In with Internet Explorer 11

Deerfield Communications announces the release of VisNetic MailFlow 5.1.0.1

This is a recommended upgrade for all installations with current Maintenance. MailFlow 5.1.0.1 adds support for Microsoft's latest release of Internet Explorer, version 11. 

The release of IE11 proves to be an example of why MailFlow Administrators should remain current with their Maintenance renewals.  Microsoft has begun to push-out Internet Explorer 11 to some Operating Systems as part of their Windows Update.  VisNetic MailFlow versions prior to 5.1.0.1 do not support the latest changes made by Microsoft.

Contact Deerfield Communications Customer Service if you have questions about the status of your VisNetic MailFlow Maintenance.

A complete list of updates are listed in the VisNetic MailFlow Release Notes

This latest VisNeic MailFlow release may be downloaded HERE

VisNetic MailFlow 5.1

Deerfield Communications is pleased to announce a new VisNetic MailFlow release!

VisNetic MailFlow 5.1 improves upon the acclaimed MailFlow 5 release which introduced support for the popular Chrome and Safari web browsers and the convenience of managing email from your favorite mail client or mobile device.  

In direct response to customer feedback, and Deerfield’s commitment to continually enhance the software, VisNetic MailFlow 5.1 provides improved system security, Agent usability, and simplified administration.

What’s New in MailFlow 5.1:

• Improve security by denying Agents the ability to access all or portions of their Preferences
• Set system level defaults for Close Ticket after Send and Route Replies to Me - also defining which Agent or Group may override the default
• Agents may now specify their default TicketBox when creating a new Ticket from MyTickets
• Easily request Read Receipts and Delivery Confirmations when composing an outbound message
• Improved support for Internet Explorer 10
• Agents can establish a Ticket double-click default to either expand the Ticket or open in a new window
• Improved message routing performance and attachment handling

Working examples of these enhanced features may be found in the expanding VisNetic MailFlow Video Library

MailFlow customers with current Maintenance Subscriptions are able to upgrade to version 5.1 at no charge.

Download VisNetic MailFlow 5.1

Review recommended Back-up procedure prior to upgrade.

A complete list of updates are listed in the VisNetic MailFlow Release Notes

Contact Us if you have any questions, or would like a personal demonstration of these or any MailFlow enhancements.

Google Chrome Update

VisNetic MailFlow 5 introduced support for both Google Chrome and Apple Safari.   Recently Chrome released an update (v30.0.1599.66 m) that created a column display issue with MailFlow.  Essentially all the columns in the Ticket list collapsed.

MailFlow engineers quickly identified the required update, and corrected the issue.

The issue exists only when using Google Chrome v30.0.1599.66 m. Previous versions of Chrome, and other supported browsers are not impacted, and do not require an update.

Please download the fix HERE.  Extract the listController.jmf file from the zip and on the MailFlow server replace your \wwwroot\javascript\listController.jmf

All VisNetic MailFlow Agents should then fully clear their browser cache.

With the updated file in place, and the browser cache cleared, VisNetic MailFlow should render correctly.

The updated file will be incorporated into the next full release of VisNetic MailFlow (coming very soon...)

Questions?  Contact the Deerfield Support Department.

Moving MailFlow's Attachment Folders

Recently a long time VisNetic MailFlow admin contacted us seeking guidance for an easy method of moving his InboundAttach and OutboundAttach folders to a different directory.  

His company had recently launched a new program resulting in a significant increase in very large attachment files.  He wanted to move the attachment folders to an alternate directory with greater long-term capacity.  No problem.  The purpose of this post is to provide simple step by step instructions that could benefit others.

Keep in mind all inbound and outbound messages are stored in the SQL Database associated with VisNetic MailFlow.  The Inbound and Outbound Attachments however are stored in the file system of the MailFlow server and indexed to the corresponding messages in the DB.

