Wednesday, December 24, 2014

December 2014 Updates: Operator Notes, Suppress Toast, Edit Contact Layouts, RGS Queue Monitoring, More

We have added a lot of new features in the December 2014 update:

  • NEW FEATURES
    • 0000-Editable Attendant/Operator Notes for Contacts and Phone Numbers using EWS
    • 0000-Voicemail Count indicator (uses EWS)
    • 0000-Call Park Hotkey
    • 0000-Danish internationalization added
    • 0000-French internationalization added
    • 0000-Operator contact notes show on current call window and Contact Details panel
    • 0000-IM button User Experience Optimized- works just like or better than Lync
    • 0000-Added Tab UI on "Options" window
    • 0000-Handle smaller screen resolutions without clipping right side of Attendant Pro
    • 0000-Private Call now indicated on incoming call toast
    • 0000-Calling Number Displayed on Toast
    • 0000-On Hold indication when remote Lync user puts you on hold
  • FIXES & SMALLER ADDITIONS
    • 0000-FIX Redialing name now resolve correctly
    • 0000-contactTitle "contact layout" property
  • BETA Features (if they cause a problem disable)
    • 0000-Custom Contact layouts: Ability to use XAML to customize layouts
    • 0000-Advanced Contact Search Filtering
    • 0000-Lync 2013 Client Conversation Window Hiding/Minimizing/Handling
    • 0000-Lync 2013 Client Toast Minimizing
    • 0000-Typing in Search during call sends DTMF
    • 0000-Typing in Alphabet character in Search during call send appropriate numeric DTMF
    • 0000-Copying text in Search during call/DTMF mode sends DTMF

Editable Attendant/Operator Notes for Contacts and Phone

NOTE: EWS dependent features support Exchange 2013 only at this time.

Just click on a contact and edit the Contact Note field in the “Contact Details Panel” or in the “Current Call”. (if “Contact Details Panel” isn’t displayed right-click Options | “View Contact Details Panel”)

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And in the “Current Call”

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To turn off “Contact Notes” go to Options | General | Enable Exchange Web Services = Unchecked. (NOTE: this will also turn of “Voicemail Count Indicator”.)

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To read more details about “Contact Notes” Click Here.

Voicemail Count indicator

NOTE: EWS dependent features support Exchange 2013 only at this time.

Now displays voicemail count.

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Smaller Screen Size Now Supported

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Danish and French Added

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Options Screen Now Has Tabbed Layout

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Beta Features (below notes in progress)

This version has some cutting edge features we are listing as BETA. This means: If it doesn’t work for you, give us feedback and turn off the feature.

To access BETA features, right click on “Version” in lower right of AP main screen.

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agent

RGS Agent Group Monitoring – (No Additional Servers!)

How to setup:

  • 1-Enter your Lync Server FE host as show below.
    • you can get this from Lync 2013 client at Options-Menu | Tools | Response Group Settings. Look at domain used on webpage
  • 2-Restart Attendant Pro
  • 3 “View Response Group Service Panel”

So enter the FE host name and EXIT Attendant Pro.

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Now restart Attendant Pro and right click on “Version” and check “BETA View Response Group Service Panel”.

Now you can see who is waiting in Response Group Service for Agent Groups the current user is logged in as.

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All the RGS Agent Groups the current user is a part of are displayed. The Group name, LoggedIn status (green/red), ringing state (icon), Call Waiting and Long Waiting call in seconds.

NOTE: Call information is updated by Lync Server once a minute. Group Logged In status is updated by Lync Server nearly instantaneously.

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Hover name to get more details

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Here is a Video

This feature is beta, so if there are any problems, report them and just disable it.

Suppress

Suppress Lync 2013 client Call/Conversation Window and Call Toast

This is a BETA feature that will allow you to suppress the Lync 2013 client Call/Conversation Windows and/or Call Toast (with ultimate goal of enabling single monitor Attendant Pro usage). To turn it on right click on “Version” in lower right of Attendant Pro main window.

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Here is a video demo of these features:

If you have any problems, report them and turn off the feature.

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Custom Contact layouts: Ability to use XAML to customize Contact Layouts #customcontactlayout

You are no longer limited to the 3 preset “Contact Layouts” and can use XAML to customize your own layouts. Adding your own layouts is 4 steps:

  • Download an existing “Contact Layout” XAML and use as-is or modify to your needs.
  • In Attendant Pro go to Options | Custom Contact Layouts and then copy your XAML into Layout 1,2 or 3.
  • Now restart Attendant Pro
  • Go to Options | General and select Custom 1,2 or 3.
Download a Contact Layout XAML

There are several sample Contact Layouts you can copy from here. If you have XAML expertise, take a look at the samples and modify to your needs. (Tip: You can edit using Visual Studio to get a rough WYSIWYG.)

Paste XAML Into Custom Contact Layout 1,2 or 3

In Attendant Pro go to Options | Custom Contact Layouts and then copy your XAML into Layout 1,2 or 3.

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NOTE: If the XAML code is faulty, the default Contact Layout will be displayed. At this time there is no error message.

Now Restart Attendant Pro

You only need to restart Attendant Pro after you have copied a new XAML Contact Layout into Custom 1,2 or 3. 

Now Select the Custom Layout

Go into Options and select the Custom Layout.

