April 2000

Voxtron
Hoogkamerstraat 42�
9100 Sint-Niklaas 
Belgium
P: 32 3 7604030; 
F: 32 3 7604040
Web: voxtron.com

Price: $395 TeleButler 2-port: $595; TeleButler Plus 2-port: $795; TeleButler Pro 2-port. Call for pricing on multiple-port models.

RATINGS (0-5)
Installation: 4.5
Documentation: 4
Features: 4.5
GUI: 4.75
Overall: A-

TeleButler has released version 3.0, which has new features, including a new GUI, a tutorial on the CD, and Scenarios to help lower the learning curve on creating computer-telephony applications. Three flavors of TeleButler are available: Standard, Plus, and Pro, and all versions can run on Windows 95, 98, and NT.

INSTALLATION
Installation of the TeleButler 3.0 software is as easy as an integration gets. It is a typical CD-ROM install, meaning that for the most part we ran through it and stayed with the defaults. The only hardware that comes with the package is a sentinel key (or dongle), and we supplied our own industrial-grade board, a Dialogic Dialog 4 in this case. We used a high-end NT Server, installing a fresh copy of NT to eliminate any poltergeists from previously installed software. We had to enter a lengthy, case sensitive serial number, and other than going with the defaults and watching the wizards go by, that was the extent of the software installation.

We had two choices of installation languages � English and German � and we chose English because our German skills were slightly rusty. During the install, we were given a large list of languages to choose from. Some (American English, Spanish, and German) were helpful, but others (Slovak and Malay) probably wouldn�t find much use.

The list of PBXs we could select from was extensive, including Centrex, plus Samsung and other popular brands, as well as some very obscure names. We selected a PBX (in this case, Custom PBX, the top choice) and entered the phone preferences. The install ran itself the rest of the way through without any additional problems, and then we rebooted.

Microsoft Data Access Pack was installed after all our other files finished installing. Again, this was an �automatic� install, and didn�t disrupt anything else we were doing at the time.

DOCUMENTATION
TeleButler 3.0�s documentation comes with a binder, which is very good, and it contains ample illustrations. The binder is a good idea because it can lie flat and open so it stays on the same page while installing the software. Plus, it can be updated to reflect software upgrades. That way updates can be printed by the page or section, without having to reprint the entire manual.

The manual hits the ground running. There is no introductory filler to bypass, this manual gets right into the meat and potatoes of the entire thing. The first section encountered � called �Making a project� � is very helpful, especially for a user who is unfamiliar with visual programming.

The electronic documentation is totally different. A new feature available in Version 3.0 is that there is a tutorial on the CD, and we decided to check that out and see what it was all about.

The tutorial isn�t a slide show type tutorial, but is interactive. You click on an icon, and text (and sometimes examples) appear explaining what a particular icon or function does. This is a nice touch, but the first two out of three modules aren�t exactly a tutorial in the strict sense of the word; rather, they are more of an interactive help file. Of the three tutorials, only the third one gives any sort of demonstration.

Overall, a better than average batch of documentation. It does the trick, but having the electronic version of the printed manual in the root directory (or better yet, C:\Documentation) of the CD-ROM would be the best scenario. Unfortunately that isn�t the case here.

Voxtron�s Web site is average, but doesn�t give much in the way of technical information, and there isn�t a section that deals with technical issues or questions, as most information there is not geared towards a technical professional.

FEATURES
While TeleButler can�t do everything that your average butler can, TeleButler is no slouch either. TeleButler 3.0 allows users to create standard telephony applications and is geared towards the non-technical user. A moderately savvy Windows user should have no trouble learning visual programming with TeleButler and creating functional CTI applications.

TeleButler uses L&H speech recognition and text-to-speech, supports several varieties of Dialogic voice and fax boards (see the Voxtron Web site for a complete list of supported boards), and works with over 40 different PBX models. Users are able to program in any of 15 different languages, and use up to 4 in any one project.

TeleButler automatically activates 9,999 mailboxes during startup, and the size of these is adjustable. Another sharp feature is voice mail dial out: the user enters a phone number where they can be reached, and once new mail arrives in the mailbox, TeleButler immediately dials out.