Moving the Attachment Folders:

1. Stop the VisNetic MailFlow Engine Service via the Windows Services MMC and temporarily set to disabled.
2. Log into MailFlow as an Admin and navigate to Administration, MailFlow Servers, Servers.
3. Select the Master server from the list of servers.
4. Move the Attachment folders to the new location.
5. Modify the Attachment Folder settings to the new path.

Note: If the Attachment folders are being moved to a network share, the full UNC of the share must be used. You cannot use a mapped drive. Also, you can move one or all of the folders.

6. Set the VisNetic MailFlow Engine Service to Automatic and start.
7. Test by sending a test message with an attachment and verify it is written to the new location.
8. Test by logging into MailFlow and accessing an older message with attachment and verify the attachment is accessible.


Note: It is best to add a new local drive to the MailFlow server and then move the attachment folders to it.

MS Exchange Security - no POP3? No Problem!

In order to effectively route and manage inbound email messages, VisNetic MailFlow must first be able to retrieve them.  One of the great advantages of VisNetic MailFlow is its ability to retrieve email from any standard POP3 email account; regardless of where it is hosted or what mail server platform is used.

In VisNetic MailFlow, each individual POP3 email account is known as a Message Source. Message Sources can reside anywhere, and VisNetic MailFlow will support an unlimited number.

By default POP3 client connectivity is not enabled in Microsoft Exchange. To enable POP3 connectivity the admin must start two POP3 services, the Microsoft Exchange POP3 service and the Microsoft Exchange POP3 Backend service. When enabled, Exchange accepts unsecured POP3 client communications on port 110 and over port 995 using SSL.

A company’s security policies may restrict the use and enabling of POP3, leading a VisNetic MailFlow administrator to seek alternative email collection methods.

The DavMail Gateway uses MAPI to securely retrieve email from Microsoft Exchange. DavMail is compatible with VisNetic MailFlow and does not require POP3 services to be enabled on the Exchange Server. DavMail Gateway is a free, open source solution.

Download the VisNetic MailFlow – Alternative to POP3 Message Collection with Microsoft Exchange Setup Guide.  The Guide provides step by step instruction for configuring a DavMail Gateway for use with Microsoft Exchange and VisNetic MailFlow.

When Average Isn't Good Enough

One of the numerous advantages an email management solution such as VisNetic MailFlow has over standard email clients are the abundant reporting options.

VisNetic MailFlow offers a range of reports that provide insight into the flow of internal email communications. These reports can be used to analyze open incident totals, communications history, as well as inbound/outbound email traffic.

Two such reports that draw a lot of attention by CSMs are Average Response Time and Average Time to Resolve. We're often asked the differences between the two.

Average Response Time - compares the time the first inbound message was received to the time the first outbound message (reply) was sent, then averages that over the time frame of the report.

So if you are looking at Avg Response Time for a month, it would average the above time difference for the specified TicketBox(s) over the time frame of a month.

As example, if an Inbound Message is received into the system and a Ticket is generated at 2:00 PM and then an Agent adds and Outbound Message to the Ticket (a reply) at 4:30 PM the response time for that particular ticket would be 150 minutes.

These calculations are repeated to provide an Average Response Time across the period.

Average Time to Resolve - takes the OpenMins column (in the DB) from the Ticket and averages it as above. The OpenMins column is incremented as the Ticket changes state (open/closed).

As example, an Inbound Message is received into the system at 2:00 PM and a Ticket is generated. At this time the OpenMins column in the Ticket is set to 0.

At 4:30 PM an Agent adds an Outbound Message to the Ticket and the Ticket is closed. The OpenMins column is set to 150 mins.

The next day at 9:00 AM the originator responds to the Agents reply and the Ticket is opened back up with the addition of the new Inbound Message.

At 10:15 AM and Agent adds an Outbound Message to the Ticket (a reply) and the Ticket is set to Closed. The 75 mins the Ticket was open the second time is added to the original 150 mins resulting in an OpenMin setting of 225 mins for the Ticket. If the Ticket is never opened again, this will be the final Time To Resolve for this Ticket. If the Ticket is opened again, the OpenMins will be adjusted the next time the Ticket transitions to the Closed state.

