CT ==>
Computer Telephone Integration
<communications> (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 desktop version 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)
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