3CX and GoldLink Plans

As we start a new year, I want to let you know about some changes coming in 3CX that affect MCB GoldLink to 3CX.

Note Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see updates to this article after its initial publication.

GoldLink depends on the Windows version of the 3CXPhone client to link 3CX and GoldMine. When a call comes in, 3CXPhone tells GoldLink and GoldLink tells GoldMine. For outbound calls, GoldMine tells GoldLink and GoldLink tells 3CXPhone. This works because 3CXPhone includes an Application Programming Interface (API) that external programs can ‘talk” to.

3CX has been slowly moving away from the local Windows client (3CXPhone) in favor of their web-based client. As of 3CX v16 release 3, the link to the 3CXPhone client is no longer included in the welcome email that is sent out when you configure an extension, although the 3CXPhone software is still available here.

In October 2019, 3CX’s CTO Nick Galea posted that the 3CXPhone client will eventually be replaced by a softphone. He also points out that client-side CRM integration—the way that GoldLink works—is already deprecated.

In short, it sounds like the CRM API in 3CXPhone will be going away. My guess is that the API will remain in version 16 but may be removed from the next version. (The next version has not been announced, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it later in 2020.) Once the CRM API is gone, GoldLink to 3CX will no longer work. You should be prepared to lose GoldLink functionality once 3CX removes the CRM API from 3CXPhone.

Plans for MCB GoldLink to 3CX

MCB Systems will continue to sell and support GoldLink for the time being, but no further development is planned. Sales and support will end when 3CX stops supporting the CRM API. While it would theoretically be possible to write a new GoldLink that integrates directly with the 3CX server, the market for GoldLink has been quite small, so the investment in a major rewrite has so far not been justified.

Thanks to 3CX and GoldMine for providing solid products to work with and especially to the faithful customers who have been using GoldLink over the last 7+ years!

Update March 2020 – Client Updated

In March 2020, the 3CX CTO posted this in the official 3CX roadmap regarding 3CX version 16 Update 5: “We also decided to update and improve the Windows client. We integrated our new APIs, updated its libraries, fixed outstanding issues and made it much more efficient. All with a view to keep it as a client for the coming years.”

And in fact, as of April 2021, running 3CX version 16 update 8, the 3CX Windows client is still around and the GoldLink integration still works.

Update September 2021 – 3CX Version 18 Still Compatible

3CX has just released version 18 with a new desktop app written in Electron. The good news is that, for now at least, they are also including the “legacy” 3CXPhone for Windows app; in fact, it has received a minor update. See this article for more details on 3CX version 18 and GoldLink.

Update April 2024 – 3CX Version 20 No Longer Compatible

3CX has recently release version 20 with an all-new Windows softphone. This softphone client, to the best of my knowledge, does not support the functions that GoldLink needs. In a thread in the 3CX forum, it sounds like some people have gotten the version 16  phone client to work with the version 20 server, but a 3CX support rep makes it clear here that this is not recommended and not supported:  “V16 app is no longer supported for the new PBX… keep in mind that you should not use that app as it is a legacy application and we no longer update/maintain it.”

MCB Systems will continue to support GoldLink to 3CX on 3CX 18 systems but will not be upgrading GoldLink to work with 3CX version 20.

Contact us if you’d like information about MCB GoldLink to 3CX.