Updating to Switchvox 5.x
For best practices on Updating to a new version of Switchvox, see Updating the Switchvox Software Version. See What's New in Switchvox for the latest Switchvox changes.
New Features
Enhanced Features
New Features
Converged Phones
Find out all about the new Converged Phones and InCall Menu features in the Features and Support sections. To set up Converged Phones go to Features > Converged Phones in the Extension Suite (/main).
Queue Logs & Reports
You'll find detailed information in the queue logs and reports. Now you can see where callers are abandoning your queues, how your queue members are performing in their queues, and more. This new information can help you refine your business processes, and make staffing decisions based on real data. Also, Queue Reports are now available as Scheduled Reports.
This new information will be available in queue logs and reports beginning on the date and time that you update to version 5.0.
Concurrent Calls Report
Prior to version 5.0, concurrent calls were displayed on the Current Calls page. Concurrent Calls is now available as a report that shows concurrent calls by type or provider, for a range of dates and times. (Reporting > Call Reports > Concurrent Calls)
This new information will be available in concurrent calls beginning on the date and time that you update to version 5.0.
Bulk-Modify for Changing Multiple Phone-type Extensions
Bulk-Modify Extensions (Setup > Extensions > Manage) is a new tool that lets you modify the settings of multiple phone-type extensions. You just collect the extensions you want to modify, then create a set of modifications to make on all of those extensions.
Outgoing Call Failover Options in 5.0
Outgoing Call Rules now have a failover feature, and you can add up to five failover routes. This means that you don't have to create multiple rules to cover failover.
Ordering Call Rules in 5.0
Caller ID Rules (incoming and outgoing), and Incoming DID Routes can now be ordered.
Reminder Notes
Several Setup tools now have Note capability so you can annotate items you create:
- Extension Groups
- Outgoing Call Rules
- Outgoing Caller ID Rules
- Incoming Call Rules
- Incoming DID Routes
Enhanced Features
Main Menus
The new menus group your Switchvox tasks together more effectively. If you mouseover the new menus, you'll easily see where everything is.
Here are some menu changes that might be of particular interest:
- Phone Set up is now Setup > Extensions > Phones.
In 5.0, you can no longer create an extension from the Unconfigured Phones page, you must have the extension available to choose from in that interface. - URL Manager is now Tools > PBX Tools > Event Triggers
- Voicemail Templates and SMTP settings are now under Tools > Notifications
- Hardware Setup is now Server > Maintenance > Telephony Cards
- Network Settings is now Server > Networking > IP Configuration
- System Status is now Server > Diagnostics > Connection Status
- Disk Usage information is now on its own page: Server > Diagnostics > Disk Usage
Managing Phones with Phone Setup
Phone Setup is now available from Setup > Extensions > Phones. In 5.0, there are also some specific changes:
- Unconfigured Phones
You can no longer create an extension from the Unconfigured Phones page, you must have the extension available to choose from in that interface. - Configured Phones
You can now easily assign a different extension to a configured phone. Click the phone's Details icon to do this.
Managing Phone Extensions
The following are changes to the individual phone-extension page:
- Extension can be dialed from an IVR is no longer set per-extension, it's set in the IVR options. Every extension that was previously set to allow dialing from an IVR is now part of an Extension Group call Can Dial from IVR.
- Phone settings that were previously set in the Extension Suite can now be set from the Admin Suite also. (These phone settings require a Phone Feature Pack.) You can use these settings in Extension Templates, too, to keep your extension settings consistent.
- Outgoing Call Rules are now managed as a collection. You can put a rule into the collection as Allow or Deny. If a rule should be ignored, then leave a rule out of the collection.
- Extension Groups are now managed as a collection. You can put as many Extension Groups in the collection as you want, but remember Groups can now contain Groups. For example, you might have a Group called Sales California, and one called Sales New York. If you need a Group that includes sales people on both coasts, create a Group called Sales All, and put the CA and NY Groups into the Sales All Group.
- Permissions for all of the Switchvox features have been grouped to help you manage them more easily.
New IVR Option—Enable Extension Dialing
Enable Extension Dialing lets you specify an Extension Group that can be dialed from the IVR. If a Group is specified, any extensions in that Group can be dialed from the IVR.
If you have existing IVRs that are allowed to dial extensions, this option will be set to the Extension Group Can Dial from IVR (which was created when you updated to version 5.0). You can change this option throughout your IVRs, and you can change or delete that Extension Group.
Managing Extension Groups
Extension Groups can now include any kind of extension, and even other Groups. Group members are ordered.
Groups can be used in:
- Call Queues, as members
- Outgoing Caller ID Rules
- IVR Options, to allow dialing from the IVR
- Scheduled Call Recordings, to record calls made by extensions in the group
Queue Status Changes
The Queue Status page no longer includes historical information. Queue Status is now a current view into your queues, with statistics about what's going on today. For historical information, see Queue Logs or Queue Reports.
Also, Queue Status includes new information, such as abandoned calls and members' missed calls.
Enhanced Charts under Reporting
The new charts look much better and solve some display issues.
Enhanced Disk Usage has its Own Page
Disk usage information is now available on Server > Diagnostics > Disk Usage and includes more information that it did previously on the Server Status page.
UI Enhancements
Collection Tools
Now you can put items in a collection, mark items with a particular setting, and put items in order. Here are the uses for this new tool:
- Manage phone extensions—Outgoing Call Rules. Put a rule into the collection marked Allow or Deny. If the extension should ignore the rule, then do not put the rule into the collection.
- Manage phone extensions—extension groups. Put a Group into the collection if the extension belongs in that Group. Keep in mind, Groups can contain Groups now, so your extensions probably don't need to be in lots of Groups.
- Extension Groups. Put any extension or Group into the collection. Non phone-type extensions are ignored where appropriate. For example, if a Group is a Queue Member, only the phone-type extensions are actually considered members.
- VOIP Providers—Outgoing Call Rules. Put a call rule into the collection marked Allow or Deny. If the rule should be ignored, then do not put the rule into the collection.
- VOIP Providers—SIP Provider Host List.
- Scheduled Call Recordings. Put extensions, Extension Groups, or Call Queues into the collection to be recorded.
Tabs for Viewing and Editing
Horizontal tabs are used to break up extra-long pages.
Error Correction Assistance
As you enter information in Switchvox, errors are identified so you can correct your entries quickly and efficiently.
Icons/Buttons
Many repeated actions, such as Modify, Delete, and Preview are now represented with icons not words.
Web Suite Minimalist Mode
Web Suite Minimalist Mode allows administrators and extension owners display the Web Suite interface with reduced graphics.
If Minimalist Mode is set to Yes
- Background graphic and larger graphics on buttons and tabs are removed.
- Some text, especially in section headers, is smaller.
- Animations are removed.
Spanish & Italian Languages
If you are using the Switchvox web suite in Spanish or Italian, be sure to update to version 5.1. 5.0.x versions do include full language support.
NOTE: This article describes version 5.0 (34816). Previous version is 4.6.4, later version is 5.0.1.
