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I'm currently looking for a white labeled chat system for my organization's internal chat. It needs to have the the capabilities of maintaining multiple chat windows as well as have the option for group chats.

I'm looking into iFlyChat and chatwee right now but I'd like more input or advice on other products if possible.

Requirements

  • capabilities of maintaining multiple chat windows
  • option for group chats (public and private group chats/rooms)
  • can be integrated into our current online WordPress platform. As it is currently, the chat system is only for online use so mobile is not necessary. However some staff work remote, if that makes a difference. They login in through the site, and we want to keep it that way rather than having them install software on their computer.
  • one on one chat (support for supervisors and counselors)

Our organizations takes sms from users but that's taken care of through another product. We need one on one chat support for supervisors and counselors, however we also need the ability for public and private group chats/rooms. The chat system we have in place right now was made in house from scratch and has many bugs and cannot handle multiple windows open at once, which is the reason we are now looking for an off the shelf solution.

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  • Please be a bit more specific. Maybe the server on which it should be installed? Should it be an application or a website? Should it be able to transfer files between each others, desktop sharing features, etc.? – Ionic Jul 13 '15 at 14:36
  • Sorry for all the confusion. The site is run on wordpress so any integrations would have to be compatible with wp. – Brian Jul 13 '15 at 15:38
  • Thanks, Brian! That should help people figure. So let's remove our comments now, as you've already integrated everything fine with the question itself. Good luck! Guess Steve's answer looks promising (just don't know about WP integration). – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 16:28
  • PS: from Ionic's comment above, one point still open is whether file transfers / desktop sharing are required (I may add: "or welcome / nice-too-have", as at least the latter might be hard with a web-based solution). – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 16:30
  • No, those features aren't needed. The group chat will at times be used for observations between a counselor and a texter, but that chat room should be able to become a group chat with others being able to watch but not communicate if the room if that makes sense. besides that the rooms and conversations would just be used for communication. There is currently no need for anything else. – Brian Jul 13 '15 at 16:44
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Cisco Jabber is a commercial product offering a multi-window multi-conversation platform with the following features, (quoted from their features list):

  • Easily access voice, video, presence, instant messaging, voice messaging, desktop sharing, and conferencing capabilities.
  • Reduce delays with real-time presence information and instant messaging. View users' availability and chat with individuals or groups, within and outside your organization.
  • Cisco Jabber is a soft phone with HD video and desktop sharing capabilities.
  • On your iPad. Access presence, instant messaging (IM), voice, video, voice messaging, and conferencing, from anywhere. Join telepresence meetings when you are away from the office.
  • Integrated with Microsoft Office
  • Clients for:
    • Android
    • Blackberry
    • iPhone and iPad
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Web interface to use from Internet Cafe, etc.

I am not sure on pricing as I use Jabber at my work.

Update

The Jabber SDK allows integration with just about any web based products including, I suspect, WordPress based sites. Also the cross platform nature of Jabber tells me that Cisco are serious about making it well supported in just about any context.

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  • Can it "be integrated into our current online platform", as requested by the OP? You name a "web interface", so it at least looks possible :) – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 15:33
  • @Izzy Since the OP does not specify what current systems it needs to be integrated with I refrained from speculating but since there is both a web interface and a SDK I suspect with a little work integration will be possible - updating the answer to reflect. – Steve Barnes Jul 13 '15 at 15:56
  • Right you are (also see my comment on the question, I've already asked the OP to specify details on that). Just thought you might have heard of/seen it integrated with some other platform, which then might give a pointer at least. // Well, definitely the better alternative to Lync I guess (even using an open protocol), so here's my +1 :) – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 16:02
  • Thank's for the help, I'm looking into it now – Brian Jul 13 '15 at 18:22
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Microsoft Lync supports single and group chat and also there are options to share screen, Video and Voice call, online meeting feature and calendar integrated into it.
Now it has been redesigned to Skype_for_Business. You need to register your organization with microsoft and purchase licence for this.

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  • So does Lync have the possibility to "be integrated into our current online platform"? Can you please explicitly point out how it meets the other requirements? (not your fault, I know, as those just were added to the question – so no offense meant at all!) – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 15:31
  • @Izzy No lync doesn't have the feature of private group chat. Basically I dont understand what public and private group chat is. Let me assume that within organization employees chatting is private chat and adding public skype people to chat with employees as public chat. Moreover Lync cannot be integrated into web. Actually Lync is used only for internal communication with in an organization or between organization. It can't be used to interact with people who are visiting our websites. So I get a picture of chat application that can be used in customer care center. I will come back again. – BarathVutukuri Jul 13 '15 at 16:21
  • Well, Lync actually does have private (1:1) chat, I've used it this way at a customers place. It also has goup chat (n:m, i.e. multiple people participate in the same discussion), as that's what the same customer uses for "conferences" with people at different subsidiaries. But I don't see how it can be integrated with any web platform (here: Wordpress, as OP just updated). When you figured whether it does, please edit your answer and let us know. I don't see a problem with an answer saying "fits all but one requirement". – Izzy♦ Jul 13 '15 at 16:26

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