Knowing the teams average response time for the week is sufficient for most, however some clients require additional detail such as:

• How long did it take for our people to respond to each individual Ticket?
• What Tickets were replied to within our SLA of 10 minutes? 
• Which Tickets did not meet our SLA, and by how much?

The benefit of using an open, standards-based data base like SQL means custom queries may be defined to extract and present the information in usable formats such as TXT, CSV, or XML.

Here are examples of three custom queries that can be ran against the data base using standard Microsoft SQL Server Management Tools.

(Variables highlighted in Red)
Example 1 - Query for messages not replied to in 10 minutes.
SELECT TB.Name, I.TicketID, I.Subject, I.InboundMessageID, I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime, DATEDIFF(MINUTE,I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime) As MinutesToRespond, A.Name As Agent
FROM InboundMessages as I 
INNER JOIN OutboundMessages as O ON I.InboundMessageID = O.ReplyToMsgID 
INNER JOIN Tickets as T ON I.TicketID = T.TicketID
INNER JOIN TicketBoxes as TB ON T.TicketBoxID = TB.TicketBoxID
INNER JOIN Agents as A ON O.AgentID = A.AgentID
WHERE I.IsDeleted=0 AND O.IsDeleted=0 AND O.ReplyToIDIsInbound=1
AND OutboundMessageStateID!=1 AND OutboundMessageTypeID=3
AND O.EmailDateTime>I.DateReceived AND O.AgentID!=0
AND I.DateReceived BETWEEN '6/1/2013 00:00:00' AND '6/30/2013 23:59:59'
AND TB.Name IN ('Sales','Support','Info')
AND DATEDIFF(MINUTE,I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime) > 10
ORDER BY I.DateReceived

Example 2 - Query for messages replied to in less than 10 minutes.
SELECT TB.Name, I.TicketID, I.Subject, I.InboundMessageID, I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime, DATEDIFF(MINUTE,I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime) As MinutesToRespond, A.Name As Agent
FROM InboundMessages as I 
INNER JOIN OutboundMessages as O ON I.InboundMessageID = O.ReplyToMsgID 
INNER JOIN Tickets as T ON I.TicketID = T.TicketID
INNER JOIN TicketBoxes as TB ON T.TicketBoxID = TB.TicketBoxID
INNER JOIN Agents as A ON O.AgentID = A.AgentID
WHERE I.IsDeleted=0 AND O.IsDeleted=0 AND O.ReplyToIDIsInbound=1
AND OutboundMessageStateID!=1 AND OutboundMessageTypeID=3
AND O.EmailDateTime>I.DateReceived AND O.AgentID!=0
AND I.DateReceived BETWEEN '6/1/2013 00:00:00' AND '6/30/2013 23:59:59'
AND TB.Name IN ('Sales','Support','Info')
AND DATEDIFF(MINUTE,I.DateReceived, O.EmailDateTime) < 10
ORDER BY I.DateReceived

Example 3 - Query that will return a list of Tickets that have NOT been responded to.
SELECT TB.Name, I.TicketID, I.Subject, I.InboundMessageID, I.DateReceived
FROM InboundMessages as I 
INNER JOIN Tickets as T ON I.TicketID = T.TicketID
INNER JOIN TicketBoxes as TB ON T.TicketBoxID = TB.TicketBoxID
WHERE I.IsDeleted=0 AND I.InboundMessageID NOT IN (SELECT ReplyToMsgID FROM OutboundMessages)
AND I.DateReceived BETWEEN '6/1/2013 00:00:00' AND '6/30/2013 23:59:59'
AND TB.Name IN ('Sales','Support','Info')
ORDER BY I.DateReceived

Our engineers can work with you to define a query to extract just about anything. If we're recording the data, we can create the custom report.

