Meet TrueConf Server 5.0, a major update of our video conferencing and collaboration system. The new version brings advanced team messaging capabilities and gives you the flexibility to use your account, receive calls and messages on multiple devices. Additionally, we’ve added a number of useful security features, enabled PIN-protected meetings and much more!
Table of Contents
Keep synced across multiple devices
With this update, you can use your TrueConf account on multiple devices simultaneously. Receive incoming calls, join meetings and exchange messages whether at the workplace or on the go from your favorite device – a PC, smartphone or tablet. Your chat history is automatically synced across all your gadgets.
New presence statuses
With new user statuses, you can quickly see your colleagues’ availability and learn some additional context about them.
Apart from default Online and Offline statuses, you can enjoy the following options:
- “Away” — automatically set after 15 minutes of user’s inactivity
- “Do Not Disturb” — a custom focus mode status that disables chat notifications and informs your colleagues that you are not willing to join meetings right now
- “On the phone” / “On the Terminal” — the user is connected from a mobile device or an H.323/SIP endpoint
- “Recently active” — a user is logged in the mobile app, but it is not running. Users with this status will receive notifications about incoming calls on their devices.
Team messaging
Previously we told you about TrueConf 8, a next-generation team messaging app, and TrueConf 2.0 for Android, a major update of our mobile app.
Starting from TrueConf Server 5.0, team messaging capabilities are fully available for TrueConf 8 desktop apps and TrueConf 2.0 for Android users.
Group chats
Previously, group chats were only available during active conferences. With this update, you can connect with your team before, during and after meeting in persistent group chats. Communicate with your colleagues asynchronously from any device, as your chat history is automatically synced.
Conversation members can view chat information, while owners can edit the chat name and image.
New chat features
With this update, TrueConf Server can be used as a self-hosted team messaging platform for business communications. We have added advanced chat features:
- edit your own messages
- delete messages locally and globally for all chat members
- forward and reply to messages
- copy, forward and delete messages in bulk
In addition, you can quickly search your chat history and edit, forward and reply to the messages you’ve found. Delivered and Seen statuses help you check if your message has been delivered to the recipient: a single check mark next to each message means that your message was successfully sent, while a double check mark means that the recipient has read your message.
You can mention users in chats or share a contact from your address book by typing your colleague’s username (@username).
Shared file storage
All files shared in the group chat can be viewed in a separate window where you can quickly find necessary documents, images and other files sent by your colleagues.
Video conferencing: New features and improved UI
New video layouts
We’ve added two new video layouts that help you prioritize speakers during important meetings. Depending on the chosen layout, you can place one large speaker at the center of the screen or put two speakers on top of other participants.
New conference page and lightweight launcher
On the conference webpage you can now choose one of the available join options: from the app or from your browser. If you choose the application option, the system will either download the application to your device or run your existing application. We have improved a lightweight launcher for Windows to streamline meeting experience for invited participants.
Join meetings via QR code
Now you can quickly join a conference with a QR code. To connect to a public or private conference, you only need to scan the QR code with your smartphone camera or with the camera connected to the PC where TrueConf Room is running.
Please note that this feature is available only for the users of the latest versions of TrueConf for iOS or Android app.
PIN-protected meeting
When creating private and public conferences, administrators and users can now set a PIN to additionally secure the conference from third-party access.
Please note that PIN-protected meetings can be accessed by the users of TrueConf desktop apps or WebRTC users. Mobile and SIP/H.323 user access will become available in one of the upcoming releases.
Managing meetings from TrueConf Server control panel
It is now possible to manage real-time meetings remotely, without the need to join them. This option is designed to simplify meeting management for the administrators and meeting owners that are not planning to participate in them directly.
The real-time meeting management tool is now available for all meeting moderators. Previously, only owners and operators were able to do it.
Real-time meeting management tool
We’ve updated the look of real-time meeting management tool designed to make it easier to change video layouts and control participants’ devices remotely.
This page can be accessed from TrueConf applications, personal area or from the TrueConf Server control panel.
Disable participants’ cameras and microphones upon entry
When scheduling a conference, users and administrators can choose to disable cameras and/or microphones of all participants joining the meeting. This option will make it easier to manage large important video meetings and get rid of unnecessary noise.
Compliance with data sovereignty laws
To meet the requirements of data sovereignty laws (e.g. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)), you can now upload your custom documents (e.g. “Privacy Policy”, “Terms of Use” and “Cookie policy”) and display cookie notifications on your TrueConf Server public webpages (e.g., guest page or meeting page).
“Dashboard” section
Now you can find detailed information about your TrueConf Server instance in the Statistics section on the control panel. Here you can closely analyze your video conferencing usage at different periods of time.
For example, in the “Real-time monitoring” chart you can see the number of online users, active conferences, SIP/H.323 and guest connections.
Each graph constitutes a separate module that can be expanded to full screen if desired. By default, the following values are displayed here:
- General information on the number of active conferences, online users and guest connections
- Network state
- CPU usage
- Disk space information
- License usage
- Active conference statistics
- Service statuses.
Other useful enhancements
- TrueConf built-in client app has been updated to v. 8.0.1
- New TrueConf Server registration page. We made your experience even more convenient by adding handy hints that quickly let you know how to get the registration key. We’ve additionally changed the error messages to make them more meaningful and comprehensive
- If participants turn off the cameras, their avatars will apear instead in the video layout received by other users (including WebRTC participants, SIP/H.323 endpoints). The avatars will also be displayed in conference recordings and during streaming
- When creating a conference, you can now set the location of the conference, which will be displayed in the conference control panel and in the user’s personal area
- Updated conference modes names:
- symmetric conference changed to “All on screen”
- asymmetric conference changed to “Video lecture”
- TrueConf Server administrators can now add helpful information for the users on the guest page (available by clicking the “Help” button)
- Users of TrueConf desktop and mobile applications participating in a meeting hosted on TrueConf MCU via H.323 protocol can now exchange and view text messages
- The conference owner can now change the meeting description even after it starts
- Extended support for Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew, Khmer, Lao, Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese localizations.
You can view the full list of changelogs here.
