What is Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)? A Complete Guide

CTI, or Computer Telephony Integration, is the technology that integrates an organization’s phone system with the employees’ computers working in the same company. It eradicates the need for physical telephone systems, giving employees direct access to call management functions from their computers.

Employees using CTI can make or receive calls, put calls on hold, or disconnect them using their computer system. It also supports interactive voice systems (IVR) and automatic call distribution (ACD) for call routings.

CTI and IVR terms are often used interchangeably, but they differ. CTI is the technology that lets employees make or receive calls from their computers, whereas IVR is the phone feature that can be used under CTI technology to answer calls and provide various menu options automatically.

Computer telephony integration lets employees manage calls through their computers, so it works over the Internet. When calls are made or received in CTI-integrated devices, the system synchronizes data between computers and phone systems.

The CTI system may also use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. When the customer calls the call center, it first goes through computer telephony integration. Here, CTI, with the help of CRM software, accesses the caller's number, name, email address, etc.

The same information pops up in the agents' computers, and the agents interact with the call. Agents calling their customers also work the same way in these CTI systems.

Based on implementation techniques, computer telephony integration (CTI) can be first-party, third-party, cloud-based, or API-based.

First-party CTI: It lets a single computer control one phone system and is used in small businesses. For instance, a salesperson uses a computer to contact customers.

Cloud-based CTI: Phone systems are controlled and managed through the Internet and support remote work. For example, companies use the Calilio phone system for multiple agents.

API-based CTI: Agents use API applications to automate calls. For instance, organizations can use Calilio API software to automate outbound calls and track customer interactions.

Third-Party CTI: Organizations with high call volumes use a central system that manages multiple phones simultaneously. For example, carrier service providers have many agents to interact with customers.

CTI makes your computer a phone system, which provides benefits like increased agent productivity, enhanced customer experience, improved call management, and lower operational costs.

Using CTI, agents can operate and access call details using their computers, saving time for manual data lookups. API-based CTI can automate calls through the phone system and helps reduce time, and agents can handle more calls during high peak calls, increasing their productivity.

Computer telephony systems can use IVR and ACD systems to help customers reach their concerned departments or agents. Such IVR systems also allow CTI to interact with customers when all the agents are busy with other calls. Hence, these automated systems help to enhance the customer experience by reducing the customer’s waiting time.

CTI helps agents access customer data and route calls to suitable agents. Agents can use such data to train themselves and forecast customers’ needs based on previous calls. Hence, CTI improves call management in the organization, increasing customer satisfaction.

Computer telephony integration helps eradicate the need for traditional wires and desk phones. Furthermore, when maintenance is needed in cloud-based CTI, it can be solved directly by contacting your service provider. Hence, these CTI systems lower the operational cost.

For call centers, the CTI has many uses, as listed below.
 

• To automate outbound calls.
• Pop information on the device's screen showing the caller information.
• To implement the Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) for proper call routing.
• Integrate with CRM software databases to retrieve information when required.
• Store callers' data to analyze previous calls and forecast customers' needs.
• Use Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to provide self-service and menu guidance.

Implementing computer telephony integration (CTI) helps organizations handle high call volumes. CTI gives agents direct phone access from their computers to help organizations increase their productivity and customer experience. CTI technology, used with IVR and ACD, also improves the overall call management system by automating inbound and outbound calls.

CTI needs another phone system to integrate with computers, so consistently using this technology can be inconvenient. Calilio could be the best alternative to CTI as it’s a phone system you can directly use from your browser to make and receive calls on your computer.

Examples of CTI include features such as screen popping, where customer information is displayed automatically when a call is received, automated call routing through Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), click-to-dial functionality, and integration with CRM systems for better customer management.

CTI protocols are the communication standards that allow computers and telephony systems to work together. Some of the common CTI protocols include TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface), CSTA (Computer-Supported Telecommunications Applications), and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).

The computer telephony integration systems control call management operations such as making and receiving calls, putting calls on hold, ending calls, etc.