Questions?  Send the details to sales at visnetic.com

Problem with the Inbox

One of the problems with using the standard email Inbox is the difficulty of managing ongoing customer conversations.  This becomes even more problematic as a business grows.  With just a few quick clicks a customer service agent could accidentally delete an email; a customer receives multiple, conflicting responses; agents or customers are added or removed from email chains.

Duplicate Emails - If you have three or more customer service agents handling one shared inbox, duplicate, overlapping email responses are almost guaranteed.

Consider this scenario:
A customer emails your company with a technical problem they are having with your new product.  Agent #1 begins to compose a reply to the customer with instructions on how to correct the issue. Agent #2 is just returning from a break, sees the email from the customer, and also begins to compose a reply.  Perhaps Agent #3 accidentally deletes the email or inadvertently drags it into another folder in their email client.  This could be a common occurrence and an example of two or more agents working on one problem.

The underlying problem of this scenario is the lack of communication agents have with each other.  In order for a system like this to run smoothly, agents need to constantly update each other about the opening and closing of tickets.  This kind of communication can be time-consuming and decrease productivity. Not to mention the likelihood of the customer receiving conflicting information due to multiple agents replying to the same ticket.

Delayed Responses - Recent data suggest customers' expectations for a fast response to their email continue to rise, with an expected response time of 6 hours or less. 

Delayed response times can happen for a number of reasons:
1. Customer emails are not being routed or assigned to the correct agent or group best suited to respond. The result - an unclear understanding of who is going to respond to the customer.  A perfect "I got it, you take it" or "I thought you were answering that one" scenario.

2. Lack of access to a history of correspondence with the customer. Agent #1 may recall the history of the customer but what if Agent #1 is unavailable?  Agent #2 could respond, not having all the information relevant for an informed reply.  Or Agent #2 may delay the reply until Agent #1 returns.

3. Limited access to a knowledge base of replies.  A customizable Standard Response Library allows agents to reply using tested and proven responses, enhancing accuracy and productivity.

Lack of Accountability and Measurement - There's no easy way to track how quickly agents were to respond, or how efficient they were is resolving the issue.  Are we servicing our customers within minutes, hours, or days?

Manual, constant monitoring of correspondence, and responding within the expected period of time with knowledgeable, accurate answers, has become increasingly difficult for companies of all sizes.  Small companies with a limited customer base might be able to keep up for a while, but as staff grows and customer demands scale, a company must position themselves with the tools necessary to allow their reps to efficiently, and effectively service the customer.  A shared Inbox does not have the capacity to handle customer support for growing businesses.

VisNetic MailFlow is powerful, affordable email management and tracking software that automatically assigns email to the appropriate groups or individuals, allows for efficient email workload distribution, and includes a shared contact database with email history. It gives employees the tools necessary to answer emails quickly with knowledgeable, accurate responses, and it allows management to monitor email distribution, response times and employee performance.

Learn more about VisNetic MailFlow and Sign up for a Guided Tour.

Disposable Cache

Clearing your cache is a good place to start when VisNetic MailFlow is not rendering correctly in your browser, this is especially relevant after your installation of VisNetic MailFlow has been recently upgraded.

By clearing the cache, you ensure that your browser is going back to the web server to request the latest files, rather than just serving you what it has cached.

The Temporary Internet Files (or cache) folder is used by web browsers to store webpage content on the computer hard disk for quick viewing. 

Perform the following steps on any client computers exhibiting the issue.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 / 10
1. Click Tools in the left menu bar (if opened) or click on the Gear icon in the right toolbar.
2. Click Internet Options and choose the General tab.
3. Click the Delete... button under the "Browsing History" section.
4. Make sure you uncheck "Preserve Favorites Website Data" at the top of this window.
5. Make sure you check all options below "Preserve Favorites Website Data".
6. Click the Delete button.
 - Deleting files could take awhile if you have a lot of files and history.
7. Click OK to close window.

