The E-Receptionist application runs on the kiosk PC and is the main component of the solution.
Installation & updates
E-Receptionist is deployed via the
DDM platform. After installing the server components on an application server computer (or directly on the kiosk PC in standalone installations), you can log in and configure the product before downloading a tailored installation package. You install this package on the kiosk PC once.
Customers are be notified when updates become available; these can then be deployed using the
DDM manager utility. If E-Receptionist is running when the update package is deployed, it will wait until the application is no longer in use and then automatically restart E-Receptionist to apply the update. If the application is not running at the time, it will auto-update on startup.
You can change the application settings by starting E-Receptionist with the /config switch or pressing the F4 key on the keyboard.
Configuration
The visual and behavioural configuration of E-Receptionist is managed using E-Receptionist Designer. By default, the designer saves changes to the configuration file that is read by E-Receptionist upon startup. You can press the F5 key on the keyboard to reload the configuration if this file is updated while the application is running.
If ContactsLaw integration is enabled, E-Receptionist will download a configuration file from ContactsLaw, overwriting the local configuration if the remote configuration is newer. If you change the local configuration independently of ContactsLaw, you will be prompted to upload your changes.
Telephone integration
E-Receptionist requires a compatible digital or IP telephone system. By default, it uses TAPI to achieve the integration, however plug-ins to support other technologies can also be installed. The TAPI implementation requires a Telephone Service Provider (TSP) to be selected from the list of available devices. (TSPs are added by installing appropriate drivers from the telephone system manufacturer.)
Depending on the make and model of the telephone system, you may need to connect a telephone handset to the kiosk PC or directly to the network, or utilise the built-in microphone and speakers on the PC.
Plug-ins
Plug-ins providing additional functionality (such as alternative data sources) can be copied to the plugins under the E-Receptionist installation folder. You must restart E-Receptionist before new plug-ins will become available in the application or the designer.
Global functionality
Menus and other components