In our webinar, we covered key new features from PortaSwitch MR118–MR121, CloudPBX Portal, PortaPhone, and Add-on Mart—all designed to help you work smarter and grow your business.
PortaOne experts Mike Kidik and Svitlana Melnychuk presented new features that help providers stay competitive with flexible PBX solutions, ensure uninterrupted conversations across multiple devices, simplify contact management—and ultimately, stay profitable.
Webinar Summary & Highlights
No time to watch the full webinar? Here are all the key highlights from the presentation.
PortaSwitch improvements
Origin-based Charging and Routing for Better Service
PortaOne has introduced full-scale origin-based charging and routing in PortaSwitch (starting with MR120), a major enhancement beyond the previously limited two-level pricing models. Now, pricing can vary based on both destination and origination, supporting tariffs with multiple rate levels.
Key changes include:
- Rate codes and price selections: The former “destinations” are now called rate codes, with price selection rules defining which of the multiple prices specified in a rate is applied.
- Rates per code group: Tariffs can now define prices per rate code group (e.g., a country or network), not just per prefix.
- Extra rates can be added to or can override base rates: You can set origin-based rates to either replace or add to the base destination rates.
- New tariff upload: A redesigned interface supports both old and new tariff structures with improved usability and accuracy.
Revised bundle types for simplified administration
PortaOne has improved bundle management in PortaSwitch by introducing explicit bundle types, replacing the legacy volume discount plans that combined quotas, wallets, and discounts. The new bundle types include balance-dependent bundles, which are typically used for prepaid mobile services and can automatically renew based on the account’s balance; renewable by calendar bundles, which follow the behavior of traditional quotas and renew on a scheduled basis; and one-off with top-up bundles, which act like the old wallets and allow ad-hoc top-ups. These new bundle types offer clearer structure and easier management.
Faster & cheaper app development with simplified call control API
PortaOne has significantly simplified the development and configuration of voice applications by enhancing the Call Control API in PortaSIP. Two new methods—originate_call and connect_two_parties—have been introduced to make it easier to initiate calls from external applications like auto dialers and CRM-integrated click-to-dial tools, without requiring knowledge of PortaSIP internals. Additionally, IVR-related tasks have been streamlined with two methods: play for playing audio prompts and get_input for collecting DTMF input from callers, replacing the previously complex multi-step API calls.
Finally, setting up custom IVR applications no longer requires separate configuration in PortaSwitch. From MR120, simply creating an account and assigning a DID is enough—your custom IVR will be invoked by PortaSIP automatically when a call is received to that account, making the process faster and more cost-effective.
More competitive Cloud PBX / Call Center solution with Call Pull
A new feature in MR120 enhances Cloud PBX and call center services by allowing users to easily transfer an active call from one device to another. For example, a call center agent who starts a call on their mobile phone via PortaPhone can now switch the conversation to their desktop browser or another supported device without interrupting the call. This is done using an INVITE with REPLACES mechanism, enabling call pickup on another device that supports this SIP method.
Applications or phones must support monitoring active calls on other devices (e.g., via BLF) to initiate this transfer. This feature improves flexibility and usability for agents, especially those using multiple devices, and enhances the overall appeal of Cloud PBX solutions for business customers.
Call transfer/forward to call queue for simplified PBX administration
In MR119, PortaSwitch improves Cloud PBX functionality by ensuring that call queue behavior applies more consistently. Previously, when a call was transferred by an extension to a hunt group with a call queue, the queue was bypassed and the call could be dropped if all agents were busy. Now, such transferred calls are properly queued when needed. Similarly, calls forwarded from an account with a DID to a hunt group will also enter the queue if all agents are busy. The only exception remains intra-PBX calls between extensions, which still bypass the queue to maintain quick colleague-to-colleague communication. These changes enhance call handling reliability and simplify PBX setup for customers.
