Asking ALL the obvious questions

Openfire Openfire Support
1

Good day

Let me start off by thanking you for offering such a wonderful product, I have searched for quite some time to find software to suite to our needs and I believe this is what my business needs.

I have a web hosting business and would like to incorporate a feature where I can communicate directly to my customers from the website. From what I have seen so far with one of our other competition hosts they use your software and I am happy with everything it uses.

I have downloaded both Spark and Openfire, and Im a bit clueless on how the precise installation works. Understanding the principle of Client/Server I have a couple of questions:

  1. I have installed Spark, which i suppose is the client. Obviously I can only register and a user with my spark once I have set up the server. How will the spark client work on the website? Would my customers have to download the IM and then connect to the server I am setting up, or is there a web IM software I can install and have it connected to my server?

  2. The openfire server. Do I install that on my local PC and have it connected to the MySQL server which is on our webserver or do I upload the openfire software onto our web server and install it there. I tried the first approach by installing it to c:\program files\openfire and tried the installation but it keeps on saying it cannot connect to the database.

  3. How would my precedures work from there? Once I installed the server, I can locally connect with my Spark to the server, but how will the client work on the web? And how will the web user be able to only talk to me for support than having no people to talk to?

I hope my questions makes sense. Im sorry for asking these stupid questions. I am sure it has been asked a million times or maybe Im the stupid one out of the bunch, but please help me, this is our last feature then I can FINALLY upload our website

Regards,

nV

2

Hi,

it is likely not possible to initiate a connection to a client/customer unless he has logged-in in your server. But there are several options for customers to start a communication with your company.

Openfire offers a web binding feature and the Red5 plugin offers a JWChat web client.

Jivesoftware / Igniterealtime offers also a web client and the commercial FastPath plugin to route customer requests to dedicated groups within your company.

I have installed Spark, which i suppose is the client. Yes

How will the spark client work on the website? It will not, it does not use HTTP.

  • Would my customers have to download the IM and then connect to the server I am setting up, or is there a web IM software I can install and have it connected to my server?+ Both options are possible

Do I install that on my local PC …? No, your web/application server is the right place. It should be reachable from the internet if internet users should be able to connect to it.

How would my precedures work from there? Once I installed the server, I can locally connect with my Spark to the server, but how will the client work on the web? You may have a firewall which blocks access for xmpp and for web clients which you need to open.

  • And how will the web user be able to only talk to me for support than having no people to talk to?+ If the users should only be able to talk to a support team which you defines then you should consider buying FastPath.

LG