See Internet Explorer Note below.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8
1. Click Tools in the left menu bar (if opened) or click on Tools in the lower right menu bar.
2. Click Internet Options and choose the General tab.
3. Click the Delete... button under the "Browsing History" section.
4. Make sure you uncheck "Preserve Favorites Website Data" at the top of this window.
5. Make sure you check all options below "Preserve Favorites Website Data".
6. Click the Delete button.
 - Deleting files could take awhile if you have a lot of files and history.
7. Click OK to close window.

See Internet Explorer Note below.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
1. Click Tools in the upper toolbar or click on the Tools icon.
2. Click Internet Options to open Internet Properties.
3. Click the General tab
4. Click Delete under "Browsing History".
5. Click Delete Files under "Temporary Internet Files".
6. Click Yes on the Delete Files dialog box.
7. Click Close and then OK.

See Internet Explorer Note below. 

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
Open Internet Explorer.
1. Click Tools in the upper toolbar.
2. Click Internet Options to open Internet Properties.
3. Click the General tab
4. Click Delete Files under "Temporary Internet Files".
5. Check Delete all offline content.
6. Click OK on the Delete Files dialog box.
7. Click Apply and then OK.

Internet Explorer Note: For whatever reason IE does not always remove the Temporary Internet Files when you clear the browser cache. If that is the case, please follow these steps:
1. Go to Tool, Internet Options.
2. Go to Browsing History, Settings.
3. Go to View files.
4. Select All and manually delete the files in Temporary Internet Files.
5. Login to MailFlow.

Google Chrome
1. Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
2. Click Tools.
3. Click Clear browsing data.
4. In the dialog that appears, select Empty the cache and any other type of information that you want to remove.
5. Use the menu at the top to select the amount of data that you want to delete. Select "beginning of time" to delete everything.
6. Click Clear browsing data.

Apple Safari 
1. Select Preferences from the Safari menu
2. Select the Advanced tab and check the Show Develop menu in menu bar box
3. You will now have a Develop menu available.  Select Empty Caches from the Develop Menu

Another option:
1. Select "Reset Safari" from the Safari menu
2. In the dialog that appears, select Empty the Cache and Remove all cookies, then click the Reset button.  Newer versions of Safari have replaced these two options with a single checkbox.  "Remove all web site data". Checking this will clear both the cache and cookies.

Apple Safari on Windows
1. Click Edit from the menu bar
2. Click Empty Cache
3. Click Empty.

Agent to Agent Messaging

VisNetic MailFlow allows your organization to respond to customer inquiries promptly, professionally, and consistently...

VisNetic MailFlow provides a strong foundation for managing organizational email correspondence, improving service
potential where it matters most --at the point of customer contact.

The core of MailFlow's marketing message is the effective management of customer related email.  VisNetic MailFlow does an excellent job of that, but what about Agent to Agent email?  VisNetic MailFlow is not necessarily intended to replace the standard email client software for inner-office communication, but it can!

Anyone familiar with MailFlow understands the relationship between a Message, Ticket, TicketBox, and Ownership of a Ticket. MailFlow employs complex Routing Rules to ensure messages are systematically delivered to the appropriate Agent and/or TicketBox, therefore it is important one specific step be taken when sending Agent to Agent emails. I'll refer to this as Agent to Agent Messaging.

Follow these steps for Agent to Agent Messaging:

1. From Agent 1's MyTickets, select New / Ticket with Message from the ticket list toolbar.  This opens the message composition window.
2. In the TO: field enter Agent 2's email address.
3. Define a Subject as appropriate.
4. Set TicketBox and Ticket Category if desired.  The default Unassigned options are acceptable.
5. If not already, set the Ticket State to Closed.
6. IMPORTANT - Select Agent 2 as the Ticket Owner. This in turn will automatically set your Route Replies to Me, to No.
7. Close Ticket After Send: Yes.
8. Compose your message.
9. Send.

Agent 2 will receive the email in their MyTickets.  Agent 2 simply replies to the email, setting Agent 1 as the Ticket Owner.  The reply will arrive in Agent 1's MyTickets.

