Computer telephony integration: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be coordinated}}

{{Forabout|computer telephony integration|cyber threat intelligence|Cyber threat intelligence|the telephony API in [[Microsoft Windows]]|Telephony Application Programming Interface}}

{{unreferenced|date=July 2024}}

'''Computer -telephony integration''', also called '''computer–telephone integration''' or '''CTI''', is a commongeneral nameterm for any technologytechnologies that allowscoordinate interactions on abetween [[telephone|telephones]] and a [[computer|computers]] to be coordinated. The term is predominantly used to describe [[desktop computer|desktop]]-based interactionapplications forthat helping users beimprove moreuser efficientefficiency, though it can also refer to server-based functionality such as automatic [[phone call|call]] [[routing]].

==Common functions==

===By application type===

CTI applications tend to run on either a user's desktop, or an unattended server.

;Common desktop functions provided by CTI applications

*[[Screen pop|Screen popping]] - Call information display (caller's number ([[Automatic number identification|ANI]]), number dialed ([[DNIS]]), and [[Screen pop]] on answer, with or without using calling line data. Generally this is used to search a business application for the caller's details.

*Dialing - [[Autodialer|Automatic dialing]] and computer-controlled dialing (power dial, preview dial, and [[predictive dialer|predictive dial]]).

*Phone control - Includes call control (answer, hang up, hold, conference, etc.) and feature control (DND, call forwarding, etc.).

*Transfers - Coordinated phone and data transfers between two parties (i.e., pass on the [[Screen pop]] with the call.).

*[[Call center]] - Allows users to log in as a call center agent and control their agent state (Ready, Busy, Not ready, Break, etc.).

;Common server functions provided by CTI applications

*Call routing - The automatic routing of calls to a new destination based on criteria normally involving a database lookup of the caller's number (ANI) or number dialed (DNIS).

*Advanced call reporting functions - Using the detailed data that comes from CTI to provide better-than-normal call reporting.

*[[call recording software|Voice recording]] integration - Using data from CTI to enrich the data stored against recorded calls.

===By connection type===

Computer-phone connections can be split into two categories:

;First-party call control

:Operates as if there is a direct connection between the user's computer and the phone set. Examples are a [[modem]] or a phone plugged directly into the computer. Typically, only the computer associated with the phone can control it by sending commands directly to the phone and thus this type of connection is suitable for desktop applications only. The computer can generally control all the functions of the phone at the computer user's discretion.

;Third-party call control

:Interactions between arbitrary numbers of computers and telephones are made through and coordinated by a dedicated [[telephony server]]. Consequently, the server governs which information and functions are available to a user. The user's computer generally connects to the telephony server over the local network.

==History and main CTI technologies==

The origins of CTI can be found in simple screen population (or "[[screen pop]]") technology. This allows data collected from the telephone systems to be used as input data to query databases with customer information and populate that data instantaneously in the customer service representative screen. The net effect is the agent already has the required screen on his/her terminal before speaking with the customer.

This technology started gaining widespread adoption in markets like North America and West European countries.

There were several standards which had a major impact in the ´normalization´ of in the industry, previously fully closed and proprietary to each [[Private branch exchange|PBX]]/[[Automatic call distributor|ACD]] vendor. On the software level, the most adopted interface by vendors is the [[Computer-supported telecommunications applications|CSTA]] standard, which is approved by the standards body [[ITU]]. Other well known CTI standards in the industry are [[JTAPI]], [[TSAPI]] and [[Telephony Application Programming Interface|TAPI]]: JTAPI, the Java Telephony API is promoted by Sun; TSAPI, originally promoted by the AT&T (later Lucent then [[Avaya]]) and [[Novell]]; Microsoft pushed their own initiative also, and thus TAPI was born, with support mostly from Windows applications. All of these standards required the [[Private branch exchange|PBX]] vendor to write a specific driver, and initially support for this was slow.

Among the key players in this area, [[Lucent]] played a big role and [[IBM]] acquired [[ROLM]] Inc, a US pioneer in ACDs, in an attempt to normalize all major PBX vendor interfaces with its CallPath [[middleware]]. This attempt failed when it sold this company to [[Siemens AG]] and gradually divested in the area. A pioneer startup that combined the technologies of voice digitization, Token Ring networking, and [[time-division multiplexing]] was ZTEL of [[Wilmington, Massachusetts]]. ZTEL's computer-based voice and data network combined user-programmable voice call processing features, protocol conversion for automated "data call processing," database-driven directory and telset definitions, and custom LSI chipset technology. ZTEL ceased operation in 1986.

Two other important players were [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] and Tiger Software (now Mondago). Digital Equipment Corporation developed [[CT Connect]] which includes vendor abstraction middleware. CT Connect was then sold to [[Dialogic Corporation|Dialogic]], which in turn was purchased by Intel. This CTI software, known as CT Connect, was most recently sold in 2005 to Envox Worldwide. Tiger Software produced the SmartServer suite which was primarily aimed at allowing CRM application vendors to add CTI functionality to their existing applications with minimal effort. Later, and after changing their name to Mondago, Tiger Software went on to produce the Go Connect server application, which is aimed at providing at helping other CTI vendors integrate with a wider range of telephone systems.

