We use FreePBX with desk phones, and like them. In the past, we’ve used Zulu strictly to have a browser popup with a URL call to our CRM with the incoming phone number. We don’t use any other features of Zulu, and I’d rather replace it with something that doesn’t have a monthly fee.
I would think there is some simple softphone out there which would work. One nuance here is that we use a “ring all” strategy. So we want the popup to appear only after the call is answered – but we will be answering on the desk phone, not the softphone. If anyone has a suggestion or has done something similar, please let me know.
Desk phone make/model? Most desk phones have an ‘Action URL’ feature (Yealink name, likely called something else on your phones), which accesses a configured URL when a specified action (such as answering a call) takes place. No softphone needed.
Another option is a script that reads the Asterisk log with ‘tail -f’ and sends the appropriate URL when it sees an external call answered by an extension.
Doesn’t Sangoma Connect (the replacement for Zulu) provide for call pop-ups? Not sure about doing it after call pickup but I thought it had that functionality.
That sounds interesting, would the Action URL open on the PC though?
Same issue with the Asterisk log I think, though I could imagine the server calling out a little more easily to our PCs if I have a client running on them…
If the CRM system requires that the popup be initiated by the station receiving it (rather than the central server), you would need to run some sort of relay script there.
Great news, I have figured out how to do this and will put the instructions here for anyone else with the same issue.
Our goal, which maybe was not entirely clear, was to allow our customer service folks to look at our CRM to get information about the caller. That means having a browser window popup on their computer.
For the extension(s) involved, make sure that Advanced → Max Contacts is increased by 1 as you are going to be adding a softphone to that same extension. I have read this only works for PJSIP, which is what we use.
In Configuration → Settings, set up the SIP account.
Also, in Settings, go to Contacts. The magic field is HTTP query. Put in the link you want the browser to open, with [number] as the incoming phone number. e.g. Google
In Contacts you can also choose the HTTP query start option. If you choose Manual only, you must configure one of the buttons on the (very plain) phone GUI to do this. Right click on any button and set it to HTTP query.
If you don’t want tSIP and your deskphone ringing out loud at the same time, go to Settings → Ring and set the Default ring blank.
Bonus: In the history section of the phone GUI, you can right click on any number that called you and run the HTTP query from there as well.
Hope this helps someone – I looked everywhere and could not find it clearly written out!
If you run calls through queues, QueueMetrics support CRM pops on the agent’s station as well, independently of which phone the agent answers, and allows expansion of call parameters. YMMV.