We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.57.1.

New Update Plan Refresh Button

A new Refresh button has been added to the Update Plan screen (accessible from the Help toolbar and menu).

The Refresh button will connect to the update plan system and retrieve your current update plan details, and store them in your PhonePad database.  So what it does is refresh the Update Plan information in your PhonePad database to ensure it’s up to date.

If you have renewed your Update Plan and haven’t received an email from us with the details, clicking Refresh will grab them from the update plan system for you.

With the current special offer that extends your Update Plan for free for 2 years on June 15, you can also click the Refresh button to update the information on your system.

Changes in This Release

• ADDED – Refresh button added to Update Plan screen, allowing the current Update Plan information to be retrieved from the Update Plan system and updated on the PhonePad Server.
• FIXED – The options to remove messages from the Message Queue screen in PhonePad and Control Center were not working correctly.
• FIXED – Replied and forwarded messages were not being sent by MessageSender.
• FIXED – Issue with Category names that are longer than 30 characters. Category names can now be a maximum of 50 characters
• Minor fixes and improvements.

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

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, and then works out what changes are required, 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.

The CloudMail system has just been updated so if you are using it with MessageSender to automatically forward messages by email then you will need to do the following:

• Install PhonePad Server Update Version 5.57.0.
• Install MessageSender Version 6.16.0
• Create a new CloudMail account.

Creating a CloudMail Account

Under System Admin/Communication Settings/Email/CloudMail/CloudMail, enter a valid Reply to Email address then click the Create CloudMail Account button.

When your account has been successfully created, the status should change to Access Created and Account Active.

Click the Send Test Email button to send a test email to the reply email address to ensure it’s working correctly.

We are pleased to announce the release of MessageSender Version 6.16.0.  This release includes the following changes:

• UPDATED – MessageSender updated to support changes to CloudMail system.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

Important: this version requires PhonePad Version 5.57.0 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 5.57.0.

There are a couple of important changes in this release.  Firstly, the Update Plan system has been updated so it’s recommended you install the Server update for this reason alone.

Secondly, the CloudMail system has been completely revised and updated.  If you are using CloudMail then you should install this update.  Additionally, you will need to create a new account as the old system has been replaced.  You will also need to install MessageSender Version 6.16.0.

Changes in This Release

• ADDED – New option on Help toolbar shows current license information.
• UPDATED – Database Engine has been updated to 2.32 Build 1.
• UPDATED – Big behind-the-scenes changes to CloudMail.
• UPDATED – Update Plan Renewal changes.
• FIXED – Issues with CloudMail for trial users.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

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

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, and then works out what changes are required, 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.

We live in strange times.  Well they were strange before but they’re even stranger now.

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole world, and with many of us still living under restrictions or in lockdown, we wanted to make a small contribution to make things just a little bit easier for our wonderful customers who may be finding it difficult on the business side of things.

If you have an active update plan on June 15, 2020, we will extend your update plan by another 24 months (2 years) at no cost to you!

What?  Are you serious?  2 whole years?  Yep.  I kid you not.

So, for example, if you have 6 months left on your Update Plan on June 15, you will then have 30 months left on your Update Plan.

Remember, you need to have an active update plan on June 15.  June 16 and later is too late!  No exceptions, sorry.

If you don’t have an active plan, now might be a good time to renew it. That will give you 3 years for the price of 1 year.

Now you may asking “Well how do I check if I have a current Update Plan or not?”.  Glad you asked.

Step 1:  Select the Help tab in PhonePad.

Step 2:  Click the Update Plan button.

Step 3:  The status of your Update Plan will be displayed.

If you don’t have a current Update Plan, you can renew it by clicking the Renew button.

This is a one-time offer so please make sure you don’t miss out!

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.56.8.  This version ended up being released a few days later than originally planned.

Changes in This Release

• FIXED – Automatic Message Forwarding – Pushover Settings – Won’t save selected Where RU status (always defaults to IN).
• FIXED – Sub-component issue stopped user deletion from working.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

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

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, and then works out what changes are required, 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.

MessageSender Check Version 6.2.0 has just been released.

This version includes the following changes:

• ADDED: It checks the MessageSender Queue for messages that are waiting to be sent and gives you a breakdown of the number of messages.  If the Warning symbol appears next to any of these counts it means that you have messages waiting to be sent but there is something preventing that (whatever that is will be shown elsewhere in the checks it performs as an error or warning).
• ADDED: When it checks the latest MessageSender log file for errors, it grabs those error messages and displays them.  This means you don’t have to open Log Viewer and got look for them yourself.
• FIXED: Main window resizes correctly.

If you’re not sure what MessageSender Check is all about, please check out this previous article on it.

You can download MessageSender Check here.

One of the great things about PhonePad is that you don’t need to configure the workstation software to connect to the PhonePad Server.  It does it all automatically using Server Auto-Discovery.

When you start PhonePad, your PhonePad workstation software will send out a message asking if there are any PhonePad servers on the network.  The server will respond with its connection details, which the workstation will use to establish a connection.

Here’s an example of that happening.

If you find that PhonePad is unable to locate a server, or if you get an error message similar to this then something may be blocking the UDP protocol on your Server, workstation, or network.

If this happens to you, check your anti-virus software on your Server and Workstations.  Although PhonePad automatically creates the necessary firewall rules for the Windows Firewall, anti-virus software often ignores these settings.  You may need to allow the PhonePad Workstation and Server software to access UDP and/or port 15350.  Your router may also be blocking the UDP protocol or port 15350.

If you are unable to resolve this, there are a couple of other options you can use to connect.

Disable Auto-Discovery

Open Control Center on the Server or Host PC to check the Server IP Address.

Make a note of the IP Address.  Tip: If you double-click on the IP Address it will be copied to the Windows clipboard.

On your workstation, open Workstation Config.

Select Disable Auto-Discovery of Server and enter the IP Address under Server IP Address, and then click Save.

When you start PhonePad, it will show that the IP Address is overridden.

Server Access Key

Open Control Center on the Server or Host PC, select PhonePad Server, and click the Settings button.

When the Server Settings screen is displayed, you will need to create a Server Access Key.

Click the button with the green padlock to create the Server Access Key.

Copy the Server Access Key by clicking the Copy button (next to the button with the green padlock).

The Server Access Key needs to be registered.  Click the Register button.

On your workstation, open Workstation Config.  Select Use Server Access Key and enter the Server Access Key that you created, then click Save.

When you start PhonePad, it will retrieve the Server IP Address using the Server Access Key.

Please note: This method uses the Internet to retrieve the IP Address from our web server.  The Server Access Key will only work on your network and is useless outside of your network, which means it can’t be used to access PhonePad from a workstation outside of your network (unless you are using a VPN).

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 5.56.7.  This version ended up being released a few days later than originally planned.

Changes in This Release

• FIXED – Address Book importing was not working correctly.
• Minor fixes and improvements.

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

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, and then works out what changes are required, 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.