New SIP Phone functionality in LiveResponse (WinApp)

[Roger Clark]

I'm pleased to announce that the first public preview release of the LiveResponse SIP Voice Chat add-on is now available.

With this supplemental product, LiveResponse can function as a full-featured SIP VoIP client, using a public service like Vonage, or your own company's private SIP servers.

How to Install
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Install the latest hotfix version of LiveResponse, just as you normally would. Next, download and run the SIP Voice Chat Add-on installation program. If the installer doesn't automatically find the folder where LiveResponse is installed, browse to the correct folder where the add-on should be placed. NOTE: The add-on must be installed in the same folder as the LiveResponse executable files.

When you start LiveResponse after completing the installation, the SIP Phone Setup Wizard will start. You will be prompted for a serial number. If you choose not to enter a serial number, the addon will be placed in evaluation mode. You'll still be able to configure the add-on with the wizard that appears.

The evaluation mode is a trial run of the software where you will be shown a reminder dialog every time you switch to the Phone pane or make an outgoing call. Otherwise, it's as functional as the registered version.

When you later decide to authorize the add-on, you can run the wizard again by clicking "Phone Wizard..." in the Tools menu of the main application window.


Current Functionality
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At the moment, the add-on's main foremost aim is to provide a standards-compliant VoIP softphone inside LiveResponse. You can make and receive calls just like you would with other softphone product. The LiveResponse dialpad features 6 "lines" that operate in a manner similar to an office telephone. When a call is active, incoming calls are put on hold until there are no longer any free lines. Clicking on the line's button puts that call into focus, and places the last call on hold. The dialpad has sliders for microphone gain and speaker volume.

In the Voice Chat options dialog, you can change your account information, add a proxy, configure the ports used by the SIP client, and select the audio input and output devices.

Missing Functionality (TODO)
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* The dockable Contact List and Phone Event Log windows need to operate more fluidly with the other dockable items.
* The dialpad window has a basic user interface comprised of standard Windows controls. A more attractive, easier-to-use graphical phone interface will be featured in a future testing release. The icon is also bland, but it's just a placeholder.
* The contact list is very basic at the moment. What other fields would be most useful to you?
* Dialpad URL box needs a history (most recently used dropdown list).

Planned/Possible Future Functionality
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These items are either in the design stages, or we're considering them for the future. What do you think of them?

* Multiple VoIP accounts.
* Server-side contact lists.
* Locked server-side account information for staff.
* The ability to automatically add a contact after being called by a remote SIP client.
* Initiating SIP calls between LiveResponse users in the manner of the old voice chat support.

Please note that this is an early preview release of this new add-on. If the UI is rough, you encounter a snag, or it doesn't do something you want or expect from this kind of product, feedback is appreciated. Bug reports, comments, and suggestions about this feature are welcome. We'll try our best to meet the needs of our customers by incorporating these ideas into the product!

Visit the WinApp update forum at http://forums.kayako.com/showpost.ph...1&postcount=16 to download the packages.