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The Contact Layout should immediately switch the custom

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Some things to note:

  • You can change everything about a layout including size
  • Your modified layout will still include the right click menu which means if you do not include a certain “button” on a layout it is still accessible via right click menu
  • See the “Getting Started” Appendix I “Contact Card Fields” for a list of valid fields. http://landiscomputer.com/attendantpro
  • Attendant Pro support does not include how to code XAML training

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Attendant Pro Training Video Series

We are working on a series of training videos for Attendant Pro. Please check back because we are recording more and will keep adding them. Below is the Playlist.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Attendant Pro Get Operator Contact Notes Using Standard Exchange Technology

COMING SOON: We are introducing the ability for console operators to store their own notes about callers (phone numbers, Lync contact objects) in Attendant Pro. A fundamental goal of Attendant Pro is to ensure that no additional servers are required and this has been adhered to. We have also made several improvements over Attendant 2010 Console by utilizing existing Microsoft technology.

  • Extremely simple to start using: User does nothing, just starts adding notes!
  • Extremely simple for admin: Admin does nothing! (if console user has Exchange Account setup)
  • We use standard Exchange contacts via Exchange Web Services (unlike Attendant 2010 use of proprietary XML file located on single PC)
  • Using EWS means that Operator Contact Notes are available on any PC an operator logs on with their own credentials
  • Using standard Exchange contacts means that you can use Outlook or OWA to add, modify, copy, import or print Operator Contact Notes: No new technology to learn. (no proprietary XML to learn)
  • Edit contact notes on phone numbers before you get a call from them using Outlook or Attendant Pro UI
  • Using EWS opens the possibility of future Shared Operator Contact Notes functionality with No Additional Servers.

Prerequisites and Getting Started for Administrators: Just Use It!

For most Lync implementations, getting starting using operator contact notes is automatic and transparent for both users and admins: Just start typing notes.

Behind the scenes there is the requirement to have EWS (Exchange Web Services) working and the user must have an Exchange account. Since most Lync environments will already have this prerequisite met it should be zero impact for most implementations.

Screen of Note Entry User Experience

Its as simple as clicking on a contact and typing in the note field. That’s it! The information is automatically saved to Exchange contacts. Going beyond what Attendant 2010 does, you can enter notes for phone number even before they call by typing their number in the search, selecting the object and in the “Contact Details” typing in the note.

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Now the note will show on incoming call. (and can be edited on an incoming call)

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Attendant Pro for Lync and Better Together Over Ethernet

Attendant Pro plus Lync Qualified BTOE

Enjoy our video demonstration of Attendant Pro for Lync with an integrated Lync Qualified IP Phone with Better Together Over Ethernet.

Attendant Pro works with all Lync Qualified devices with Better Together over Ethernet or Better Together (USB). This includes snom, Polycom, Audiocodes and Aastra (Mitel).

Free Attendant Pro for Lync Trial Can Be Running on Your System In 1 Minute:
http://landiscomputer.com/attendantpro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEJkdlO3nU&feature=youtu.be

Attendant Pro for Lync Oct 2014 Update: New Features

Our Attendant Pro for Lync October 2014 update has quite few new features that we are glad to announce!

New Features

[NEW] 1-Click Contact Calendar Access™ functionality (blog)

[NEW] "Send an Email" available on all contact layouts via context menu

[NEW] "Email Call Reminder", "Email" and "Open Calendar" is available on all Contact Layouts via right click menu

[NEW] "Contact Search" contact(s) layout changes when contact layout format changed

[NEW] Setting to turn "button click" sound on/off

[NEW] Contact Details Panel (right-click "Options" | View Contact Details Panel)

[NEW] Norwegian (Norway) internationalization added

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Attendant Pro Gets 1-Click Calendar Access: Easily View Shared User Exchange Calendars

1-Click Calendar Access

Note: Update available immediately http://landiscomputer.com/attendantpro

We have just released a new version that includes (among many other new features):
1-Click Calendar Access functionality! This means your operators can now with 1-click see contact Exchange shared calendar details.

As with every feature in Attendant Pro for Lync this one is super simple and requires no additional servers. It’s pretty easy to demo as well: Just click on the “Open Calendar” button on any contact1 and presto…the full Outlook Calendar!

1 Click Open Exchange Calendar

 

Also, no matter what contact layout you are using the “Open Calendar” 1-Click Open Exchange Calendar™ functionality is available via a context menu. The Windows context menu button means this functionality is efficiently available via keyboard as well.

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Some of the benefits of Attendant Pro for Lync “1-Click Open Exchange Calendar” from an administration standpoint:

  • No additional servers or server components to configure
  • Use standard Microsoft Exchange Server skills to admin (Powershell)
  • No additional server components to maintain/upgrade/etc
  • No additional security vectors (servers/services/etc) to worry about
  • Full Outlook capability can be leveraged by Attendants (views/editing/Lync meetings/etc)

To see more technical details on http://landiscomputer.com/attendantpro and click “Getting Started Manual” and see “Exchange Shared Calendar Configuration” section.

To go get a Free Trial of Attendant Pro in a Minute (or to tryout the new 1-Click Open Exchange Calendar™ feature) browse to http://landiscomputer.com/attendantpro and click “Free Trial”

1 Any contact who calendar the console user has been given share permission.

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