Computer Telephone Integration

(communications)(CTI or "- Telephony -") Enabling computersto know about and control telephony functions such as makingand receiving voice, fax, and data calls, telephonedirectory services, and caller identification. Theintegration of telephone and computer systems and is a majordevelopment in the evolution of the automated office.

CTI is not a new concept - such links have been used in thepast in large telephone networks - but only dedicated callcentres could justify the costs of the required equipmentinstallation. Primary telephone service providers are nowbeginning to offer information services such as Automatic Number Identification and Dialled Number Identification Service on a scale wide enough for its implementation tobring real value to business or residential telephone usage.A new generation of applications (middleware) is beingdeveloped as a result of standardisation and availability oflow cost computer-telephony links. This can link personal computers with telephones and/or a local area server with aPBX. Leading telephony and software vendors such asAT&T, British Telecom, IBM, Novell, Microsoft andIntel are developing better telephony services andcapabilities which should eventually enable low cost CTI.

The main CTI functions are integrating messaging withdatabases, 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 receivingcalls, forwarding and conferencing; call and dataassociation - provision of information about the caller fromdatabases or other applications automatically before the callis answered or transferred; speech synthesis and speech recognition; automatic logging of call related informationfor invoicing purposes or callback.

Typical productivity benefits are improved customer service;increased productivity; reduced costs; enhanced workflowautomation; 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 newbreed of middleware.

CTI came out of the 1980s call centre boom, where it linkedcentral servers and IVRs with PBXes to provide calltransfer and screen popping. In the 1990s, efforts weremade by several vendors, such as IBM, Novell TSAPI andMicrosoft TAPI, to provide a version for desktop computersthat would allow control of a desktop telephone and assist inhot desking.

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

See also Telephony Application Programming Interface.

单词	computer telephone integration
释义	Computer Telephone Integration Computer Telephone Integration (communications)(CTI or "- Telephony -") Enabling computersto know about and control telephony functions such as makingand receiving voice, fax, and data calls, telephonedirectory services, and caller identification. Theintegration of telephone and computer systems and is a majordevelopment in the evolution of the automated office. CTI is not a new concept - such links have been used in thepast in large telephone networks - but only dedicated callcentres could justify the costs of the required equipmentinstallation. Primary telephone service providers are nowbeginning to offer information services such as Automatic Number Identification and Dialled Number Identification Service on a scale wide enough for its implementation tobring real value to business or residential telephone usage.A new generation of applications (middleware) is beingdeveloped as a result of standardisation and availability oflow cost computer-telephony links. This can link personal computers with telephones and/or a local area server with aPBX. Leading telephony and software vendors such asAT&T, British Telecom, IBM, Novell, Microsoft andIntel are developing better telephony services andcapabilities which should eventually enable low cost CTI. The main CTI functions are integrating messaging withdatabases, 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 receivingcalls, forwarding and conferencing; call and dataassociation - provision of information about the caller fromdatabases or other applications automatically before the callis answered or transferred; speech synthesis and speech recognition; automatic logging of call related informationfor invoicing purposes or callback. Typical productivity benefits are improved customer service;increased productivity; reduced costs; enhanced workflowautomation; 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 newbreed of middleware. CTI came out of the 1980s call centre boom, where it linkedcentral servers and IVRs with PBXes to provide calltransfer and screen popping. In the 1990s, efforts weremade by several vendors, such as IBM, Novell TSAPI andMicrosoft TAPI, to provide a version for desktop computersthat would allow control of a desktop telephone and assist inhot desking. Desktop CTI was made obsolete by the mobile phone revolution,e-mail and, above all, VoIP, and CTI has never advancedoutside the call centre. See also Telephony Application Programming Interface.
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