Provisioning of programmable keys to build a more competitive Cloud PBX solution
In MR120, PortaSwitch enhances IP phone auto-provisioning by introducing customer-level CPE profiles, making it easier to configure hardware phones for specific departments or individual users without needing manual setup or a large number of admin-created profiles. Customers can now manage their own device profiles directly from the CloudPBX portal, customizing programmable keys per device or group with features like BLF, call pickup, call parking, etc. This simplifies provisioning in organizations with varied needs while maintaining flexibility and ease of use, especially in regions where hardware IP phones remain popular.
Corporate phonebooks for a more flexible Cloud PBX solution
PortaSwitch adds support for corporate phone books as part of customer-level CPE profiles in the CloudPBX portal. Customers can now create and manage shared phone books with frequently dialed numbers like suppliers or partners, and assign them to all or selected IP phones. Additionally, they can enable an automatically generated phone book containing all company extensions and names, which updates dynamically without manual input. It’s a smarter, more flexible way to manage the Cloud PBX solution.
New PortaPhone features
The latest PortaPhone updates include popup call notifications in the web dialer, ensuring agents don’t miss calls even when working in other tabs, which is especially valuable in busy call centers. Additionally, the Web Widget now supports both blind and attendant call transfers, allowing agents to redirect calls directly from their CRM or Cloud PBX interface without switching tools. These enhancements aim to improve efficiency and customer experience, and the widget update will soon be available to all users.
What’s new in Add-on Mart
The latest Add-on Mart updates include a new white-label Mobile Account Self-Care app for Android, allowing users to manage their telecom accounts directly from their phones—topping up, viewing transactions, updating details, and managing subscriptions—without contacting customer service. Additionally, new Yealink and Polycom IP phone models are now supported for auto-provisioning, enabling quick setup for Cloud PBX users. Yealink devices now support real-time directory sync with Cloud PBX contacts, and customers can configure phone features and corporate phone books via the self-care portal. Directory sync for Polycom is in final testing and will be available soon.
What’s next for PortaSwitch?
Upcoming PortaSwitch features include detailed call center performance reports with statistics for hunt groups, call queues, and individual statistics of call center agents, all accessible via the CloudPBX portal. An AI-powered voice assistant inside PortaSwitch is in development to replace traditional auto attendants, enabling natural language interactions. Voicemail transcription via speech-to-text will soon be available, similar to the current call recording transcription. The legacy “Trace session” view for vendor XDRs will return alongside the modern way of browsing, giving users both options.
Meet PortaOne in person
PortaOne will be attending several upcoming trade shows to connect with our clients in person. These include M360 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan at the end of May, Mobile World Congress Africa in Rwanda, and AfricaTech in South Africa in November. We’d love to see you there!
Special offer: New Service Provisioning System (NSPS)
PortaOne introduced a new cloud-based service provisioning system designed to simplify and improve the integration of subscriber data into external platforms like Mobile Core and IPTV. Unlike the older ESPF system, this new solution uses separate event queues per connector, caches data to reduce API load, and allows third-party developers to easily build connectors without needing deep knowledge of PortaBilling internals. It’s built using a microservices approach, making it more modular and developer-friendly.
The special offer that we have for early adopters is that if you want to utilize this new provisioning system, we will waive all fees for the rest of 2025. And starting from 2026, you will get a discount that will be for the rest of the time you use this provisioning system. To get the access to this new provisioning system contact our sales.
Q&A session
Q: Do we have some sort of control on how many extensions are created by PBX customers?
A: Currently, there’s no direct way to limit how many extensions a PBX customer can create. The only related control is charging resellers based on extension count. To discuss your specific requirements, please contact PortaOne support.
Q: Are programmable keys for IP phones supported out-of-the-box for every IP phone?
А: Programmable key support isn’t universal and requires custom development per phone model. Currently, it’s available for three Yealink and three Polycom models, with plans to include it in future models as they’re added to the auto-provisioning system.
Q: Will the AI assistant be expanded to handle customer care tasks inside the Cloud PBX?
A: Yes, future versions of the AI assistant are planned to support customer care. Initially, it will use external functions like booking appointments in Google Calendar based on voice interaction. Over time, more capabilities will be added, such as custom instructions and additional integrations, depending on customer requests.
