Currently Fastpath requires the agent install the Spark client. While this is a nice client, we have standardized on Pidgin as a client for all users since it supports multiple IM protocols. So that means anyone that needs to be an agent must run an additional client. Thats ok if you just have a couple of agents. What if you want to expand usage of Fastpath to many areas of the company so that experts in different areas of your organization become agents for their respective disciplines? Then the additional client becomes an inhibitor. What are the future thoughts and plans for Fastpath clients? SparkWeb support? Pidgin plugin? Other? Thanks
Bob,
I definitely understand your point of view regarding multiple chat agents. As an FYI, Spark also support multiple protocols. At this time we do not have any concrete plans to separate the Fastpath plugin from Spark, or integrating the Fastpath plugin with other IM Clients.
Thanks,
Kevin
Thanks Kevin. I guess I don’t know how to config Spark client to access other IM services. I am using 2.5.8. At least I don’t know how to do via the client only like we do for Pidgin. I do know about the gateway plugin for Openfire. Is that what you are referring to? With our use of Pidgin, we didn’t see any need for gateway. If we were to adopt that approach, then it would require an Openfire administrator to allow a specific gateway connection, right? Not quite as friendly as Pidgin, but might be workable.
Ok, I am sure that you were talking about the Gateway plugin. I installed and configured it for most of the external networks we work with. Sametime is the only protocol I didn’t find support for (we are moving away from Sametime). Works pretty nice .
It was. I am glad you got it all up and working!