Comm100 Chat (Free, open source chat service)

Chat application is requirement of every merchant website either that website works as showcase of products of company or shopping cart where user may purchase any product. It is advantage for any website if user checks the product on website and can get detailed information about that product at a time from live chat support system. Concept looks small but it will cover the market in future and shortly the enterprise will make this facility to part of their business because customer support will play important part in online sale.

During the searching process of Chat components for my clients, I found a superb chat service comm100 (http://com100.com), which was free, easy to customize and embed. In this service we may generate a script which can be place anywhere in page (in body tag), where we want to show the Chat Link to Customer.

Withing minutes I generated the script code. It was so user friendly environment that any one can do in easy steps. When at one place I stuck, when i was creating a chat operator, live chat representative of comm100 helped me who was online.

Expectations As a website owner, what is basic requirement of a chat application.

(1) Chat Customize facility

• Easy to customize. User friendly environment
• Customize the layout of window.
• Manage the fields which will be asked when user will click on chat window, and which fields are mandatory.
• Easy to embed in website. A small script tag where the chat functionality will be open. No need to worry about the bandwidth, data security or privacy. All is secured at comm100 secured servers.
• Own image for live chat which will show to visitor.
• Chat window look and feel should be according to company who is using it (Show Company logo on chat window, Customize Header Image)

(2) No downtime
(3) One click answer
(4) Track who is in queue or waiting for answer
(5) Real time tracking: Track who is online on website and on which page
(6) Single person can handle multiple queries
(7) Away status mode: Operator is online but if he do not want to handle query by chat, only wants to receive the query by email.
(8) If person is not online then a mail of query should be go to Admin (Specific email id)

(9) One person (Admin) can control all operators

• Create operators (Create different logins for different departments)
• Edit any operator's information
• Track records of visitors and operators like which visitor was attended by which operator
• Convey messages to other operators from one window like private messaging
• Check which operator is online and who is offline
• Monitor chat invisibly (Admin can monitor operator's and visitor's chat without interrupting or knowledge of operator).
• If Visitor is not satisfy with operator's chat and than Admin can Join that chat session.

(10)Convey messages to other operators like private messaging.
(11) Easy to send predefined urls to visitor when chatting (canned urls).
(12)Easy to send predefined messages to visitor when chatting (canned messages).
(13) Special sound alerts: create a sound when some specific activity happens.

(14) Chatting Options:

• Accept chat: Just select any IP address or person and accept chat
• If any person is spamming or wasting time then operator can Refuse his request.
• Visitor is online and Operator want to attend his. Then Operator can Invite him for chat. A predefined image for invitation will appear and after clicking by user may start chat.
• Track of chat with chat history
• Create tickets when chatting (If any customer have any problem and discuss with operator, then operator may open ticket on behalf of that customer from his chat window). Operator can also check existing ticket if already opened.
• Check the Time zone, City, State, Browser (All information of Visitor's PC and location)
• Check the visitor is on chat is first time or how many times he visited before this.
• 
  

Required for Visitor:

• User friendly layout
• Email Chat script
• Voice chat
• Send any attachment to operator
• Capture the screen shot

Script Code Help for developer or website admin who is customizing the code for website

Usually on image a visitor may click and can open the chat window.
If  want chat window on Text. Example code is like:

       
 < div id="comm100_LiveChatDiv">
 < /div>
 < a href="http://www.comm100.com/livechat/" 
 onclick="comm100_Chat();return false;" target="_blank"
title="Live Chat" class="linkChat">< span id="comm100_ButtonImage">Live Sales Chat
< script src="http://chatserver.comm100.com/js/LiveChat.js?
siteId=siteid&planId=planid" type="text/javascript">< /script>
 < div id="comm100_track" style="z-index: 99;">
 
             

If want on use image different from (assigned in) Control Panel

< div id="comm100_LiveChatDiv">

 < a href="http://www.comm100.com/livechat/" 
onclick="comm100_Chat();return false;" target="_blank" title="Live Chat">
< span id="comm100_ButtonImage">< img src="../images/inner/img_liveChat.jpg" 
alt="" border="0">
< script src="http://chatserver.comm100.com/js/LiveChat.js?siteId=SiteId
&planId=planid" temp_src="http://chatserver.comm100.com/js/LiveChat.js?
siteId=SiteId&planId=planid" type="text/javascript">< /script>
< div id="comm100_track" style="z-index: 99;">


 

As I like this service and found very valuable, I referred this to my many friends. Due to client Conditions, I can not disclose websites where i used. I used this on two websites. Shortly I will implement on my website xpode.com as site is under designing. Useful links of comm100 are :

(1) Chat Operator or Admin Login screen:

https://hosted.comm100.com/admin/login.aspx

(2) Help
http://comm100.com/knowledgebase/

(3) New additions of Comm100 Chat
https://beta.comm100.com/admin/Whatisnew.aspx

(4) Admin/Operator section help (with images step by step)
http://comm100.com/knowledgebase/screenshots.aspx

Click here to go on website