www.developer.com/voice/article.php/3400571
August 27, 2004 Messaging IntegrationTraditional TDM PBX can work with messaging systems such as voice mail systems. Similarly, the IP PBX also can integrate with different types of voice mail systems. Cisco did not have TDM PBX products itself, so right here is a typical example for using the Cisco IP PBX to show how IP PBX integrates with a third party's messaging system.
CTI IntegrationComputer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications include both any applications that use CTI middleware (such as Genesys, Cisco ICM and Intel CT Connect) in TDM and any IP telephony applications that use the IP PBX CTI interface. In IP network, these applications are generally written using either C/C++/VB or are Java based on the IP PBX API. Also, you can write these applications over the Microsoft .NETframework using C#, ASP, VB, or .NET. You can implement either a simple screen pop application on the agent desktop or extend and customize more complex call control functionalities such as callback, chat, softphone, Web requests, ad so forth. Normally, the CTI interface can monitor and control the IP phones, CTI ports, and CTI route points. If necessary, you can integrate IVR, IP Contact Distribution (ICD), or other call center/CRM application into your CTI application. Avaya provides an Avaya Communication Manager API that is an open, standard-based, Java and XML programming interface for developing CTI applications that work with the Avaya S8xxx series Media Server. Cisco provides both C/C++ API of Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compatibility and Java API of Java Telephony Application Programming Interface(JTAPI)-compatibility for performing CTI applications. IVR/Speech IntegrationYou need to be aware that the IVR is going to open and standard so far. Both of the current standards are VoiceXML and SALT, which are open and standard-based programming languages. Basically, in a VoiceXML/SALT-based, speech-enabling IVR application, one server will run the speech engine for speech recognition in the user interface as well, and another one will run the voice browser for interpreting VoiceXML or SALT. If your IVR application is a pure IP-based system, you do not need the telephony hardware in your IVR platform; otherwise, you can consider allowing your IVR to run on both TDM and IP environments through adding telephony hardware in the IVR platform. In the market, some vendors' IVR platforms can be chosen, such as IBM WebSphere Voice Server, Microsoft Speech Server, Cisco IP-IVR, Nortel PeriPhonics, Genesys VoicePortal, and so on. So far. the MS Speech Server is SALT-based only; the other vendors' equipment is VoiceXML-based. Applications IntegrationActually, many applications can work with IP voice solutions though proper integration. These applications are Contact Center, CRM, ACD, ICD, Unified Messaging, Web, Chat, Speech, and the like. What you select will depend on your real solution. You can use Cisco, Avaya, Genesys and Nortel applications; also, you can integrate a third party's application. For instance, the Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, and Genesys systems have the IP Contact Center applications and they can easily integrate into IP voice solutions. Notes on Design and Implementation
About the AuthorXiaole Song is a professional in designing, integrating, and consulting CTI, Contact Center, IVR, IP Telephony, CRM, and Speech applications. He has performed various roles for Intel, Dialogic and Minacs, and so on. Feel free to e-mail any comments about this article to Xiaole Song. |
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