Having just swapped over from MessagePAL a very date, unsupported, expensive client, we are all extremly pleased with Spark and the new functions included.
One of the features we do miss, is receptionists had standard buttons which they’d click and would autmatically insert a sentance, for example button 1 would instantly type: “You have missed a call, please could you call back” and all they’d have to type was the name.
This is an extremly useful feature which I think is missing.
I beleive it might be possible to create this by re-building my own version of spark? But im not a software/technical guy and wouldnt know where to start (even with simple instructions!).
Lastly, has there ever been any discussions on initiating a remote desktop / support connection from within the spark chat?
Quite often a user requests help / information from their PC, it would be useful if they could start a remote desktop and allow me to help.
You might check Faspath plugin for Openfire (Spark has internal Fastpath plugin, which will show up if a user is assigned as an agent). With that plugin you can do a Desktop Support solution by assigning agents and making queues. This plugin has support for canned responses (prepared responses). Though it probably is better to create a plugin if you just need a casual prepared responses and not the whole Desktop Support infrastructure.
I think he is not asking for RDP analog in Spark, but probably a button to initiate the Remote Assistance session in the chat window. In that case this could be also a plugin which creates a button calling the Remote Assistance application. Though i think it is easier to make such shortcut on a desktop and not to program something in java
There is a Remote Desktop capability for Spark named Redfire. Look through the forum in the RED5 group.
Overall, you requirements are all at hands, but possibly not exactly in the combination you want to have.
The best way to get these would be a programmer that you can hire for 3 to 6 months and let him or her develop the existing solutions in the direction you want to have.
The open source projects depand on this kind of sponsorship by corporate users. If we (and I am representing such a corporate user) do not contribute, we will not get the quality and features we want to have. Just to give you an idea about the money we are saving due to the use of Openfire and Spark. The offer for an internal chat system for 55000 users provided by out netowrk provider would have been in the order of 300.000 Euro. A year.
I think it is sensible to spend some money in the Spark/Openfire development. Even, if we do not need or want features (like OTR).