We also thought it was time to integrate the website of Pamela Call Recorder into the main Pamela website. Pamela Call Recorder has now replaced Pamela Standard which is no longer available. The reason is that we feel that Pamela Call Recorder is much better value for your money than Pamela Standard.

All existing customer will be able to continue to use Pamela Standard and when we launch 5.0 we will provide an upgrade path.

Changes:
Bugfix: Recording did not appear in recording list when connection to Skype was lost.
Bugfix: Recording did not appear in recording list when a new call was received during an active recording.
Bugfix: On Windows7 there was an error when recording Skype video when the Skype window was outside the desktop area.
Bugfix: Potential crash at the end of a call recording.
Change: Call recording warning disabled by default.
Change: Major improvements in audio engine of Pamela which improves the performance of Pamela.

To update just open Pamela and click on the Help menu and then “Check for update”. This will provide you with the correct update version. Download and run the setup which will update Pamela to the latest version. All your data and settings will remain untouched.

Note that upgrades are free for our free and license customers.

The new version is 4.6.0.1 and has some changes ported over from the Pamela for Skype versions. These are:

• Added WMA format support
• Correct MP3 activation in Windows7
• Fixes to the Emotion Player
• Potential crash situations fixed
• More…

We hope you enjoy the new release.

But this shut-down also includes the Skype Credit payment, which will be switched off shortly. No third-party software will then be able to accept Skype Credit payments.

So how does this affect Scendix/PamConsult products? The simple answer is: not very much.

Let’s take a look at all our products we have for Skype:

Pamela: Pamela only uses the Skype Public API and not the Skype Extras system. So this will not affect Pamela at all.

PamFax: With our upgrade to Pamfax 2.0 including a complete new architecture back in april this year, we are now completely independent from Skype’s Extras system. Current version of PamFax runs on any Windows or Mac machine even if Skype is not installed at all. What we loose in PamFax will be the possibility to buy PamFax Credits with Skype Credits and the entry in Skype’s “Extras” menu (once it will be removed by Skype; “later”). We are already investigating in other payment methods to use PamFax pay-as-you-go for some time now, as we heard from our users that only Skype Credit payment (which was not available on Mac or Linux at all) is not enough. So this is a very good time to add some more payment flexibility to PamFax.
As the fax-sending process is done by our own datacenters all around the world and not by the Skype network, PamFax will even work if they shut off Skype completely. Sometimes, independence is something very nice

Pamela Call Recorder: The Pamela Call Recorder can be seen as a small version of Pamela. So it will work even after this change in Skype. More then a year ago we built a “stand alone” version of the Pamela Call Recorder which can be downloaded from www.pamcorder.com. This version will work even if the user has a Skype version without the Extras Manager system. Just like PamFax you can just keep using the product.

mcePhone, Skype for Salesforce and others: Do not use the Skype Extras system at all. As the public Skype API will live on, there will be no change in these products.

We are still thinking about why Skype goes into this direction: the latest history has shown that opening up a product as a platform and to allow third-party software to connect and to enhance the core products can turn into a real self-runner making the platform and therefore the core product itself much, much more valuable. Think about what these products would be without any third-party software, plugins, addons or whatever they are called for each product: WinAmp, eBay, Apple iPhone, FireFox and thousands of other software products more that are good because there are good plugins for this product.

Could you imagine using an iPhone without any third party software installed on it? What if there would not be a possibility to buy iPhone apps as easy as it is right now? Would you enter your credit card data into a shop system you never saw before from a company that you have never heard before to buy a fun app for USD 1.99 just to try it out? Apple has shown that a very well done “Extras system” with a safe, easy and WORKING payment possibility can boost sales of the apps and the core product.

If Skype did not believe in their Extras System 1.0, perhaps it was because it had so many problems and was not extended for at least 2 years now. It was developed once and then there was no progress at all. Some major things that made the Skype Extras system a flop in our eyes: a) only on windows, not available on Mac or Linux, b) horrible client-only Skype payments implementation, c) very unflexible (games as developer-examples shows the focus when it was developed…), and loads more.
But why it’s so hard for a multi-billion-dollar company to hire some people with the according knowledge and make it better? Skype Extras System 2.0? Just shutting down the whole thing is just a decision at the round table, but standing up for a product platform and fight to make it better than it was before to make it a success is a hard and long road to go.

We believe that some changes are always a good chance to make something much better than it was before. For us, this means finding more ways to market our software and the opportunity to change the pay-as-you-go payment process in PamFax will be a great step forward in making our products even better.

So: R.I.P. Skype Extras System. Let’s find something better out there!

For this reason we decided to upgrade the reporter module. We added this to Pamela and PCR (Pamela Call Recorder) three weeks ago and have had some very good feedback. With this information we have released two new builds (versions) of Pamela and PCR and activated the auto update function too. So next time you start Pamela you should be notified that there is a new version available with the offer to download.

