We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.66.0.

The highlight of this release is the new Appointment Calendar.  If you want Appointment Calendar then you need this release because it’s the only way you can download it.

Changes in This Release

• NEW: Includes a trial version of the new Appointment Calendar.
• IMPROVED: Phone message form now loads faster.
• IMPROVED: Double-clicking a search result in the Caller Lookup screen now closes the screens and adds the caller details to the new phone message.
• IMPROVED: Archiving now shows a progress bar.
• IMPROVED: Instant Chat now remembers the selected user and doesn’t scroll out of view when the user list is automatically refreshed.
• IMPROVED: Instant Chat window is now resizable, and it remembers the position and size of the window.
• FIXED: Follow Up Notes were not being archived.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important Information About MessageSender

This release is only compatible with MessageSender Version 6.19.0 or later.

Installation Information

Please note: Server Updates must be installed on your Server or Host PC, not your workstation (unless your workstation is also the Host PC) – they cannot be installed directly on your workstations.  Make sure all users are logged out of PhonePad as the PhonePad Server will be stopped during the update and then restarted once it has completed.  Workstations will be automatically updated when PhonePad 5 Workstation is started on each workstation. Important: When downloading and installing an update from your My PhonePad account, make sure it’s actually the update and not the server setup program.

How Updates Work

Please read: You do not need to install every update between this one and the last update you installed.  PhonePad uses a smart update system that compares your current PhonePad system with what’s in the update, works out what changes are required, and then makes those changes.

Updates and Anti-Virus Software

Depending on the anti-virus software you use, when you install a Server Update your AV software may class the updated software as a different program due to the change in binary signature.  If you experience speed or freezing issues after an update, you may need to reconfigure your AV software to stop real-time scanning of PhonePad.  This may need to be done on the both your Server or Host PC, and your workstations.

Downloading the Update

You can download the update from your My PhonePad account or by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). If you are a trial user you can also download the update by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). Please contact Support if you have any problems or questions.

Installing Updates

You will need to have a current Update Plan to install this update.  If your Update Plan has expired, you will need to renew it before you can install this update.

So you may be wondering “Where’s the PhonePad Appointment Calendar you’ve been promising?”.

It’s taken us a bit longer than originally planned due to a number of reasons.

This is the first appointment scheduling system we have developed so we weren’t entirely sure on exactly every bit of functionality that would be needed.  As we were deep in development we realized that there were some features that were probably needed by users that weren’t in our original design.  We added them in and that added to the development time.

There were also some aspects of the Appointment Calendar we weren’t happy with, so they were rewritten.  Then we discovered some technical issues that took some time to resolve.  We’re fussy so we want to make sure everything is just right.

During our Alpha testing we found a few bugs, which is normal for any software development project.  Of course, they have all been fixed but sometimes it can take a fair bit of time locating and fixing the cause.  The bottom line is we won’t release a product until we feel it’s ready.  There’s no point releasing something that still has known bugs.

We’ve been working on the Appointment Calendar for PhonePad for about 10 months now.  A lot of work has gone into it.  The good news is we’re right near the end of the entire development cycle.  The code has been completed.  We’re now going through Beta testing to uncover any bugs we may have missed.  There have already been a couple found and fixed.  The documentation, ie. help file and user guide, are underway.

We’re hoping to release Appointment Calendar in the next couple of weeks.  This does depend on how many bugs are found during Beta testing (only minor ones should exist now) and how long it takes to fix them.  We’re working hard to get it ready as quickly as we can. The end is in sight and we should have the Appointment Calendar to you very soon.

You can check the status of the Appointment Calendar page on our website.  Make sure you register your interest to get a 20% discount when it’s released!

MessageSender Version 6.19.1 is now available for download.  This release includes the following changes:

• IMPROVED – Compatibility with some mail servers was improved.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important: this version requires PhonePad Version 5.63.0 or later.

Installation Information

Please note: You can download the update from your My PhonePad account.

Please contact Support if you have any problems or questions.

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.65.4.

Changes in This Release

• FIXED – When setting a message to Completed, the color of the text would change to the Completed Message color, but then reset to the Unread Message color.
• FIXED – The popup message that advises the Workstation Notification Service was not running would appear even when the service was running.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important Information About MessageSender

This release is only compatible with MessageSender Version 6.19.0 or later.

Installation Information

Please note: Server Updates must be installed on your Server or Host PC, not your workstation (unless your workstation is also the Host PC) – they cannot be installed directly on your workstations.  Make sure all users are logged out of PhonePad as the PhonePad Server will be stopped during the update and then restarted once it has completed.  Workstations will be automatically updated when PhonePad 5 Workstation is started on each workstation. Important: When downloading and installing an update from your My PhonePad account, make sure it’s actually the update and not the server setup program.

How Updates Work

Please read: You do not need to install every update between this one and the last update you installed.  PhonePad uses a smart update system that compares your current PhonePad system with what’s in the update, works out what changes are required, and then makes those changes.

Updates and Anti-Virus Software

Depending on the anti-virus software you use, when you install a Server Update your AV software may class the updated software as a different program due to the change in binary signature.  If you experience speed or freezing issues after an update, you may need to reconfigure your AV software to stop real-time scanning of PhonePad.  This may need to be done on the both your Server or Host PC, and your workstations.

