This month we set out to integrate 3CX Softphones with two brands of status lights.
Why? It’s always fun to challenge the tools we use every day and because we are guilty of yelling over our colleagues on the phone. Although we use the 3CX Switchboard regularly not everyone is looking at their PC so the status light was employed as an off-screen visual cue.
The Lights.
Both lights were put to us by friends of C2 Comm and both are great suggestions.
The Blynclight Mini by Embrava
A slim unit designed for use in non-cubical environments. It costs roughly $80AUD and is most suitable for mounting on the side of screens and laptops.
USB Interface.
The Kuando Busylight
A larger unit with significant surface area for the light. It costs roughly $70AUD and can be mounted on top of screens and on cubicle walls.
USB Interface.
What did we find?
The two lights we deployed worked, but not instantly. Both light manufacturers advertise their compatibility with a few PBX softphones like Skype for Business and Cisco Jabber but don’t natively support 3CX. So plug and play required a few tweaks to get our lights shining.
Once installed correctly and running they worked great. During a call both lights shone red, while ringing both lights flashed orange, and when the extension was available both lights shone green. The Kuando Busylight even sounded a ringtone of its own when our extensions rang.
Our only limitation was the lights did not change colour when we changed our status on the 3CX Softphone.
The Verdict.
Both lights functioned the same, so it really depends on personal preference. My eyes preferred the more conspicuous design of the Blynclight and the light was clearly visible but not offensive. If lighting your desk up is more exciting then Kuando is the pick.
Both units would work great in open office spaces with teams regularly on the phone. Our time spent with the lights has raised some awareness, and the office is quieter, if only by a little bit.
The Technical Bit.
To get these going you will need to copy the below code into the local folders for 3CX Softphone.
The Kuando Busylight
Download the plugin here https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkAfAauB-wdBilWBjYHbjSlRpbKE
Follow the instructions from Bart Hamlock here https://github.com/Dcnigma/Bizylight-3XC-integration
The Blynclight Mini by Embrava
Follow the instructions from our C2 development team below, you can manipulate the function to add a ringtone and change light colours.
You can find the zip as http://c2comm.com.au/_resource/Blynclight.zip
Installation:
- Open up C:\ProgramData\3CXPhone for Windows\PhoneApp
- There are two files in the zip, place them in this directory
- In this directory there’s a file called 3CXWin8Phone.user.config, open this with Notepad, Notepad++, whatever gets it open really
- There’s a bunch of add key items, find the one that has CRMPlugin in it and add (don’t replace whatever’s there) 3CX-Blync: <add key=”CRMPlugin” value=”CallNotifier,3CXPhoneTapiPlugin,3CX-Blync”>
Completely exit 3cx and reopen it
You can find more information on both lights here.
Blynclight Mini
https://www.plenom.com/products/kuando-busylight-omega/
