BY RICH TEHRANI 

Ironically, some of the innovations introduced thus far have actually made it more difficult to communicate. Ask anyone who is languishing in voice mail jail, or who is obliged to play a game of phone tag, or who is struggling through a morass of voice mail, e-mail, and fax messages. They'll tell you communicating has become more complex. Furthermore, they'll tell you the phone has lost part of what made it so valuable in the first place; that is, the medium has lost some of its immediacy.

The answer, however, is not to outlaw voice mail, as attractive as that thought may seem. Rather, we need to institute a higher order of intelligence to our schemes for automating communications. Imagine, for example, a phone system that is able to recognize which calls demand immediate attention (and is able to issue the appropriate alert when a priority call does arrive). Imagine being able to consolidate all of your messages, regardless of their form (voice mail, fax, etc.), then reviewing them selectively, according to whatever selection scheme you devise.

To make these ideas reality, all that is required is a certain level of intelligence. More to the point, it is when we begin to think about imposing this level of intelligence that we turn to the computer. And, once we realize the computer can indeed deliver practicalities of the sort just mentioned, we can begin to see we have taken only the first step in a journey of incredible promise. Indeed, I am unsure any of us can grasp what the future holds - a future in which the ubiquity of the telephone is combined with the constantly growing power and flexibility of the computer. The implications are staggering, particularly when you keep in mind that networks are being upgraded to accommodate non-voice traffic, including video.
To suggest such radical change is imminent may seem outlandish. After all, haven't we been staring at the same 12-button phone interface since the day touch-tone began to replace rotary units? In response to such skepticism, I would point out that it wasn't long ago that the computer was a clumsy, complex monster, filled with vacuum tubes and requiring huge amounts of space. Yet, today, we take the constant increases in computer power (and decreases in cost) for granted. Soon, the pace of innovation that is the hallmark of the computer model of development will be seen in telecommunications.

CTI For Everyone
If controlling telephone systems and calls with computers offers so many benefits, why wasn't CTI implemented years ago? In truth, it was. Large computer companies have provided links to large PBXs since the 1980s. Typically, these links were used by large call centers, such as airline reservations departments. Although early CTI solutions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, they easily paid for themselves in regimented environments where hundreds or even thousands of telephone operators carried out well-defined tasks. If every telephone agent became just a little more efficient, the economies of scale would dictate an acceptable return on investment.

But how is it that CTI is now moving beyond the large call center? In a word, standards. In the last few years, we have witnessed the introduction of standard application programming interfaces (APIs) such as the Telephony Services API (TSAPI), from AT&T and Novell, and the Telephony API (TAPI), from Intel and Microsoft. With these APIs, a computer application can work with not just any particular telephone system, but with many telephone systems - without the need for custom programming.

We are already familiar with this kind of interoperability from our experience with computers. For example, with Windows, programs can access multiple printers, yet developers who create Windows applications need to know only one printer specification. That is, it's left to the operating system or the printer manufacturer to deal with creating the driver. Thus, software vendors, who once had to write drivers for every printer, are now able to concentrate on what is unique about their applications. Similarly, our telephony application needn't care about what telephone system we are using - provided we can take advantage of a specification such as TAPI or TSAPI.

The advantages extend to hardware issues. For example, without Windows, users would be reluctant to upgrade printers, out of fear that existing software would be incompatible with any new hardware. Manufacturers of off-brand printers wouldn't be able to compete. Indeed, most of us would be locked into a few big printer companies, who would be free to charge high prices. But, with standards and generalized APIs, barriers to competition crumble, and prices plummet - as we have seen with printers in the computer market.

Similar changes are taking place in today's PBX market. For the moment, a few large vendors still control the market and are able to charge high prices. (A desktop phone with advanced functionality provided by a PBX vendor can cost up to $1,000.) But now, software on a PC can achieve greater functionality and ease of use. This allows the most casual telephone user to easily tackle call forwarding, conference calling, and speed dialing for only a few hundred dollars. The PC is already paid for, so it's natural to use your investment in your PC to its fullest and really take control of your telephone calls.

As software for call handling begins to dominate the desktop, the PBX vendors will have to work harder on solving their customers' problems and lower their prices. The dominant players in the PBX market won't necessarily change (look at Hewlett Packard in the printer market); however, they may have to adjust to a new business model of open telephone systems.

The trend is clear. Standards are ascendant, and prices will fall. Consequently, you no longer have to be a large call center to benefit from CTI. Companies of all types and sizes will find that they are CTI candidates.

The CTI Elite
For CTI to be implemented, someone has to dirty their hands with the actual implementation. So, who will roll up their sleeves and make CTI happen? In-house MIS and Telecom personnel, plus external CTI developers and systems integrators.

The opportunities awaiting these professionals resemble those offered by the networking market of the mid 1980s. Unless you had the resources to maintain a good in-house MIS staff, you wouldn't think of installing a network without the help of an established value-added reseller (VAR). The same applies to CTI, which, like networking, has its share of knotty technical details. Consequently, the opportunities for VARs and systems integrators are incredible.

As companies of all types and sizes act to improve productivity and enhance customer service, the advantages offered by CTI will be impossible to ignore. The demand for CTI, and the professionals capable of implementing it, will soar. So, my advice is to prepare yourself, and learn as much as possible about CTI. You've already made a good start by picking up this magazine!

Sincerely,
Rich Tehrani (rtehrani@tmcnet.com)
Publisher, CTI For Management

At CTI For Management, we believe the only way to justify the loyalty of our readers is to concentrate on being a reliable information resource. Accordingly, we will make every effort to ensure that our editorial is fair and comprehensive. Of course, accurately representing all of the innovations in store for this fast-growing industry is a tall order, but we welcome the challenge. We are enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead, and look forward to telling our readers about them.

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