Connect
Package: SALES
1. General
The Connect module enables telephony integration in brainX. All inbound and outbound calls as well as SMS messages are logged as full records and automatically linked to records from the Contacts, Organizations, Leads, Partner and Vendors modules.
Currently the telephony providers Sipgate (Classic and Neo) and Placetel are supported.
Which providers are available and how Connect is activated for a client is described in the Global Settings section. The individual setup per user is done under My Settings.
The Connect module offers the following capabilities:
- Incoming calls are displayed as a popup with the associated record data (inbound)
- Initiate outbound calls directly from a record by clicking on the phone number (outbound)
- Send and receive SMS messages
- SMS sending via Automations
- Complete call and SMS history with real record links and detail view
- Switch client during a call when the contact is stored in a different client
- Create and control Connect records via the API
An existing customer calls. brainX recognizes the phone number and displays a popup with the linked contact and organization record. The user can open the record directly from the popup, enter a comment and save – even if the call has already ended in the meantime. The popup remains until explicitly closed. The call is automatically logged as a Connect record and linked to the contact.
After creating a new contact, a welcome SMS should be automatically sent. An automation with the trigger Record saved (Contacts module) sends an SMS when a new record is created, whose text contains placeholders for first and last name. The sending is logged as a Connect record of type SMS, linked to the contact, and shows the sending time and status.
2. List View
The list view in the Connect module has the usual functionalities of a list view. For more detailed information, see the section Structure/Layout – List View.
Connect module list view
Connect records can be filtered by type (Call, SMS). Using filters, search and list views, calls and SMS can be specifically evaluated by caller/sender, recipient, time and status.
In the filter options, the fields Incoming User, Outgoing User, Incoming Record and Outgoing Record are available. These refer to the fields Caller/Sender and Recipient/Called Party displayed as combined fields in the detail view.
2.1. Actions
In the list view, general actions are available. An overview and description of all general actions can be found in the section Actions (List View).
There are no module-specific actions in this module.
3. Detail View
3.1. Fields
The following table describes all fields of the module. Since records in the Connect module are exclusively generated automatically by the telephony integration, the fields serve purely for information and cannot be filled in manually.
Basic Data Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Type of record: Call or SMS |
| Status | Current status of the record (e.g., Connected, Not Answered, Sent) |
| Direction | Indicates whether this is an inbound or outbound event |
| Start * | Time at which the call was received or the SMS was created |
| End | Time at which the call ended or the SMS was successfully sent |
| Caller/Sender | Display of the caller or SMS sender (composite field – see note below) |
| Caller Number * | Phone number of the caller or SMS sender |
| Called Party/Recipient | Display of the called party or SMS recipient (composite field – see note below) |
| Called Party Number * | Phone number of the called party or SMS recipient |
*Required field
The Caller/Sender and Called Party/Recipient fields are internally each represented as two separate fields – one for the linked record (e.g., Contact, Lead, Organization) and one for the user. When used in filters or automations, the fields Outgoing Record, Incoming Record, Outgoing User and Incoming User are available separately. The combined fields Caller/Sender and Called Party/Recipient displayed in the interface are pure text fields for display purposes.
Call Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Duration | Duration of the call |
| Outbound via Click2Dial | Indicates whether the outbound call was initiated via Click-to-Dial from a record |
| Transcription | Automatically created transcription of the call content, if available |
SMS Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Content | Text of the sent or received SMS message |
| Error Message | Error message from the provider if the SMS could not be successfully delivered |
3.2. Actions
The following actions are available in the detail view:
3.2.1. General Actions
- Recommend
- Delete
- Change Tracking
For detailed information on the actions, see the section Actions (Detail View).
3.2.2. Module-Specific Actions
There are no module-specific actions in this module.
4. Call Popup
When an incoming call arrives and when starting an outbound call by clicking on a phone number, a popup is automatically displayed. The popup remains while navigating in the system and can be minimized.
Example popup for incoming call
The call popup offers the following functions:
- Display of all records linked to the calling or called phone number
- Direct links to the linked records
- Enter a comment directly during or after the call
- Switch Client – if the contact is stored in a different client, the client can be switched in the popup. The Connect record is then automatically assigned to the selected client. An accidental switch can be undone.
