2022 releases

In response to customer requests for more enhancements in directory filtering, this month, we will add the ability to filter contacts on more categories of information stored in the Contact Directory.

These improvements allow the user:

• To identify colleagues or contact(s) quickly, as well to know their user status (if they’re a user or a contact).
• To combine filtering criteria, so that they can locate specific people from certain departments, and even filter on status (e.g. only show available colleagues in Sales department).
• To work more efficiently and getting more done in less time.

Late last year, email service providers like Microsoft announced plans to stop supporting basic authentication for Post Office Protocol (POP), Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), and potentially for outgoing server setups (SMTP). To prepare for this security improvement, 8x8 Contact Center introduced OAuth2 authentication for users of Microsoft last year. Microsoft is removing basic authentication for email soon. So, moving forward, to connect your mail servers using OAuth, please do the needful. Please refer to the documentation for details.

We have fixed the following bugs in November - 2022.

• End-of-Life: 8x8 Agent Console
• End-of-Life: Historical Reports
• FTP Service Call Recording File Format Change - Delayed

Earlier this year, we introduced the ability to pass the Calling Line Identifier (CLI) information when transferring a call to an 8x8 owned number or 8x8 Work extension number. We continue to add more improvements in this area. This month we are adding the ability to display the Calling Line Identifier information on the agent's end point. This allows agents to identify the caller before answering the phone.

In 8x8 Configuration Manager, under the tenant profile (Home > Profile), we will introduce a new control to manage this feature. By default, the feature will be disabled. If you wish agents in your contact center to see the caller's phone number, you will need to enable it.

Note: In this release, the configuration to display CLI is available at the tenant level only. We are working to extend this configuration to agent group and individual agent level offering more flexibility.

As part of 8x8 Contact Center, the latest release of Customer Experience Analytics brings new functionality to improve the reporting and visibility of customer journeys across digital channels.

Customer Experience Analytics will now support enhanced reporting capabilities for the following channels:

• Email
• Chat
• Social
• SMS
• WhatsApp

The Customer Experience Analytics app and the new digital channels reporting functions are available to existing 8x8 Contact Center customers.

The new Digital Channels report:

• Gives insight into the digital ( chat and email ) interactions handled by agents such as customer details, media type, chat type, and more.
• Allows advanced searching and filtering capabilities and the ability to create and manage customized filters.
• Supports WhatsApp as a new chat type in the Digital Channel Report.
• Introduces new digital specific metrics such as maximum or total concurrent interactions, chat language, original interaction ID, original Transaction ID.
• Offers visual interaction flow which Illustrates a visual representation of the digital interaction journey from the time it is created until its completion.

Note: The digital channel report is currently not available to 8x8 Contact Center Classic users and to users in Canada.

For details about the report, see What's new in Customer Experience Analytics 2.3 release.

Prior to this release, 8x8 Contact Center customers were limited to using the Local CRM for processing email interactions. With this release, we will support processing email interactions in 8x8 Contact Centerfor Salesforce. This allows routing emails to agents, and to have these emails automatically stored in Salesforce when an agent accepts and responds to the emails. This enhancement in the Salesforce integration supports:

• Replying, forwarding, and transferring emails.

• Sending new and follow up emails.

• Adding an email to a case that has been created in Salesforce.

We will introduce email channel support for other External CRMs in future.

Currently, when you transfer a call to an 8x8 owned phone number or 8x8 Work extension, the number of the original caller (Calling Line Identifier) is not passed through. As a result, the person handling the transferred call cannot identify the caller quickly. In this release, we are introducing the ability to pass the CLI information when transferring a call to an 8x8 owned number or 8x8 Work extension number. This means back office workers can automatically see the customer information when that customer has been transferred to them by a contact center agent to gain specialized assistance. This capability is enabled using outbound phone codes. Calls can be transferred using different methods:

• Directory
• Dialpad
• Transfer button
• Add participant

• Searching for CRM Records: When an interaction is offered, the agent will see that the system is searching for the CRM records.
• CRM Matching: Scenarios with multiple matches, a single match, or no match will all be handled and shown in Agent Workspace.
• CRM Search & Linking: Within each interaction, the ability to search for other CRM records, and link that interaction to the required record is now available
• Dispositions: this update offers users the ability to add dispositions for both 8x8 Contact Center and Salesforce all within Agent Workspace
• Reminders: Follow up tasks and reminders can be scheduled for both 8x8 Contact Center and Salesforce if required
• Notes: Multiple notes fields can be configured in Salesforce CRM and are made accessible in the notes tab

The Agent Workspace Control Panel, My Profile, and Knowledge Base user interfaces are fully navigational using just the keyboard, in compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.

A new update for the Agent Workspace that makes it possible to resize the Control Panel area. A handle will be available, allowing the user to click and drag to increase or decrease the width size.

We are also adding the ability to expand or collapse the sidebar to make it easier to see who you are speaking with in each interaction.

• The Contact Directory now combines users with 8x8 Contact Center and 8x8 Work licenses into a single contact, shows their time in state, and filters within the list.
• 8x8 Contact Center users are denoted with a headset icon within the Contact Directory. In contrast, Work users have a person icon, making it easier to quickly identify which user you are looking for or communicating.
• You will also be able to apply a persistent filter, filtering by presence, by group, and exclude non-CC users.