Once the correspondence is established between the Agents, a Ticket Note can be optionally utilized to exchange messages by simply reassigning ownership of the Ticket.

Couple this with MyFolders and you have an organized, secure, trackable solution for internal communication, with all the benefits of email management software.

Additional Agent to Agent capabilities will be introduced later this year, including Instant Messaging and Agent Inbox.

Have questions or would like a demonstration of Agent to Agent Messaging? Contact Us

MailFlow 5 Updates

                                                             
VisNetic MailFlow's latest release v5.0.5.0 is available for download.

The release corrects a few recent issues brought to our attention.

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.5.0 Release Notes:

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Agent Audit was logging message addition at Draft Save.

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where canceling Ticket Note view would delete the note.

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where message thread collapse was not functional in Chrome and Safari.

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where deleting an Alert would not update left menu counts in Chrome and Safari.

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where backspacing over email address in Message Composition would delete all email addresses.

Download VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.5.0 HERE

Android Support!

Deerfield Communications has another new release of VisNetic MailFlow available.

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.4.0

Download HERE

VisNetic MailFlow now supports Android Chrome and Safari based web browsers!

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.4.0 Release Notes:

Feature Enhancement: Added support for Android Chrome and Safari based web browsers.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Loading... persisted when selecting an Alert to view.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where TicketBox could not be deleted in Chrome and Safari browsers.
Feature Enhancement: Added option to define From: email address format per TicketBox.

Catch Up - VisNetic MailFlow

Deerfield Communications has another new release of VisNetic MailFlow out this week.

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.3.0 addresses a few minor issues as reported by fellow MailFlow users.

Download HERE

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0.3.0 Release Notes:

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where unable to select an Active Directory user in Agent Edit dialog.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Scheduled Reports Outbound Messages by Agents and Ticket Categories was mislabeled.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Selecting unread Alert would deselect Alert.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Office Hours Sunday times would not correctly save.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Standard Response browser left menu would not scroll.

Last week's 5.0.2.0 Release Notes:

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where combination of Message Source "Leave Messages on Server", "Message exceeds size" and "POP3 TOP Command Failure" resulted in message retrieval failure.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where invalid email address in My Contacts would cause message composition window to freeze.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where custom ticket fields did not display in message composition window and new ticket with note in Internet Explorer.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue in Chrome/Safari where Ticket Properties window would not update Ticket list when closed.
Feature Enhancement: Added Contact Properties toolbar button to Preferences-MyContacts.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where IE7 and older spell check would cause browser to crash.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Safari/Chrome on iOS 6 would not load message composition window.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where MailFlow running as a virtual folder in IIS would not load spell checker.

MailFlow 5.0.1.0 Release Notes:

Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where web interface installed as IIS Virtual Host would cause interface errors.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where outbound message with first line of -----Original Message----- and TicketBox Footer would cause Engine service to crash.
Resolved Defect: Fixed issue where Database Maintenance status was not updating when Perform Maintenance Now.

Download the latest HERE

Welcome to VisNetic MailFlow 5!

Deerfield Communications is pleased to announce the availability of VisNetic MailFlow 5.0!

This much anticipated release is the first version of MailFlow to support Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Internet Explorer 10.

Manage email from any computer - switch from your PC, to your MAC, to your iPad, and answer all your customer email regardless of platform.

MailFlow 5 brings the ability to reply to email from your iPad, Apple Mail, and even Microsoft Outlook!  This new functionality gives users accessibility never before possible in VisNetic MailFlow.

MailFlow 5 Includes: 
• Multiple Browser Support 
• Mobile Device Support 
• Remote Reply from Microsoft Outlook 
• Automated Ticket Actions 
• Enhanced Standard Responses & Auto Replies 
• Global Office Hours 
• 3CX Phone System Integration (coming in March)
• More... 

