Some things are not working in ICB mode. Is this expected?

Environment:

Cobrowse

Resolution: 

Cobrowsing is achieved by utilizing one of two different technology approaches:  Instant Cobrowse (ICB) which utilizes HTML, and Advanced Cobrowse (ACB) which is a screen sharing based approach.

Each technology approach has advantages and disadvantages. All visual collaboration tools on the market today utilize one approach or the other – except Oracle Cobrowse. Oracle Cobrowse is the only solution that combines both technology approaches into one product, retaining the advantages of both categories and resolving the disadvantages as well. 

Instant Cobrowse Mode (ICB): Fastest connection– Oracle Cobrowse makes the initial connection between a customer and agent in Instant Mode. The launch time is typically under 10 seconds to connect. ICB mode allows agents to Cobrowse with customers who are viewing web content on pages where the company has placed the Cobrowse launcher script.

Advanced Cobrowse Mode (ACB): Greatest coverage– Agents can escalate to Advanced Mode from within an active session that was started in ICB mode. Occasionally sessions will start directly in ACB mode if ICB mode is not supported. ACB mode allows agents to view content outside of the company’s domain, including third party websites and desktop applications. ACB Mode utilizes browser plugins and may require that a customer accept a certificate or download an executable.

Instant Cobrowse (ICB) mode utilizes HTML in the following manner:

1. The Cobrowse engine, written in Javascript, collects a URL and page contents (including certain dynamic content like pop-ups, radio boxes, check boxes, etc.) and sends data to the Grid Server via a secure websocket connection.
2. The agent’s view retrieves this data via the same secure websocket connection and renders the contents received to an HTML page.
3. Ongoing data is captured and sent, including mouse moves, clicks, and keyboard events.

Because ICB mode does not use a screen sharing based approach, there are limitations to what elements or actions can be reflected on the agent's side of the Cobrowse session. The following is a list of these restrictions:

• Non-HTML Content - ICB supports only content which has standard HTML syntax. For example, if the end-user customer opens other content in the browser via a plugin (e.g. PDF files), ICB will not work.
• Flash Objects - Flash objects cannot be reflected in the Agent's view and they will be masked.
• Scrolling on some HTML elements - When the End-user (or Agent with full control) scrolls on HTML elements like "div" or "span", this event will not be reflected in the Agent's view. The exception is the "iFrame" element. Scrolling iFrames as well as scrolling a whole page will be reflected on the Agent's side.
• Drop-down lists - When the end-user customer clicks on a drop-down list, it opens all the options of the list. At that moment in the Agent's view, the drop-down list is displayed in a closed state. When the end-user selects an option the list closes with the selected option reflected on it. The option that the end-user selected will be displayed in the Agent's view. So the end-user's final selection is displayed on the Agent's side, but the open state of the drop-down list is not displayed. That same logic works when the Agent selects an option from the drop-down list having full control. In that case, the selected value is displayed on the end-user's browser but not the open state of the drop-down list.
  

In order to get past the ICB restrictions, the Cobrowse session must be escalated to Advanced Mode.

For further information, see Answer ID 8757: Documentation for Oracle Cobrowse.