HCL Connections: CR3 Now Available – A Recap of New Features in Recent Releases

Since the release of HCL Connections v8, our collaboration platform has undergone significant updates and improvements. Our most recent update, Connections 8.0.3 (CR3), is available now for download. Let’s take a moment to recap new features introduced in our recent releases, starting from the latest and working our way back.

Connections 8.0.3 (CR3) available now!

Connections 8.0.3 (CR3) brings a host of updates and improvements to the end user experience. Some of the key highlights include:

• Enhanced user interface focused on simplicity and intuitiveness
  • With our HCL Sametime integration, we have made changes to deliver a better user experience. The status bar has been moved to the Connections header, providing easier access to chat and status options, such as setting a custom status message. The user’s custom status message is now visible on the user’s profile and business card. Additionally, the Sametime status indicator now shows for each person on the “Important to Me” bar.
• Advanced security features to protect sensitive data
  • You can now configure HCL Connections to force all traffic that passes between a Connections server and a user’s web browser to be sent over TLS 1.3. This helps avoid security vulnerabilities in TLS 1.2 and earlier versions of SSL.
• Upgraded guidance for customizing Connections
  • With the UI redesign, there have been updates to guidance on applying customizations starting in Connections 8.0. Legacy approaches used in Connections 7.0 and earlier versions are now unsupported, although some of the methods might still work.

Connections 8.0.2 (CR2)

Connections 8.0.2 (CR2) introduced several enhancements and bug fixes to further augment the user experience. This includes integrations with additional HCLSoftware applications for increased productivity and collaboration. Here are some notable updates in CR2:

• Integration with HCL Leap – allows users to create applications such as polls and surveys to their communities
• HCL Sametime integration – enables a user’s profile and business card to display along with setting their status and starting Sametime chat conversations within HCL Connections
• HCL Connections mail plug-in support for HCL Verse – makes the collaboration experience with Connections more seamless, allowing for the optional configuration of “My Mail” and “My Calendar” plug-in to point to HCL Verse by default

Connections 8.0.1 (CR1)

Connections 8.0.1 (CR1) was the first update following the release of Connections 8.0, and it focused on addressing user feedback and bug fixes. Although this release did not introduce major feature updates, it played a crucial role in improving the overall stability and performance of the platform. Some key enhancements in CR1 include:

• Introduction of TinyMCE Editor – an alternative, rich-text editor, providing extra features and extensive customization options to users
• Bi-directional language support for Arabic and Hebrew – enables users to interact with Connections in their preferred language
• Improved onboarding tour for the new HCL Connections – quickly acquaint users with the latest offerings, introducing the new UI, and highlighting features such as supercharged search, new navigations and universal share and upload

With the recent release, HCL Connections continues to evolve and provide users with a powerful collaboration platform. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting new features in the future!

Click here to learn more about HCL Connections.