Vision Helpdesk now supports Google Apps (Gmail POP3, SMTP, IMAP with SSL)

What is Google Apps ?

Google Apps

Google Apps is a service from Google for using custom domain names with several Google products. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites, including: Gmail, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites.

How to Configure your Domain Name with Google Hosted Email Account?

Sign up to the Google Hosted Account, Verify your domain ownership by doing one of these steps :

• Put a HTML file in the root directory of your webserver or
• Edit your CName record in your domain control panel

Simple way is by putting the HTML verification file in your root / public_html directory.

After Google has verified it, the next step is setting up MX records — One needs to setup following MX records –

aspmx.l.google.com. [10]
alt1.aspmx.l.google.com. [20]
alt2.aspmx.l.google.com. [30]
aspmx2.googlemail.com. [40]
aspmx3.googlemail.com. [50]
aspmx4.googlemail.com. [60]
aspmx5.googlemail.com. [70]

Here 10, 20, 30 etc represents MX record priority.

Next is setup SPF record for your domain –

“v=spf1 include:aspmx.googlemail.com ~all”

Once this is done you can add users emails in your google apps — example you can simply create email accounts like anything@yourdomain.com

How to use Google Hosted emails with Vision Helpdesk ?

Now that you have created google hosted emails - In Vision Helpdesk you can use it just like your normal emails.

In Vision Helpdesk Admin Section Admin Mail Parser Insert Queue

Add your google hosted email with Pop3 SSL or IMAP  SSL option.

In Incoming Mail Server Settings you have to set — pop.gmail.com or pop.googlemail.com

Setting up cron to fetch emails while using pop or imap

Set up a cron for every 5 mins to fetch emails –

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/GET http://www.domainname.com/support/manage/cron.php >/dev/null 2>/dev/null

That’s it

Benefits of Using Google Hosted Emails over normal emails.

GMail

1. It is free.
2. It boasts incredible spam detection and filtering
3. It provides great ways of organizing and labeling incoming messages.
4. Conversation threads are automatically grouped, making each request easy to follow until resolution.
5. much more…

Ping! Zine, the leading web hosting magazine publisher, today announced their new partnership with TheVisionWorld.com. With this partnership Ping! Zine will now offer “Free Vision Helpdesk Annual License” as a gift to their magazine readers and subscribers.

Vision Helpdesk is the ultimate modern help desk software, capable of handling multiple companies with various support areas and organize staff to their zones allowing the highest efficiency for support ticket replies. “Vision” provides the optimum combination of call management automation, functionality and flexibility, delivering a comprehensive Helpdesk solution that satisfies most of the IT service management requirements.

“Since 2002, our readers have valued Ping! Zine’s central role in providing thoughtful news and analysis of the hosted services industry. Today we’re excited to join forces with our sponsor, Vision, to offer its next-generation Help Desk software for free, a $199 value,” said Keith Duncan, publisher of Ping! Zine Web Hosting Magazine.

“Ping! Zine needs no introduction, we know it’s one of the most widely read print magazine for the web hosting industry. Ping! Zine currently distributes to over 45,000 plus readers. What better way to reach the webhosting market?” said Preeti Sharma, HR at TheVisionWorld.com.

For more information about Ping! Zine please visit - http://PingZine.com Also check out Vision Helpdesk Screenshots, Online Demo & Free Trial at http://TheVisionWorld.com