Computer Telephone Integration
Computer Telephony
Computer Telephony Integration
CT

    (CTI or "- Telephony -") Enabling computers
   to know about and control telephony functions such as making
   and receiving voice, fax, and data calls, telephone
   directory services, and caller identification.  The
   integration of telephone and computer systems and is a major
   development in the evolution of the automated office.

   CTI is not a new concept - such links have been used in the
   past in large telephone networks - but only dedicated call
   centres could justify the costs of the required equipment
   installation.  Primary telephone service providers are now
   beginning to offer information services such as Automatic
   Number Identification and Dialled Number Identification
   Service on a scale wide enough for its implementation to
   bring real value to business or residential telephone usage.
   A new generation of applications (middleware) is being
   developed as a result of standardisation and availability of
   low cost computer-telephony links.  This can link personal
   computers with telephones and/or a local area server with a
   PBX.  Leading telephony and software vendors such as
   AT&T, British Telecom, IBM, Novell, Microsoft and
   Intel are developing better telephony services and
   capabilities which should eventually enable low cost CTI.

   The main CTI functions are integrating messaging with
   databases, word processors etc.; controlling voice, fax,
   and e-mail messaging systems from a single application
   program; graphical call control - using a graphical user
   interface to perform functions such as making and receiving
   calls, forwarding and conferencing; call and data
   association - provision of information about the caller from
   databases or other applications automatically before the call
   is answered or transferred; speech synthesis and speech
   recognition; automatic logging of call related information
   for invoicing purposes or callback.

   Typical productivity benefits are improved customer service;
   increased productivity; reduced costs; enhanced workflow
   automation; protected investment in computers and telephony;
   computerised telephony intelligence.

   IBM were one of the first with workable CTI, now sold as
   "CallPath".  Callware's Phonetastic is typical of the new
   breed of middleware.

   CTI came out of the 1980s call centre boom, where it linked
   central servers and IVRs with PBXes to provide call
   transfer and screen popping.  In the 1990s, efforts were
   made by several vendors, such as IBM, Novell TSAPI and
   Microsoft TAPI, to provide a version for desktop computers
   that would allow control of a desktop telephone and assist in
   hot desking.

   Desktop CTI was made obsolete by the mobile phone revolution,
   e-mail and, above all, VoIP, and CTI has never advanced
   outside the call centre.

   See also Telephony Application Programming Interface.

   (2003-12-04)