3CX Phone System gets chatty with Instant Messaging feature

New version 8 completes unified communications offering with text chat, remote phone management, CRM integration and call center features

London, UK – 6 October 2009 – 3CX today announced a new version of its popular VoIP PBX for Windows, 3CX Phone System v8.0. With the new instant messaging feature, 3CX Phone System becomes a complete VoIP Unified Communications Solution. Other new features include improved IP phone management & provisioning, integrated soft phone, find me follow me and support for the new low cost Cisco SMB phones. 3CX has also expanded its PSTN connectivity options by supporting the new low cost Berofix cards.

“3CX Phone System has gone from strength to strength – it’s now installed in more then 10,000 companies worldwide and version 8 can scale up to 512 simultaneous calls and 2000+ extensions on a single server. The new version increases employee productivity and at the same time reduces TCO because of its easy administration.” said Nick Galea, 3CX CEO “Customers already report significant savings, and with support for lower cost VoIP gateways and the prices of IP phones coming done, ROI will accelerate even further.”

Full CRM integration

Version 8 now includes full integration with Microsoft Outlook & Salesforce.com. Users of the system can automatically launch calls from Outlook without having to enter the number on the phone. All calls are automatically logged for better reporting. Inbound calls can automatically be matched to a customer record based on caller ID.

Improved 3CX Assistant

The 3CX Assistant, a Windows utility that allows desktop call control and shows presence of other users, now includes the ability to trigger recording of a phone call, as well as an integrated corporate and personal phonebook for each launching of calls. It also features an integrated soft phone, and can be used from remote locations.

Improved Call Center features

3CX now boasts advanced Call center features at a fraction of the price of traditional PBX solutions. A ‘Call Barge-in’ feature allows supervisors to literally barge in to calls. A prioritized Hunt Queue strategy allows the order to be determined in which calls should be distributed to agents. With this queue strategy it is possible to do skills based routing. A ‘ring all’ queue strategy was also added.

Mobility

Additional mobility features have been added. Calls forwarded to a mobile can be sent to company voice mail if not answered or refused by the callee, making the call forwarding feature more practical. In addition the web based MyPhone user Portal was extended to include new pages for Outbound/Inbound/Missed calls. The MyPhone portal now also includes a new, easier to use, Call Forwarding interface, as well as an extension monitoring page. Presence of other users, as well as key extension settings, can now be monitored from anywhere in the world and from any operating system!

Other features

• Ability to black list callers
• Company and Personal phonebook for easy launching of calls
• Provision personal phonebook to selected IP phones
• Improved IP Phone management: Monitor all connected IP phones and re provision or reboot if necessary
• Secure RTP – ability to encrypt voice

About 3CX

3CX is the market leader in Windows VoIP PBX software. Its product, 3CX Phone System for Windows, has earned Windows Server Certification and has received numerous awards, including The Windowsnetworking.com Gold Award, the Windows IT Pro magazine 2008 Editor's Best Award and a Best Buy Award by Computer Shopper Magazine. 3CX has offices in the UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Australia and Hong Kong. For more information visit www.3cx.com.

3CX Makes Company Phone System Talk Skype

3CX Launches Free SIP to SKYPE Gateway for 3CX Phone System users

3CX today announced that it has released 3CX Gateway for Skype, which allows VoIP Phone System users to receive and make SKYPE™ Calls company-wide

3CX Gateway for Skype is software based and will run on a non dedicated Windows System and on the same computer as 3CX Phone System. It is a free add-on for 3CX Phone System users, including those using the free edition. 3CX Gateway for Skype integrates Skype™ calls seamlessly into the phone system, allowing inbound Skype™ calls to be forwarded to call queues, ring groups, IVR, Voice applications and more.

“3CX Gateway for Skype allows companies to save significantly by using Skype for outbound calls. More-over, users can redirect calls to Skype™ numbers when out of the office and leverage Skype clients on iPhone and Windows mobile.” Said Nick Galea, 3CX CEO.