Downloading the Update

You can download the update from your My PhonePad account or by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). If you are a trial user you can also download the update by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). Please contact Support if you have any problems or questions.

Installing Updates

You will need to have a current Update Plan to install this update.  If your Update Plan has expired, you will need to renew it before you can install this update.

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.65.3.

Changes in This Release

• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important Information About MessageSender

This release is only compatible with MessageSender Version 6.19.0 or later.

Installation Information

Please note: Server Updates must be installed on your Server or Host PC, not your workstation (unless your workstation is also the Host PC) – they cannot be installed directly on your workstations.  Make sure all users are logged out of PhonePad as the PhonePad Server will be stopped during the update and then restarted once it has completed.  Workstations will be automatically updated when PhonePad 5 Workstation is started on each workstation. Important: When downloading and installing an update from your My PhonePad account, make sure it’s actually the update and not the server setup program.

How Updates Work

Please read: You do not need to install every update between this one and the last update you installed.  PhonePad uses a smart update system that compares your current PhonePad system with what’s in the update, works out what changes are required, and then makes those changes.

Updates and Anti-Virus Software

Depending on the anti-virus software you use, when you install a Server Update your AV software may class the updated software as a different program due to the change in binary signature.  If you experience speed or freezing issues after an update, you may need to reconfigure your AV software to stop real-time scanning of PhonePad.  This may need to be done on the both your Server or Host PC, and your workstations.

Downloading the Update

You can download the update from your My PhonePad account or by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). If you are a trial user you can also download the update by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). Please contact Support if you have any problems or questions.

Installing Updates

You will need to have a current Update Plan to install this update.  If your Update Plan has expired, you will need to renew it before you can install this update.

It’s been around 15 years since there has been any real price change with PhonePad.

We decided it’s time to make an adjustment to our pricing to keep pace with rising costs.

We wanted to let you know that, on March 31, 2021, pricing for PhonePad and MessageSender will increase.

If you are already a licensed PhonePad user then it won’t affect you, but if you are trialing PhonePad then you might want to remember this date.

The new pricing will be announced on March 30.

Did you know that PhonePad includes an In Out Board at no extra cost?  Why buy an In Out Board when you get one free with PhonePad.

PhonePad’s In Out Board is called WhereRU, and it can be launched by clicking on the WhereRU toolbar button in PhonePad.  You can also set WhereRU to open when PhonePad starts.

This is the WhereRU main window.

With WhereRU, you can instantly see the status of all staff.  Color-coding makes it easy to identify a user’s status.  Status text, comments and return times can be quickly and easily added.  Your status can be changed with a single mouse click.

Users can set their own status, or they can have a receptionist or office manager set it for them.

PhonePad can be configured to automatically set the status on the In Out Board when a user logs in and logs out.

So if you’re looking for the easiest to use, ultimate In Out Board, then look no further because you already have it: WhereRU.

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.65.2.

The only real change in this release is the updating of the digital signature used to code sign all PhonePad applications, which we update each year.  The code signing certificates are issued by a Certificate Authority (CA), in our case Sectigo.  They are used to verify that the files you are downloading come from us and that they haven’t been altered by a third party.

Changes in This Release

• Updated Digital Signature of applications.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important Information About MessageSender

This release is only compatible with MessageSender Version 6.19.0 or later.

Installation Information

Please note: Server Updates must be installed on your Server or Host PC, not your workstation (unless your workstation is also the Host PC) – they cannot be installed directly on your workstations.  Make sure all users are logged out of PhonePad as the PhonePad Server will be stopped during the update and then restarted once it has completed.  Workstations will be automatically updated when PhonePad 5 Workstation is started on each workstation. Important: When downloading and installing an update from your My PhonePad account, make sure it’s actually the update and not the server setup program.

How Updates Work

Please read: You do not need to install every update between this one and the last update you installed.  PhonePad uses a smart update system that compares your current PhonePad system with what’s in the update, works out what changes are required, and then makes those changes.

Updates and Anti-Virus Software

Depending on the anti-virus software you use, when you install a Server Update your AV software may class the updated software as a different program due to the change in binary signature.  If you experience speed or freezing issues after an update, you may need to reconfigure your AV software to stop real-time scanning of PhonePad.  This may need to be done on the both your Server or Host PC, and your workstations.

Downloading the Update

You can download the update from your My PhonePad account or by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). If you are a trial user you can also download the update by selecting Server Updates from the System Admin menu and clicking Check for Update (you will need to log in as an administrator). Please contact Support if you have any problems or questions.

Installing Updates

You will need to have a current Update Plan to install this update.  If your Update Plan has expired, you will need to renew it before you can install this update.

If you’re like us you probably have dozens of icons on your desktop.  When you get a lot of them it becomes difficult to find the folder or application you’re after.

Well there’s a really easy way to organize your desktop into groups that makes it simple to quickly find what you’re looking for on your desktop

It’s called Fences, and it’s developed by a company called StarDock.

We’ve been using it for years and I can tell you it has made a huge difference.

I should mention we don’t have any affiliation with StarDock.  We just think Fences is a great product.