Telephone answering systems

Computer Telephony

Introduction:

The two independently designed enterprise technology systems is the telephone system and the computer system. Both permit the flow of data among the individuals in an organization. Latest technical developments permit for the uniting these two systems, and providing far richer channel for data flow. This technology area is called as computer telephony. Computer telephony employs the power of the computer to the functions of the telephone, seamlessly uniting the two worlds. Moreover, computer telephony is not a product in and of itself; rather it adverts to that class of products that purchase the two capabilities for the advantage of the business.

For a network manager, the business case for carrying out computer telephony is the removal of costs related with planning, managing and administering twin network infrastructures and their related internal and external links. Also, mutually bring two worlds enables the consolidation of delivery device necessities, and consequently, lower cost systems. Additionally, this technology concurrently delivers end-user benefits. Users can attain a richer man-machine interface in the computer because computer telephony harnesses the computer's visual capabilities for communication tasks. Moreover, the end users can use a wider range of interpersonal skills in communications, rather than being limited by single media tools, such as only voice through the telephone and text through e-mail. Computer telephony meets several communication tools into one, simplifying communication tasks by patching together the key strengths of every individual tool.

Telephony:

To plan properly about computer telephony applications, it is very important to understand the fundamental differences between telephony and data networking. The two main differences are circuit versus packet networking and the terminal brainpower involved. The telephony world utilizes a circuit-switched technology paradigm, which means that the complete physical line is used to transmit the communication signals between two or more parties. The initiating party instructs their telephony network node, to connect through a sequence of private and public telephony switches to the telephone of the person they like to speak. A path through these switches is formed for the duration of the call, and then mangled down when the call is ended. The voice signals are presented in the order in which they were spoken, therefore the person hearing the communication can recognize what is being said.

The circuit-switched pattern is very dissimilar to the packet-switched pattern of data networking, whereby a stream of communication is decayed into a series of separate data packets, transmitted through a network infrastructure to the ending device, and re-created using the header details connected with every packet. It is unrelated with data that the packets may enter in a different sequence to that in which they were formed; the header details provides enough clues for the terminating device to re-create the original communication in the proper method. Further, several separate communication events can be transmitted concurrently through a single physical line because of the optimization and efficiency characteristics engineered into the packet pattern.

Enterprise Computer Telephony:

The second major difference between telephony and data is the individual intellect of the end terminals. With telephony, the usual terminal is a device with 12 keys, a microphone, a speaker, and if you are very fortunate, a numeric single line display. The telephone is a remote extension of a telephony switch, a device that holds the intellect for call routing and management. In the data world, more than 90% of corporate end users have a Microsoft Windows-based personal computer, which has more cleverness and power than most people do know how to utilize. The majority of jobs are accomplished using a full alphanumeric keyboard, a graphically depicted interface, and links to several network services. Computer telephony is an example of moving the intellect from the telephony server out to the end devices, whereas at the same time tackling the power of these devices for the communication task.

Integrated Messaging:

The centralization of every store and forward communication tools into a single application is driving marketer expansion and business concentration. Therefore, it should. Integrated messaging is the preferred name for this product category that delivers clear benefits. Integrated messaging reduces the communication tasks by taking together every store and forward tools, delivering in one place, through one interface all non real time communication. A single interface means that training expenses are lesser, as users want to learn only navigate one application. The second advantage is that the variable costs of remote access to messages is lower, since a single link is necessary to recover all message types, rather than a telephone call to the voice mail system, a dial-up connection to e-mail, and a call to a secretary for faxes. This integration of access methods also implies the infrastructural costs are lower, because a fewer connection ports are required). Another advantage of this type of access methods is the survival of fewer points of entry to the internal network, thus raising the network security. The third advantage is that integrated messaging is one of the key enablers of the business travel towards virtual teams, by delivering on the guarantee of being continually in touch in spite of physical geography or time zone. The technology of integrated messaging assists the business to achieve its goals of leveraging its people assets.

Computer for Real-Time Call Control:

A bulk of real time non face-to-face communication undertakings are carried out by using the telephone. Computer telephony (CT) permits the movement of call placement and reception to the computer. Within the call center environment, this integration permits millisecond step-downs in the duration of every call, which adds up to real dollar toll charge and people savings when millions of calls are managed every month. For the user, CT calling allows the use of the richer computer interface for call placement, permitting users dial by name, rather than by a number related with the name. It reduces the inbound call reception by providing on screen presentment identifying the calling party and a toolbar of choices, such as answer now, let the phone ring until they hang up and route immediately to voice mail, etc. The Phone Ware family from Q.Sys may offers extensive capabilities for immediate call control, even down to air ting that call you have just missed out of the voicemail system and back to your telephone device. Nearly all PCs shipped are multimedia ready; therefore moving to CT call control is mainly a back-end infrastructure and client software issue.

Related Topics:

Computer Telephony Portal

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

Voice over IP

C3 Computer Telephony