Check out the details on MailFlow’s new web site: http://www.visnetic.com

This exciting new release may be downloaded Here  

We’re already fast at work to bring another major release to you later this year. 

Enhancements to include: 
• Instant Messaging 
• Agent Status / Office Hours 
• Outbound Marketing Tools 
• Database Maintenance Improvements 
• Custom Ticket States 
• Follow-up Notifications of Assigned Tickets 
• Message AutoSave  
• Extension of Ticket Categories 
• Numerous Access Control & Routing Enhancements 

VisNetic MailFlow’s new web site VisNetic.com provides a modern streamlined design with easy navigation, quickly getting visitors to the information they need. The new design serves as a gateway to the new MailFlow YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter feed and Blog, convenient ways of staying abreast of what we’re working on, as well as tips & tricks to help you get the most out of VisNetic MailFlow. 

Contact us if you have any questions, and Welcome to MailFlow 5!

VisNetic MailFlow 5 - Countdown to Release!

Countdown To Release

Released!!

Upgrading VisNetic MailFlow

In preparation for the release of VisNetic MailFlow 5, and to help ensure a smooth upgrade, follow these best practices.

VisNetic MailFlow 5.0 is a significant milestone for Deerfield Communications, introducing many new features and capabilities.  For many, the road to MailFlow 5 will begin by upgrading existing VisNetic MailFlow environments.  Fortunately, included with the many new features of MailFlow 5 is a simple upgrade path that makes it easy to upgrade from previous MailFlow versions to MailFlow 5.  This article provides instructions to help ensure a smooth and seamless upgrade.

Software Maintenance
All VisNetic MailFlow customers with current Maintenance Subscriptions are entitled to upgrade to version 5.0 at no extra charge.

VisNetic MailFlow customers whose Maintenance Subscription (Upgrade Insurance) has lapsed will be required to renew their Maintenance prior to upgrading.

Not sure of your Maintenance Status?  This is easily determined by logging into MailFlow and going to Administration / General Configuration / Registration.  Your Expire date will be displayed.

Follow the link to renew or contact Deerfield for assistance.

Upgrade:
1. Log into MailFlow as an Admin and disable all Message Sources and Message Destinations.
2. Perform a full SQL backup of the MailFlow DB from the SQL Management Console. (Do not use the integrated MailFlow backup for this step)

3. Backup the \InboundAttach, \OutboundAttach, \NoteAttach, \Bin and \wwwroot folders. 
4. Export the MailFlow registry (HKLM\Software\Deerfield.com\VisNetic MailFlow)
Note: 64 bit OS (HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Deerfield.com\VisNetic MailFlow)

5. Download and execute the MailFlow installation setup file. 

6. Log into MailFlow and verify data consistency.
7. Once data is verified, enable the Message Sources and Message Destinations.

Note: The in-place upgrade simply replaces files and upgrades the MailFlow database. The backups and exports are needed only if the upgrade does not complete as expected.

If Moving MailFlow To Another Server
An important factor when moving MailFlow from one server to another is that you make the same drive letter references that MailFlow is presently using available. So if MailFlow is presently installed to D:\MailFlow and the attachments are stored at F:\MailFlow the new server should have an D: and F: drive. The new installation could be done to different drive structures but it unnecessarily complicates the process and introduces potential issues.

1. Log into MailFlow as an Admin and disable all Message Sources and Message Destinations.
2. Perform a full SQL backup of the MailFlow DB from the SQL Management Console.
3. Backup the \InboundAttach, \OutboundAttach, \Backup and \Archive folders.
4. Backup the MailFlow registry (HKLM\Software\Deerfield.com\VisNetic MailFlow).
5. Do an in place upgrade from v4.9.2.2 to v5.0.0.0 (coming soon).

Note: The in place upgrade simply replaces files and upgrades the MailFlow database.

Once the upgrade completes, log into MailFlow and verify data consistency (Tickets, InboundMessages, Attachments, etc.).
Once data consistency is verified, it's time to migrate.