We have decided to push out a new release, based on feedback, every Friday. This of course only when there is enough feedback to justify this.

With this regular update cycle we want to further improve the stability of the applications to provide you with the best service possible.

On a side note, we will also release some changes to the video recording module to address some issues reported. Video remains high on the radar and we have been doing deep investigation into how to improve this function in Pamela further. Based on this research some changes will be implemented in this weeks update.

In Pamela several things were fixed like a bug when recording conference calls which resulted in the recording stopping when you added a person to the conference. We also fixed the call transfer feature which was broken in 4.5.0.96. A potential crash situation after finishing a call recording was also implemented.

In addition we decided to auto upgrade the entire Pamela user base to the new version. So all users who are still using an older Pamela version  will receive an automatic update notification when they start Pamela.

In Pamela Call Recorder we also fixed the conference call bug and an issue related to settings not being saved as well as some minor things. The released version is 4.5.0.50 and is available from www.pamcorder.com. The new version has an improved installation routine which now will also allow starting the call recorder from the Skype Tools, Do More menu (requirement is that Skype Extras Manager is installed).

We activated the auto update for Pamela Call Recorder as well as we think the new version has several important fixes. People starting Pamela Call Recorder with an olderversion number then 4.5.0.49 will receive an automatic update notification.

The new store is much simpler to navigate and find your way around. In addition it finally provides decent multi-currency support and can handle a large number of credit card processing systems. We still have PayPal but we replaced 2CheckOut with Worldpay. We added Google Checkout who are the only ones that offer Amex support and a really simple and easy payment process. In future we might look at adding systems for particular countries.

The store layout is much cleaner and we have been able to add more license packs, now also for Pamela Call Recorder. Each product can be viewed in detail, you can see exactly what a particular edition offers, what the requirements are and there is even a direct download option. In the past this was often confusing, having the download and purchase on separate pages – people occasionally purchased the wrong license. This should improve with the new store.

The backend side has also improved, you can now login to your account and see your purchase history. The system also provides you with the ability to lookup your activation key and download an invoice for your purchase. For companies within EU we offer the ability to enter the EU-VAT number and purchase without VAT.

The upgrade process has also significantly improved. You login to the store, select a product from the upgrade category, enter your old activation key at checkout and the previous paid price is subtracted from the basket. You only pay the difference. Note though that the entered key is disabled afterwards.

So, with this upgrade we hope you will find it easier to find the right product, with the right currency which fits your need. As always, any comments are greatly appreciated.

First of all we are currently finalizing a major PamFax overhaul. This is neccessary due to the many changes and new features added since lauch in August 2007. Those areas that were not yet using our latest platform architecture have been ported to that. The result is more flexibility for future enhancements and a slight increase in performance on the user side as well as improves server utilization.

Most importantly though we have sort of silently launched the new PamFax credit packs and the Pro Plan. These are available via the new store at www.pamfax.biz/shop. The packs provide you with a significant discount and the Pro Plan also makes faxing really attractive. The Pay As You Go  prices have been lowered as we were able to negotiate better rates due to the increased volume. Keep faxing and we’ll try to keep pushing the prices down!

With the mentioned platform update we will also make available a new function for business users called the PamFax Business Control Panel. Very similar to the BCP you have at Skype, our BCP allows you to create a group and add Skypenames to the group to provide them with PamFax credit. We also provide the owner of the group with a set of tools to control the account, auto top up users, add/remove users and a lot more. This is a great function for companies using Skype with PamFax. And the good news, using the PamFax BCP is totally free!

We are working on a new Pamela for Skype release (4.5) which has two main new functions. One is a call scheduler which allows you to schedule Skype calls and Pamela will remind you of them automatically. Never miss a call anymore! The other function is automatic conference call manager. Ever needed to join or initiate a conference call and either the time zone or other commitments did not allow you to be at the PC? Well, now Pamela will help you with that. So, stay tuned for more news as the release date comes closer (yes, I wrote a post few months ago saying the same but we want to make sure the new release is as solid as possible).

Our Pamela Call Recorder product already has an update made public. Version 4.5 can be downloaded for free from www.pamcorder.com. Pamela Call Recorder is available in Skype under the tools menu and then Do More (just like PamFax). We’re going to release a minor update shortly with an automatic version check module facilitate an auto-update function. This is important as we want to inform people when there are new releases.

We at PamConsult wish everyone a relaxing holiday season and you will hear from us again shortly.

We are very proud to welcome our fourth add-on for Skype in the “Skype certified” family: Pamela for Skype was the first add-on that passed this certification by Skype at all, then our mcePhone for Skype was the second one, Pamela Call Recorder for Skype (which is also Skype Premium directly under Tools -> Do More in every Skype) and now there is also PamFax for Skype as Skype certified add-on application.

Is there any other company out there which has 4 Skype add-ons certified by Skype?