If a comment is entered in the popup and the call ends in the meantime, the input can still be completed and saved. The popup only closes after saving.
For unknown phone numbers – i.e. calls that cannot be matched to an existing record – it is possible to create a new record directly from the popup. The following record types are available: Contact, Lead, Organisation, Partner and Supplier. The phone number is automatically transferred to the new record.
5. Configuration
5.1. Activation (Administrator)
The activation of Connect for a client is done in the Global Settings under Connect. The available providers are listed there.
5.2. Setup (User)
The individual setup is done per user under My Settings → Integrations. The following settings are available depending on the provider:
- Authentication with the telephony provider (e.g. Sipgate, Placetel)
- Phone Number – automatically pre-filled after authentication
- Device for Calls – the desktop device is automatically pre-selected; with multiple devices, a different one can be selected. With Sipgate Neo, the Sipgate Desktop App is also available as a device here.
- Device for SMS Sending – can be deactivated to suppress SMS sending for this user
- Show Calls – controls whether the call popup is displayed for this user
6. Practical Examples
1 – Processing an Incoming Call and Adding a Comment
Situation: An existing customer calls. The responsible employee is currently working in another area of brainX.
Procedure in brainX: The call popup appears automatically and shows the linked contact with organization affiliation. The employee opens the record directly from the popup, discusses the matter, and enters a comment in the popup. Shortly before saving, the customer hangs up – the employee still completes the comment and saves it.
Result: The call is logged as a Connect record with caller, time and status. The comment is stored with the contact. Both are traceable at any time in the detail view of the contact via the linked Connect list.
2 – Starting an Outbound Call via Click-to-Dial
Situation: A sales employee needs to contact a qualified lead by phone and document the conversation.
Procedure in brainX: The employee opens the lead record in the Leads module and clicks on the stored phone number. brainX initiates the call directly via the connected telephony provider. After the conversation, the employee enters a comment about the conversation result in the popup.
Result: The outbound call is documented as a Connect record and linked to the lead. Call duration, time and status are recorded. The conversation is viewable in the call history of the lead.
3 – Correctly Assigning a Call from Another Client
Situation: A company operates brainX with two clients. A contact stored in the second client calls – the user is currently logged into the first client.
Procedure in brainX: The call popup shows the phone number and indicates that a matching contact was found in another client. The user switches to the second client in the popup. The Connect record is automatically rewritten to the second client and linked to the contact there.
Result: The call is correctly assigned to the associated contact in the correct client. No subsequent manual follow-up is required.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Which telephony providers are supported?
Currently Sipgate (Classic and Neo) and Placetel are supported. For Sipgate, the connection is made via a unified connector – the system automatically detects whether it is a Classic or Neo account. New providers can be integrated following a standardized adapter principle. For Sipgate Neo, the Sipgate Desktop App is additionally supported as a device for calls.
What distinguishes Connect from the previous PBX Manager?
Connect offers real record links instead of pure HTML links, a full detail view per entry, SMS sending and receiving, a call popup also for outbound calls (Click-to-Dial), the ability to switch clients directly in the popup, and full controllability via the API.
Can Connect records be controlled via the API?
Yes. Connect records can be created via the API, the status can be controlled, and the display of the call popup can also be controlled via the API. This means that almost all functions available in the interface are also usable via API – e.g., for connecting custom telephony solutions.
How does SMS sending via automation work?
In an automation, the action Send SMS is available. The text can contain placeholders for fields of the triggering record. The sending is logged as a Connect record of type SMS and linked to the respective record. Incoming SMS are periodically retrieved and also created as Connect records.
Are incoming SMS automatically captured?
Yes. Incoming SMS to the configured provider account are periodically retrieved and created as Connect records of type SMS. They are automatically linked to the matching record if the phone number is stored in the system.
What happens if a phone number is not known in brainX?
If the phone number is not assigned to any record, no linked record is displayed in the call popup. The Connect record is still created. The user can manually link the record to a record afterwards.
Can the call popup be deactivated?
Yes. In My Settings → Integrations, the Show Calls option can be deactivated. The popup will then no longer appear for this user.