BY DAVID M. FRIEDMAN

In writing this piece a simple fact dawned on me: rather than integration, the real goal of CTI (computer telephony integration) is easily implemented and seamless convergence of media applications. The idea of  "integration" came from a mindset that knew only traditional computer and telephone systems, and that recognized the need to coordinate data and voice. Logically, they figured that integrating the two would be the solution. Instead, this approach has proved to be more short-sighted than comprehensive and long-term.

While these developers were on the right path with integration, their solutions were created separately. Consequently, standards have evolved from various perspectives with different requirements, and in the end only proved to be impediments to the whole process of bring voice and data together.

CONVERGENCE ASSUMPTIONS
Before ubiquitous convergence can be accomplished through the use of common standards, there are certain statements or truths which should be accepted throughout the industry. The following assumptions set the groundwork:

• The modern PC (personal computer) is a standard hardware object that -- solely through software -- offers virtually limitless information and applications tailored by and for an individual user.
• The hardware resources of a PC, while standard and dynamically accessible to the various applications running, can be optimized in configuration to best meet the budgetary and performance needs of the user (i.e., memory, graphics, other media processing resources).
• There is an ability to develop applications according to robust and standard APIs (Application Program Interface) such as those supported by and under Microsoft Windows.
• A PC is better than having a separate appliance for each of these multitude of possible applications.
• In multi-user environments, servers have resource configurations optimized for more limited tasks.  Desktops then can draw upon the services of these servers dynamically, as needed, rather than performing all required functions internally.
• Having all requisite telephony hardware resources bundled into a server with flexible configurations and a robust API is the only logical way to seamlessly embed this type of media into enterprise applications.
• CRM (customer relationship management) players are scrambling to integrate different media processing and contact center applications under their respective umbrellas. 

Until your telephony infrastructure racks up next to your file servers, routers, and hubs and communicates with your applications over your network backbone, there is no convergence. While conventional PBX vendors will be selling systems for a long time to come, contact centers and other "new world" enterprises will not be fooled. Proprietary telecom systems are at death's door and with them, conventional CTI. The future lies in true media convergence, rather than computer telephony integration through computers.

ALL ABOUT STANDARDS
The evolution of adopting open standards has been occurring for a while now and we are far closer to convergence than we have ever been before. There are three general types of standards in the CTI industry: hardware/platform, communication protocols, and APIs. Having the right combination leads toward highly effective convergence of telephony with CRM and applications. However, I submit that with the exception of the API, the others are either foregone conclusions or irrelevant. 

Hardware/Platform. Having the right kind of hardware is an integral part of achieving convergence. Your enterprise systems should comprise the operating system and form factor for media processing and communications interface components. The following are some industry hardware standards:

• ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
• MVIP (Multi-vendor Integration Protocol)
• SCSA (Signal Computing System Architecture)
• H.100 
• Windows NT
• Unix
• Linux

In choosing between all the different types of hardware, what's most important are adequate capacity and a decent range of functional components and manufacturers under one standard. Personally speaking, my preference is SCSA, with H.100 coming on strong (backward compatible with SCSA). With both of those, I can build my generic telephony server.

Communication Protocols. In addition to setting the hardware standards, establishing the format for transmission of data (data/voice/video) -- or communication protocols -- is as equally important. TCP/IP and ATM are really transports upon which other protocols can "ride." H.323, SIP (Session Initialization Protocol) and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol ) are geared toward voice and data transmission over IP or wireless networks, while G.723 and G.711. are "coders," dictating compression of voice over an IP network.

APIs. Applications Programming Interfaces are standard sets of commands by a third-party application to control or permit control of another system, such as a generic telephony platform (or conventional switch). Some examples of telephony APIs are: 

• CSTA (Computer Supported Telephony Application)
• TAPI (Telephony API)
• TSAPI (Telephony Services API)
• CT Connect

THE HOLY GRAIL OF CONVERGENCE
Comprehensive telephony control -- anything and everything you could ever need to do in telephony -- may be available from only one or two vendors in the world, yet this type of API (in conjunction with the generic telephony server previously discussed) is the holy grail of convergence. If our goal is to achieve true convergence, there is no doubt that standards will play a part at many levels. Seeking and choosing the "right" API seems to be the last remaining element in the quest for true convergence and the end of CTI. It may entail taking a risk and changing the way you view and implement technology. After all, nothing worth achieving comes without risk or hard work.

There are still a few more obstacles in the road to convergence. Getting multi-vendor hardware and software to seamlessly work in conjunction with one another has not yet been completely realized. While many systems support integration, true media convergence is still the goal. From the looks of the state of the industry, the best is yet to come.

David M. Friedman is the vice president of marketing & sales at Buffalo International, Inc.  Since 1989, Buffalo International has provided tools and systems to telephony enable e-business and customer relationship management (CRM) applications.