By 2008, most PBX vendors had aligned themselves behind one or two of the [[Telephony Application Programming Interface|TAPI]], CSTA or [[TSAPI]] standard. The TSAPI advocates were: Avaya, [[Telrad]]. The CSTA advocates were: Siemens (now Unify), [[Aastra]], [[DeTeWe]], [[Toshiba]], [[Panasonic]]. The majority (see main [[Telephony Application Programming Interface|TAPI]] article for detail) preferred TAPI. A few vendors promoted proprietary standards: [[Mitel]], [[Broadsoft]], [[Digium]] and most hosted platforms. CT Connect and Go Connect thus provided an important translation middle-layer, allowing the PBX to communicate in its preferred protocol, while an application can communicate using its preferred protocol.

Many of the early CTI vendors and developers have changed hands over the years. An example is Nabnasset, an [[Acton, Massachusetts]] firm that developed a [[CORBA]] based CTI solution for a client and then decided to make it into a general product. It merged with Quintus, a [[customer relationship management]] company, which went bankrupt and was purchased by Avaya Telecommunications. Smaller organisations have also survived from the early days and have leveraged their heritage to thrive. However, many of the 1980s startups that were inspired by the "[[Bell System divestiture|Bell Breakup]]" and the coming competitive telephony marketplace, did not survive the decade.

On the hardware level, there was a paradigm shift since 1993, with emerging standards from [[IETF]], which led to several new players like [[Dialogic Corporation|Dialogic]], [[Brooktrout Technology]] (now part of Dialogic), Natural MicroSystems (also now part of Dialogic), & [[Aculab]] offering telephony interfacing boards for various networks and elements.

Until 2011, it was the makers of telephone systems that implemented CTI technologies such as [[Telephony Application Programming Interface|TAPI]] and CSTA. But after this time, a wave of handsets become popular that were independently made. These handsets would connect to the telephone systems using standards such as [[Session Initiation Protocol|SIP]] and consumers could easily buy their telephone system from one vendor and their handsets from another. However, this situation led to poor quality CTI since the protocols (ie SIP) were not really suitable for third-party control.

So, handset vendors started to add support for CTI directly. Initially this would be over proprietary HTTP methods, but in time [[uaCSTA]] (aka TR/87) became popular and by 2016 most SIP handsets support uaCSTA control. These include: [[Snom]] (the first to pioneer it), {{Ill|Yealink|zh|亿联网络}}, [[Akuvox]], Panasonic and Aastra.

==Types of CTI==

* '''Omnichannel CTI:''' The [[Omnichannel]] CTI solution seamlessly integrates various [[Communication channel|communication channels]], including voice calls, chat, email, and social media, into a unified interface. It empowers agents to handle multiple customer interactions concurrently, regardless of the channel. This solution is favored by organizations managing high volumes of interactions, aiming to provide excellent [[Customer experience|customer experiences]] across all channels.

* '''On-Premise CTI:''' On-Premise CTI solutions are hosted within the customer's [[Local area network|local network]]. They require hardware and software [[Installation (computer programs)|installations]] on the customer's infrastructure, along with ongoing maintenance and management. Typically adopted by large organizations, these systems offer greater control and customization, but they demand more resources for upgrades and upkeep.

* '''Serverless CTI:''' The Serverless [https://www.novelvox.com/cti-connector/ CTI solution] operates without dedicated infrastructure or [[Server (computing)|servers]]. It relies on [[Cloud-based software|cloud-based]] infrastructure provided by third-party service providers. This pay-as-you-go model allows users to pay only for actual usage without worrying about underlying infrastructure. It offers rapid deployment, scalability, and cost savings compared to [[On-premises software|on-premises]] solutions, making it a preferred choice for small organizations with less complex communication needs.

* '''Browser-Based CTI:''' Browser-Based CTI solutions enable the integration of [[telephony]] and computer systems via a web browser. Users can make and receive calls, send messages, and manage call-related data directly from the browser. This CTI type eliminates the need for additional [[Computer hardware|hardware]] and [[software]] installations, offering a streamlined and convenient approach to telephony integration.

==See also==

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* [[Telephony Application Programming Interface]] (TAPI)

* [[Telephony Server Application Programming Interface]] (TSAPI)

* [[WindowPhone]]

* [[Computer-supported telecommunications applications]] (CSTA)

* [[Multi-Vendor Integration Protocol]]

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==External links==

* {{curlie|Computers/Speech_Technology/Telephony/|Speech Technology / Telephony}}

* [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/techreports/E-TR-087.htm User Agent CSTA (uaCSTA) - TR/87 - ECMA International]