2023 Release Notes
Release Date: November 14, 2023

Periodically, CommBox dedicates a version release to concentrate on stability and performance issues. In this release, we present enhancements to existing capabilities that involve security and information flow.

Enhancement – Microsoft Outlook Access Alert

Refresh Token

Microsoft requires the use of a refresh token for continuous access to Outlook. The maximum refresh token lifetime is 90 Days, at which point users must log again into the email account(s) for continuous email services.

To prevent service disruptions, CommBox displays a banner alert and sends emails to admins and additional email recipients (an optional new setting), notifying them about upcoming refresh token expirations. The banner shows a countdown for the earliest expiring email account, aiding admins in ensuring uninterrupted service for agents.

CommBox Clients who use Microsoft email accounts must reconnect to their account through the Email channel in order to see the notification “Microsoft Refresh Token Expiration 90 Days”.

To learn more about this topic, click here.

Click here for the Email module user guide.

New – Blocking Undesirable WA Phone Numbers

Security

WhatsApp Business API already blocks Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and some parts of Ukraine from sending and receiving messages. To augment this list and to prevent undesired or suspicious traffic from more countries, CommBox now allows blocking additional country codes. In addition, admins can also stop incoming traffic by blocking specific WhatsApp phone numbers.

Blocking can be done at the module level to all WA channels or to a specific channel that will override the general modular settings.

To block specific WA numbers or country codes at the module level, select the WhatsApp module on the Settings page and click the General Settings tab at the top. At the Privacy and Security extendable menu, enter the phone numbers and/or country codes you want to block and click Add. Save the settings at the bottom corner of the page.

To block country codes and/or specific phone numbers at the channel level, select the Privacy and Security expandable menu at the WA channel. Enter the country code and/or the WA phone number, click ADD, and Save settings at the bottom of the screen.

Enhancement – Selected Authentication Methods

Security

While we enable access to our platform using Single Sign-On (SSO) and Ticket authentication, the default authentication to CommBox is via username and password. To improve overall security and to clearly define the chosen choice of authentication, users can now block other authentication mechanisms while SSO is enabled. This can prevent unauthorized personnel from gaining access using the agent's credentials while the agent is logged in via the SSO.

To set the SSO authentication, navigate to the Settings page and select the Single-Sign-On module from the Integration section. Toggle On to block either the username and password authentication and/or the ticket authentication.

Enhancement – Multiple Recipients with Separate Messages

Conversations

When sending emails to a few customers at once, agents can now choose to open a new conversation to each customer separately. Selecting to separate the messages prevents customers from seeing the other recipients listed, giving each customer a more personalized display. The one conversation per recipient also improves the management of customers by the agents.

Deprecate – Twitter

Following our July 2023 announcement of the end of support to the Twitter module, this version will not list the Twitter communication module or its capabilities on the settings pages.