What is Computer-Telphony Integration?

Computer telephony integration (CTI), also called computer–telephone integration (or at VTSL, simply 'integrations'), is a common name for any technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be integrated or coordinated. The term is predominantly used to describe desktop-based interaction for helping users be more efficient, though it can also refer to server-based functionality such as automatic call routing.

Some of the things computer-telephony integration enables you to do

• Screen popping - Call information display (caller's number, number dialed, 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 - Automatic dialing and computer-controlled dialing (power dial, preview dial, and 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.).

• 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 integration - Using data from CTI to enrich the data stored against recorded calls.

These days most computer-telephony integrations are actually telephony-CRM system integrations. For a CTI implementation to be successful, it should be connected to the system where your data is stored, which is the CRM system for most organisations. 

By integrating your data and communications channels, teams have a unified view of a customer. Your agents can see all interactions with a specific caller, no matter the medium where those interactions took place. For example, if a customer is calling in to talk about an email they received, your agent can see the email in the CRM and offer a personalised experience. Moreover the acutal physical nature of communicating is simplified.  Agents can answer the phone with a click, dial with a click and transfer calls with a click.

Companies that adopt CTI successfully can expect cost savings, productivity gains and customer satisfaction improvements. However, equally important are the CTI adoption benefits that are less obvious: collaboration across parties, assistance in performance management and having more time and resources to focus on growing your business.

A good CTI solution will help you identify opportunities to work smarter and more efficiently across your business.  Ideally, the provider you choose will have bespoke integration capabilities that will ensure the solution is perfectly adapted to the unique needs of your business. 

For more information on CTI or telephony-CRM integrations, speak to our experts today and get a no-obligation quote for your business. Call 020 7078 3200 or email salesteam@vtsl.net.

About VTSL 

VTSL is the UK & Ireland's award-winning cloud communications provider helping businesses to work smarter and faster by using integrated technology.  With VTSL's VoIP business phone system, organisations are able to integrate other software systems, such as CRM solutions, for seamless working between applications. Other benefits, including call recording, auto attendants, mobile twinning and soft client applications enable businesses to manage staff better and provide a higher level of customer service. To learn more about what a state-of-the-art VoIP business phone system can do for your business, get in touch today.