Features of version 3.0 include:

• New and improved GUI.
• Tutorial on the CD-ROM.
• Fax on demand (requires an appropriate Dialogic Fax Board � VFX40SC, VFX40ECS, CPI/100, CPI/200, or CP4/LSI series).
• Name dialing, which uses L&H speech recognition engine (in the PLUS version).
• ODBC compatible � links can be made with all major databases including Access, dBase, Excel, FoxPro, and Oracle.
• Ability to record custom speech files.
• Several sample projects to help learn the software, or to base programs on.

TeleButler has only 12 programming icons, with the power and ability to create a large number of computer- telephony applications. These icons are Play Message, Languages, Voice Mail, Menu, Transfer Caller, Open Database Connectivity, Time, Fax, Calculations, Recording Messages, Input, and End. The NT version gives users the advantage of L&H dialing by name and fax-on-demand.

OPERATIONAL TESTING
TeleButler 3.0 uses icons, not code, so all applications are created in a visual programming language. In dealing with app-gens, it�s best to play around with a simple program to get the lay of the land. We opened several sample programs to see how they were designed. The interface was very clean and unobtrusive, notable only for the lack of color and being slightly dull visually. However it was beautiful in its simplicity, and did the trick without being overly complicated, as many similar programs are.

Because Voxtron has provided several demo programs, we were able get a good feel for how programs were made. After eyeballing the demos, we modified a couple of them, to fully test the system. We then decided to create a couple of our own simple programs, to become experienced TeleButler programmers.

The GUI is cleanly laid out. There are minimal distractions, with a large palette in the middle and the programming elements on a bar on the right side of the screen. The menus are clear and unobtrusive. However, creating applications visually (or even using code) requires planning, as programs can get complex very quickly. Keeping this in mind, we designed our programs to be simple, but varied enough to test the different functions within TeleButler.

Our first application was a simple program, which gave the caller options (press 1 to transfer, # to terminate the call, etc.) based on a simple program we had developed in a similar software package. We compiled the program, ran it, and it worked. It was low-tech and extremely simple, but creating it gave us an idea on how to build applications with TeleButler. We created some more complicated programs, basing them, at first, on the samples provided.

Another advantage of TeleButler is the Automated Attendant/Voice Mail (AA/VM) Scenarios. Scenarios are wizards that ask specific questions about your needs. For example, the user is asked if callers are treated differently during and after office hours. If yes, the next questions is �Do you have a human operator?� If that is yes, the �Do you want an insider menu?� and so forth. This helps the user set up a system more tailored to their needs. Depending on your company�s environment, and the attached PBX, different scenarios are available. There is a wizard that which helps the user find which scenario is best for their needs.

TeleButler is about equal to other visual programs, including Show N Tel, which is not to say that programming, even visually, is easy to do. Learning the nuances of the proprietary parts of any app-gen takes time. Working with the icons and learning how to create computer-telephony applications will take a lot of effort for the novice programmer, so we repeat our advice that the beginner start with a few simple apps and gradually build more sophisticated and involved programs.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
TeleButler 3.0 is a solid product with very little room for improvement. We had no trouble installing and configuring the program, and encountered no side effects in dealing with it. However, there is one room for improvement item that comes when installing multiple languages. If you select more than one language, each module installs separately, which required us to keep hitting �OK� to install each language. That is mildly annoying, but the real trouble is after they�ve all finished installing. Under the Start Menu, in the Programs folder, there is an icon for uninstalling each language. This means that if you install all 15 languages, there will be an icon for uninstalling every language, which makes for a lengthy list.

Plus, if you decide to add a language after the initial install, it won�t let you. It tells you �Previous version of TeleButler 3.0 still exists. Please uninstall it before running Setup again. Thank you.� This is not good. There should be some option to install additional languages.

One final �missing item� we would like to see in TeleButler would be a �run in simulation� mode. This is an item we got turned on to while review IVS Studio (see Communications Solutions� February 2000 issue). Being able to run in simulation mode means being able to create and test applications on PCs without needing a Dialogic board installed. This is a money and time saver, and keeps from having to bring the server down while testing apps.

CONCLUSION
TeleButler 3.0 is a good product that is easy to use, and yields good results. By making the interface and construction of the app-gen easier for the non-programming user, Voxtron has definitely brought computer-telephony application development to a larger client base.