New Portals AppManager Release

The AppManager utility used to manage Portals systems and applications has just been updated to version 4.3.c. Two new functional enhancements are included with this release. 

Export Reports to Excel

The highly anticipated feature of exporting report data to Excel has arrived to Portals AppManager! A download button has been added to the right of the print button for all reports.

Note: If a report has no records, the download button will not appear.

Reports are exported into Microsoft Excel xlsx format and will automatically download in your browser.

Password Reset

A "Forgot your password?" link has been added to the bottom of the log in screen in Portals AppManager enabling users to request a password reset.

Upon clicking the link, an email will be sent to the user with a password reset link that will be valid for 60 minutes.

Verify Portals AppManager version

To verify what release of AppManager you are running, at the logon screen (or any AppManager screen) you should see your release number in the lower left corner. You will need to be running version 4.3.c to get these new features. 

If you are not currently running this version, we are making the rounds and upgrading customers now. Please contact our support desk if you have questions about this update.

An Unhelpful Voice

While I am sure Narrator is useful for many individuals, it is more than just an annoyance for those of us for whom it started up mysteriously and just won't quit.

OK well it's not exactly mysteriously starting up but some accidental key combination starts up Windows Narrator and you just cannot get it to stop. This frustrating situation happens to me from time to time but it does not happen frequently enough that I can remember what to do. So I am writing this post as a reminder to myself, and hopefully to assist others who get stuck in this situation.

Just Make It Stop!

First, if you are on an older version of Windows, you can go to 'Control Panel / Ease of Access Center / Use the computer without a display' and uncheck the Turn on Narrator check box. Unfortunately on my Windows 10 computer the control panel does not stop the chatter. 

Instead, I have to go to the Windows Settings app by clicking on the start button and then clicking the gear icon in the lower left side. From the main Windows Settings screen, select Ease of Access, then choose Narrator from the left menu. Here you should be able to slide the use Narrator button to off. 

How Did It Start and How Can I Keep It From Starting Again?

If you look a bit more closely, Windows actually tells you what key combinations turn Narrator on and off. And now they give you a check box to disable the shortcut key to start it.

So the next time this happens to you, turn your volume down, take a deep breath and check your settings.

Whew. All quiet now.

Screen pop is a popular feature for call center agents. When receiving calls from inbound callers, screen pop automatically pops up caller information on the agent screen or can redirect a particular application to a customer record, giving the agent the advantage of knowing who the caller is when answering the phone.

In order to deliver this service, screen pop software needs to integrate with the IVR system and the telephone system so it knows when to pop and what to pop by tying the call back to the original IVR record, ensuring the correct information is being provided to the agent.  Furthermore, screen pop needs to integrate with the software application where the information is to be displayed. 

Some applications have third party programming interfaces to allow for a screen pop while some web apps have web hooks to pop up customer data. And some, unfortunately, don't offer any mechanism for a desktop pop.

Sometimes integration with telephone systems and / or third party software applications can be costly, so much so that an organization may forego implementing screen pop functionality altogether. 

At StreamWrite we have been implementing IVR systems with screen pop for decades. We built Portals Pop as our screen pop service with the flexibility to allow for a wide variety of customer needs, including integration options for:

• Telephone System:
  • Full integration, or
  • A limited integration where costs or technology are prohibitive
• Software:
  • Third party software integration by way of a programming interface, or
  • A web hook into a web app, or
  • A browser display option that we have created to get the information in front of the agent where other options either do not exist or are cost prohibitive

No matter your contact center environment, Portals Pop gives you the flexibility you need to implement a call center agent screen pop that will give your agents the advantage of knowing their caller when they are presented with a call.