communicating important dates for when parts of 3CX v16 will be ending. The current version is v18 update 3a. We recently ran a webinar looking at these dates and this can be viewed here. If you have any queries or need to know more, please contact us on voip@sofsol.co.nz.
New from Grandstream
Earlier in the month, Grandstream launched two great new products. These covered the carrier-grade generation of IP phones, and an outdoor WiFi 6 Access Point. For both units the first stock is just landing in the country and will be available within a matter of days – we’re taking orders now.
The GRP2670 is an executive-quality, 7-inch touch screen phone that features 12 lines, 6 SIP accounts, integrated dual-band WiFi and has Bluetooth support.
The GWN7660LR is a new long-range weatherproof outdoor WiFi 6 access point. The unit offers IP66 weatherproof certified casing, dual-band 2×2:2 MU-MIMO technology along with a sophisticated antenna design to provide an extended coverage range of up to 250 metres.
Yealink promotions
- Until the end of Q2 Yealink has some excellent promotional offers. These include:
- SIP-T43U + WH62 Dual Bundle – save on these popular SKUs by buying together!
- SIP-T46U + WH62 Dual Bundle – save on these popular SKUs by buying together!
- UH34 and UH36 USB Headset bundles – buy 5 and receive 6 (See flyer. Cannot mix models).
- NFR promo on the UVC40 and UVC34 video bars – a great way to equip your office!
- A30 and A20 MS Teams meeting bars with CTP18 touch panel – special pricing plus a free VCH51 sharing box.
- Yealink Junior Certified Microsoft Solution Engineer (CMSE Junior) certification. Complete the training and pass the test. Then post to LinkedIn tagging Yealink and Soft Solutions. We’ll put you in the draw for a prize! Get bragging rights to being one of the first in NZ to complete – will it be you?
For full details please visit this link or reach out to our sales@sofsol.co.nz team.
New 3CX partners
If you’re not yet 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 a number of your clients’ requirements. 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.
Upcoming webinar and technical training
Join Megan Twentyman, Brand Manager, tomorrow Thursday 24th March at 11.30am for a bite size webinar around 3CX’s Marketing Resources. The webinar reviews the marketing tools available in their Marketing Kit. We’ll cover where to find the resources, what they’re good for and how to leverage our knowledge to help you market 3CX to your customers. The session will wrap with a Q&A session. Please register here and we look forward to your attendance.
Our next two 3CX Basic Training sessions have sold out. We’re taking expressions of interest for the next ones – please contact megan@sofsol.co.nz with details of any team members that require Basic Certification. Coming up on Wednesday 11th May we’ll be running the 3CX Intermediate training session. Bookings have just opened, and spaces are limited. Please visit here to reserve your spot today. The session will start at 9am and run through to approximately 1pm.
Submit a great 3CX case study. Get pizzas for your team!
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. We have a simple questionnaire you can work through with your customer. 3CX’s marketing team will then consider it. 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 team. Reach out to our VoIP Brand Manager Megan Twentyman. We’ll make the process painless and treat your team!
3CX blogs – essential knowledge
The 3CX team continue to deliver new content, information, and updates for v18. We post links to these first, on our LinkedIn VoIP Community Group. If you’re not a member you can can join here. Here’s a summary from the past month:
- IMPORTANT DATE: v16 WebMeeting servers turn off on 30th March 2022 – this blog looks at why older servers are turning off, and why customers should upgrade to v18 for the latest technology. Review it in detail here.
- New Zoho CRM Marketplace extension – 3CX now has an extension in the Zoho Marketplace making configuration even easier. Read all the details here.
- 3CX Global IP Blacklist – have you wondered how this feature works? This walk through explains it in more detail and why you should enable it for your customers. See full details here.
- Video conferences integrated with YouTube – 3CX v18 video conferencing has been updated to integrate with YouTube. You and your customers can now present video conferences live via YouTube, as well as stream public content directly within a meeting. Check it out here.
- How does Live Chat work? – this article looks at what is live chat, how does it work (including a video of an agent view), links to the installation information and more. Check it out here.
- iOS app launch – the latest iOS app has gone live. It now includes fast chat response from your locked screen, emergency number updates, and other fixes. Read the article at this here.
- Android app launch supporting Android 12L – adding support for the big screen with Android 12L along with updates to emergency calling. See the full article here.
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.
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.
