Technology Reseller - v24

01732 759725 24 COVER STORY Stefan Walther What’s new in Version 16 This is one of several developments introduced with Version 16 that have made 3CX even more attractive to potential users, evidenced by a 65% increase in year-on-year unit sales since March. Others include: n A new web-based communication hub for PBX users, the 3CX Web app , which includes a beefed up chat function that allows users to share content, links, photos, emojis etc. and fully integrated WebRTC softphone. n Enhanced live chat . 3CX’s Live Chat & Talk plugin for websites lets customers start chats from any page on a website, and escalate a text-based interaction to a voice or video call within the browser. What’s more, it’s completely free with no need to register or download any additional software. n PIN code-based IVR that enables businesses to identify calls from specific customers or types of customer, e.g. callers from the North of England or the South of England, and route them accordingly. “Basically, the caller enters a PIN that determines how the call is routed,” explained Stefan. “This is now available by default for all customers as we have made the Call Flow Designer widely available to encourage the building of more apps for 3CX.”; and n Completely redesigned Android apps (iOS is coming soon) featuring a lighter, more modern look. Regular updates New versions of 3CX, featuring major evolutions of the product, tend to be released every 12 to 18 months, followed by periodic updates that are not simply for maintenance but also add something extra. “Sometimes it is the core – how we handle the product internally – which might be imperceptible to the end user, and sometimes it is new functionality,” features; and, as Stefan points out, flexible deployment options. “Our product can be installed on premise, on Windows or Linux – virtualised on an existing server, or on mini appliances. 3CX Partners can host 3CX for their customers, giving them another source of income in the form of monthly, rather than annually, recurring revenues,” he said. “In the last two months, we have been accredited by all three major cloud players – Amazon, Google and Azure – and are listed on their respective marketplaces. A partner with a customer that already does most of their business with Office 365 can, within seconds, install 3CX in Azure and bind it to their Office 365 account, keeping users in-sync between Office 365 and 3CX.” New licensing In addition, 3CX has made changes to the licensing of its Standard, Pro and Enterprise editions. It’s still based on the number of simultaneous calls, rather than by user, but now offers additional licence sizes. These include 24, 48, 96 and 192 simultaneous calls, so that resellers can offer businesses a package more closely aligned with their needs. It has also enhanced its free offering for end users, with every customer receiving a Pro version for a 40-day trial period so that they can experience all product features offered by 3CX and evaluate whether they need a Standard, Pro or Enterprise version. What’s more, customers can get any sized Standard Edition licence completely free for the first year. One to watch: 3CX CEO Stefan Walther dishes on their dynamic offering Since launching version 16 of its open standards IP PBX and Unified Communications solution, 3CX has enjoyed a 65% increase in shipments and growing interest from channel partners across the UK. Technology Reseller finds out more from new CEO Stefan Walther Last month, 3CX, developer of Unified Communications solution, 3CX Phone System, promoted Stefan Walther from COO to CEO. With Nick Galea, 3CX founder and newly appointed CTO, stepping down to concentrate on product development, Stefan will be responsible for driving forward the company’s global expansion. In many ways, this is a good time for Stefan to take up his new role at the company. Interest in 3CX is at an all-time high, following the launch of version 16 of its open standards software IP PBX in March, and its third update this October, including a completely re-designed Android app and iOS following soon. Add in recent changes made to the partner programme (see below) and the growing requirement for mobility and flexible communications solutions in businesses of all sizes, and it is easy to see why end users and resellers alike might be interested in what 3CX has to offer. For resellers, there are obvious benefits in being able to provide a complete communications package out of the box, with integrated WebRTC web conferencing; apps for Windows, Android, iOS and the web; a full suite of collaboration