With XPhone Connect V8.0.326, the XPhone Connect Softphone is integrated with Plantronics Hub and Jabra Direct. What advantages this integration offers and what behavior you can expect, you will learn in this article.
Let's compare what you can see with your eye. In the new client V8.0.326 there is now a hook for integration into the headset manufacturers' software.
The checkmark Use advanced integration (SDK required) activates the integration in Plantronics Hub and Jabra Direct.
However, as it is already written in the checkmark of the function, it is not done with the setting of the checkmark, the SDKs (Software Development Kit) of the headset manufacturers is required on the client. These are included with Plantronics Hub and Jabra Direct.
There is one final requirezent. The headset must be recognized as a device in Plantronics Hub or Jabra Direct. So if you see the following, even our integration cannot access headset control through the SDKs.
The obvious next question is, of course, "What headsets are enabled for this integration?"
Simple answer: generally, any headset is enabled as long as the headset shows up in their corresponding software.
Plantronics even has an explicit website for this: https://www.poly.com/de/de/products/services/cloud/plantronics-manager-pro/supported-devices
With Jabra, it should be noted that Bluetooth headsets are also connected via the Jabra Bluetooth dongle and not via native Bluetooth interfaces of the computer. Otherwise, the audio device is not addressable via the Jabra SDK.
Going back to the version comparison, the absence of the red message Function disabled while XYZ is started! is immediately noticeable.
By no longer accessing the XPhone's own interface for headset control, but via the headset software, we can react more specifically to the headset signals. This removes the restriction to deactivate the headset control if other software like Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business is started in addition to XPhone Connect.
If the SDKs are not available, the fallback to the previous implementation takes effect and the red message appears again.
But now let's move on to concrete call scenarios.
Initial situation:
Then the following behavior results:
- Behavior of call control with existing call in Skype for Business and incoming XPhone call
--> first press - Skype for Business call is ended
--> second press - XPhone call is accepted
- Behavior of call control for existing call in Microsoft Teams and incoming XPhone Call
--> first press - Microsoft Teams call is ended
--> second press - XPhone call is accepted
- Behavior of call control with existing meeting with zoom and incoming XPhone Call
--> first press - XPhone call is accepted, Zoom meeting is not ended (Zoom does not react to headset control)
- With Jabra Direct, Internet access is required on client computer, otherwise timeout must be waited until Jabra is selected as softphone.
- With Plantronics Hub, if device is changed too often too quickly in Connect Client, Plantronics Hub may crash, but will automatically restart when Plantronics headset is selected.