6. Stop the MailFlow Engine Service and set to disabled.
7. Perform a full SQL backup of the MailFlow database from the SQL Management Console.
8. Install v5.0 on the new server where the installer will create a new MailFlow db (make sure to install to the same drive and directory structure as the existing server).

Note: During the install skip the step that asks if you want to configure MailFlow now (say no).

9. Following the install on the new server, log in and verify you can navigate within the system.
10. Stop the VisNetic MailFlow Engine and WWW publishing services.
11. Restore the SQL backup made in step 7 on the new database server.
12. Copy the \InboundAttach, \OutboundAttach, \Backup and \Archive folders backed up in step 3 to the new server to the same directory structure.
13. Start the VisNetic MailFlow Engine and WWW Processing services on the new server.
14. Log into MailFlow and verify data consistency.
15. Once data is verified, enable the Message Sources and Message Destinations.

Note: Depending on your mail server configuration you may need to allow the new MailFlow server access through firewall's or as a trusted host, etc.

Contact Deerfield Communications:
800.599.8856
989.732.8856
sales@deerfield.net

Email Security - In The Cloud

It's not uncommon for VisNetic MailFlow customers to contact us seeking ways to help control the amount of unsolicited emails, aka SPAM, from making their way into their MailFlow.  VisNetic MailFlow itself does not provide direct spam-fighting features however there are many viable, cost-effective solutions that can help, including the cloud-based service MXPurify.

MXPurify is a new generation of cloud-based email security. It’s easier, faster, more accurate, and more flexible. And with 100% Uptime Network, there's no safer solution.

By moving your email security to the cloud, you spare your organization the bandwidth, processor, and storage costs that must otherwise be dedicated to removing the email you don’t want in the first place. Moreover, you remove the administrative burden required to install and maintain a diverse set of in-house email security products.

So how does MXPurify work in a VisNetic MailFlow environment?

Once subscribed to the MXPurify service all email destined for your domain will be scoured by the MXPurify servers, providing protection from Spam, Viruses, and imposter Phishing messages.  MXPurify deletes the junk, quarantines the questionable, and then releases the good stuff to your mail server.  VisNetic MailFlow then collects the clean email from your mail server.

Even with these benefits, many firms are hesitant to give up control of their messaging security infrastructure to a cloud provider. Have a closer look at MXPurify, sign-up for a 30-day free trial and decide for yourself.

Learn more about MXPurify

Sign Up for a Free Trial

Questions? Drop us an email at sales@deerfield.net or call 989.732.8856

MailFlow Webinar - Super Service Your Customer

Super Service Your Customer With VisNetic MailFlow

Most organizations understand the importance of providing quality service and support to their customers, but struggle to identify and implement practical, affordable technology that delivers those benefits.  VisNetic MailFlow is the easiest and fastest way to provide great customer service.

Join us for the upcoming Webinar "Super Service Your Customer", and learn how to put an end to the “email madness”.  If you’re using email to communicate with customers, partners, vendors, constituents, or colleagues, this is a “must attend”.

Learn how MailFlow can help strengthen opportunities and relationships by helping any organization provide email “super-service”.  

Can you answer the following?
* How do you manage email from customers that are sent to addresses such as sales@ or info@?
* Who replies to those emails, if anyone?
* What’s the current status of those email inquiries?
* If an email gets sent to you but someone else in your company should be responding to it, what do you do?
* What are customers asking of your company?
* Are customers receiving the correct answers?
* How long do email messages remain unanswered (on average)?
* Who is answering emails efficiently & effectively?

If the answers to these questions are unavailable or unclear, then VisNetic MailFlow can help you to get a handle on these (and many other) critical customer relations issues.

In this webinar we will show you how using VisNetic MailFlow will increase customer satisfaction, improve productivity, efficiency, and flexibility.

There is no charge for this event, register today.  Space is limited. 

To learn more about this event please contact the Deerfield Customer Service Department at: 800.599.8856, or email: sales@deerfield.net.