Computer Telephony Integration
Computer telephony integration (CTI)
enables access to computer-processing functions while making, receiving, and
managing telephone calls. CTI applications allow users to perform tasks such as
retrieving customer information from a database provided by the caller ID. CTI
applications also enable users to use the information captured by an interactive
voice response (IVR) system to route a call to an appropriate customer service
representative or to provide information to the individual receiving the
call.
The following is a partial list of Cisco CTI applications:
-
Cisco IP SoftPhone Cisco IP
SoftPhone, a desktop application, turns your computer into a full-feature
telephone with the added advantages of call tracking, desktop collaboration, and
one-click dialing from online directories. You can also use Cisco IP SoftPhone
in tandem with a Cisco IP phone to place, receive, and control calls from your
desktop PC. All features function in both modes of operation.
-
Cisco IP Auto Attendant The
Cisco IP Auto Attendant application works with Cisco Unified CallManager to
receive calls on specific telephone extensions and allows callers to select
extensions.
-
Cisco WebAttendant Cisco
WebAttendant provides a GUI for controlling a Cisco IP phone to perform
attendant console functions.
-
Cisco Personal Assistant Cisco
Personal Assistant or a virtual secretary can selectively handle incoming calls
and help users place outgoing calls.
To illustrate how CTI works, consider a customer inquiry to a
banking institution, as shown in Figure
B-8. The customer dials a toll-free telephone number from a home telephone.
The agent who answers the call is in a pool of agents whose calls are delivered
via an automatic call distributor (ACD). Figure B-8 follows these steps:
|
1. |
The customer dials the toll-free
number.
|
|
2. |
A Network Voice Response (NVR) system plays a script that
collects caller-entered digits (CEDs), such as an account
number.
|
|
3. |
The network sends a route request through an optical carrier
(OC) interface to access the customer-profile database.
|
|
4. |
The CED, dialed number (DN), and calling line ID (CLID) are
referenced in the customer profile database.
|
|
5. |
A route destination is returned to the network applications
management/service control point (NAM/SCP) and the DN, CLID, CED, and account
information are forwarded to the automatic call distribution (ACD) system and
peripheral gateway/CTI server.
|
|
6. |
The CTI server matches the selected agent from the
ACD.
|
|
7. |
The CTI server sends a preroute indication across the CTI
server interface to the TCP/IP network for pop-up delivery to the selected
agent.
|
|
8. |
The TCP/IP network delivers the caller account information
and CED information to the selected agent
desktop.
|
Note
The sample call data flow outlined in this section depicts an
IVR in the carrier network. Alternatively, prompting may occur through an IVR at
the premises or through a combination of network and premises-based
IVRs.
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