“A Skype™ account can also be published on the website so that customers can call the company free of charge. Skype™ calls will be channeled through the company phone system just as any other call and be forwarded to regular call queues. This can be significant competitive advantage for many web based businesses” continued Nick Galea.

Features

• Completely software based, no need for a separate box
• Full support for inbound and outbound Skype™ calling
• Ability to specify a master account, which will transfer incoming
• Calls to other Skype accounts and so keep the main Skype account free for calls
• Supports latest versions of Skype™ client
• Quickly add additional Skype accounts from the 3CX interface
• Shows credit available for each Skype account
• Automatic call logging

Obtaining 3CX Gateway for Skype

3CX Gateway for Skype can be downloaded from here. A detailed configuration guide is available here.

About 3CX

3CX is an international developer of telecommunications software, headquartered in Europe with offices in the UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Australia and Hong Kong. It is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner and is backed by an experienced management and development team. Its product, 3CX Phone System for Windows, has earned Windows Server 2003 Certification and has received numerous awards, including The Windowsnetworking.com Gold Award, the Communications Solutions 2007 Award, the Windows IT Pro magazine 2008 Editor's Best Award and a Best Buy Award by Computer Shopper Magazine, all in recognition to the company's commitment to innovation and quality.

For more information visit www.3cx.com and 3CX VoIP Blog.

Using VoIP is a good bet for companies in hard economic times. It can save them money and provide much-needed flexibility. But VoIP gateway can also be helpful for organizations dealing with the victims of those hard times. For example, LiveVox Inc.'s hosted voice over ip dialer helps collection agencies cope with abrupt changes in their business. It lets them ramp their capacity as quickly as necessary, and helps them adjust to rapidly changing regulations. It may even help them deal more humanely with debtors.

Read more about it here.

Health Care Industry Finds Technological Relief: How Information Technology & Greater Connectivity is Improving Health Care

Like many business organizations around the country, hospitals are looking at their network IT infrastructure to do more with less. Join this FREE live webinar to hear how using Information Technology (IT) along with greater connectivity via Unified Communications, IP telephony, mobile, IM and other collaboration & communication tools is helping hospitals nationwide improve the quality and efficiency of health care for their patients.

3CX partners with JTS Japan to claim a stake in Japan's growing VoIP PBX market

apanese resellers and customers now have access to the leading Windows soft PBX with local sales and technical support from JTS

3CX (www.3cx.com), the international developer of the award-winning 3CX Phone System for Windows has announced a distribution agreement with JTS Japan (www.j-ts.com), a leading distributor of networking equipment in Japan.

“JTS is an established and innovative distributor of Networking Equipment and we are delighted to be able to partner with them and extend our reach into Japan.” said Nick Galea, CEO at 3CX. JTS’ technical knowledge will be crucial in positioning 3CX as a leading VoIP PBX brand in Japan. “Japan is the second largest market in the world and we are fully committed to it. The interface is already available in Japanese and complete localization will be available soon”, continued Nick Galea.

"There is a huge market for 3CX in Japan – 3CX Phone System is easy to install and allows companies to setup a professional phone system that leverages VoIP. We also distribute Patton VoIP Gateways, which allows companies to continue to use their current PABX phone lines or telefon ip", said Tom Kojima, JTS CEO.

3CX Phone System for Windows is based on the SIP standard and supports most popular SIP phones, VoIP Gateways, VoIP providers and PSTN phone lines. It offers a scalable and easy to install alternative to proprietary PABX telephony solutions; whilst giving businesses access to a full set of advanced telephony features that allow them to reduce telecommunications costs by enhancing staff’s mobility and productivity.

JTS will be showcasing 3CX Phone System at the Business Unified Communications Tokyo 2009 show.

About JTS Corporation

JTS Corporation imports, sells and services various network products and solutions, such as xDSL, IP DSLAM, modems and fiber network products. JTS offers various networking solutions with unique technologies to carriers, broadband service providers and local and federal governments in Japan. For information, contact the sales department at JTS by phone at +81-45-781-4711 or by e-mail info@j-ts.com. JTS is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. URL: www.j-ts.com.

About 3CX

3CX is an international developer of telecommunications software, headquartered in Europe with offices in the UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Australia and Hong Kong. It is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner and is backed by an experienced management and development team. Its product, 3CX Phone System for Windows, has earned Windows Server 2003 Certification and has received numerous awards, including The Windowsnetworking.com Gold Award, the Communications Solutions 2007 Award, the Windows IT Pro magazine 2008 Editor’s Best Award and a Best Buy Award by Computer Shopper Magazine, all in recognition to the company’s commitment to innovation and quality. For more information, visit www.3cx.com.

Listen Up: 17 Signs That You Are Being Wiretapped

Do you hear strange noises on your phone line? Do you feel like your secrets aren't safe? You're not as paranoid as you might think. Mobsters and cheating spouses aren't the only ones that get wiretapped. In fact, just about anyone who possesses confidential information is a prime target for a wiretap, so it's important that you know the warning signs. Keep an eye out for these subtle clues to avoid becoming a victim of information theft.

Read more here.

3CX VoIP Phone System checks in with Hotels around the world

New 3CX VoIP Phone System for Hotels slashes phone bills using VoIP and eliminates PBX maintenance and expansion costs

London, UK – 6 May 09 – 3CX announced today the availability of 3CX Phone System Hotel module, which allows Hotels to replace aging and expensive Hotel PBXs from Mitel, Alcatel, Siemens and others with 3CX Phone System for Windows, a modern software based VoIP IP PBX. The 3CX Hotel module adds important hospitality functions such as support for Check IN/OUT, DND, Room status and Wake up calls. It integrates with leading Hotel Software / Property Management Systems.

“Traditional Hotel PBX vendors have charged a hefty premium for their ability to perform hotel related functions” said Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX. “3CX costs a fraction of a comparable hotel PBX and in addition halves the hotel’s phone bill by allowing the use of VoIP”

Hotels can eliminate Lease Payments

Hotels paying high monthly lease payments for their current PBX can drastically reduce their monthly operating cost by replacing it with 3CX. The cost of outright purchase of 3CX is so low that hotels can earn back the investment in just a few months. Coupled with drastic reductions in the phone bill, 3CX can be an important part of reducing operating costs in these times of economic crisis.

Re use analog phones

Existing Analog phones in the rooms can easily be re-used with the use of low cost FXS gateways, further reducing the initial investment cost. Re-using analog phones also means there is no need to re-wire – existing analog phone points can continue to be used. ip telefon can be used only where it matters – for example in reception. Re-using analog phones also helps the environment by reducing unnecessary brown good wastage.

Wide range of Hotel Software/ Property Management Systems supported

3CX Phone System integrates with leading Hotel Software / Property Management Systems via several interfaces, including Legacy PBX emulation, the Fidelio FIAS protocol as well as support for Comtrol’s Lodging Link middle ware. Other interfaces are easily implemented and available on request. A subset of supported PMS systems includes Agilysys, Autoclerk, Cenium, Maestro for Northwind, Fidelity Hotel Management Systemm, Micros Opera, Brilliant Hotelsoftware, CMS Hospitality Guestcentrix, ResortSuite, Gracesoft, Hotec Expert Hotelier Suite, Hotel Concept, WebPMS, Atrium INN client server systems, HSS Hotel Software Systems, Innfinity software systems and InnRoad. A complete list is available here.

3CX Phone System Hotel module is available immediately and starts at €750/$895. More information is available here. An example costing to determine ROI can be found here.

About 3CX

3CX is an international developer of telecommunications software, headquartered in Europe with offices in the UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Australia and Hong Kong. It is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner and is backed by an experienced management and development team. Its product, 3CX Phone System for Windows, developed specifically for the SMB (small & medium business) market, has earned Windows Server 2003 Certification and has received numerous awards, including The Windowsnetworking.com Gold Award, the Communications Solutions 2007 Award, the Windows IT Pro magazine 2008 Editor’s Best Award and a Best Buy Award by Computer Shopper Magazine, all in recognition to the company’s commitment to innovation and quality. 3CX maintains a global presence with localized information available in various languages. For more information, visit www.3cx.de and the 3CX blog.