Computer telephony integration (CTI) is the link between a phone system and computer applications, such as a CRM, help desk or order system, that lets the two share information and control each other. With CTI, a caller’s record can pop up when the phone rings, a number can be dialed by clicking it on screen, and every call can be logged automatically against the right customer. It is a standard part of contact center and sales operations.
Not to be confused with Cyber Threat Intelligence, which is also abbreviated CTI: collecting and analyzing information about attackers and their methods to guide security decisions.
At a glance
- CTI connects calls with business software so data and actions flow between them.
- Common features are screen pops, click-to-call, call control from the desktop, automatic call logging and data-directed routing.
- It works with on-premises PBXs, cloud phone systems and contact center platforms, today usually through APIs and prebuilt connectors.
- The phone system’s routing engine, such as an ACD, still routes calls; CTI supplies the data it can route on.
- Integration depth varies widely between platforms and CRMs, so check the specific connector.
What problem it solves
Without integration, the phone and the computer are two separate worlds. Agents answer, ask for an account number, search for the record, take notes by hand and then type a summary into the CRM, if they remember. Sales staff copy numbers from a screen into a phone. Managers cannot easily tie call activity to customers, deals or tickets.
CTI removes that friction. Caller details arrive with the call, outbound calls start from a click, and call details are written to the record automatically. That shortens calls, reduces errors, gives customers a better experience and produces more complete data for reporting.
How it works
Call events. The phone system, whether an on-premises PBX, a UCaaS platform or a contact center as a service (CCaaS) platform, publishes events such as ringing, answered, held, transferred and ended, with details such as the caller’s number (ANI), the number dialed (DNIS) and anything entered in the IVR.
Integration layer. Older on-premises systems used CTI middleware and standard interfaces such as TAPI, TSAPI or CSTA. Cloud platforms use web APIs, webhooks and prebuilt connectors, or embed a softphone directly in the CRM.
Application actions. The business application uses those events to look up and display the caller’s record, log the call, and attach notes and recordings. In the other direction, the application can tell the phone system to dial, answer, transfer or put calls on hold.
Data-directed routing. CTI can supply customer data, such as account tier or open case, to the phone system’s automatic call distributor (ACD), which then routes the call to the right queue or agent.
When it matters for buyers
- When choosing a CCaaS or UCaaS platform. Check for a native connector to your CRM and what it does: screen pop, logging, click-to-call, recordings and routing data. See our contact center as a service overview.
- When changing CRM. The phone integration often has to be rebuilt or reconfigured.
- When sales teams make many calls. Click-to-call and automatic logging save time and improve pipeline data.
- When handling sensitive data. Screen pops and call logs can expose personal or payment information, so access controls and data handling matter, especially under rules such as HIPAA or PCI DSS.
- When integration is custom. If no connector exists, platforms with open APIs, or a communications platform as a service, let developers build one.
Questions to ask vendors
- Do you have a prebuilt connector for our CRM and help desk, and which features does it support?
- Is the integration an embedded softphone, a desktop app or a server-side sync?
- Which call events and data fields are available through your API?
- Can CRM data be used in routing decisions, and how?
- How are calls, recordings and dispositions logged in the CRM, and can we control which fields are written?
- Who supports the integration when it breaks after an update, you or the CRM vendor?
- Are there extra license fees for the connector or API usage?
How it differs from an ACD and an IVR
An automatic call distributor (ACD) is the part of the phone system that queues calls and assigns them to agents. An interactive voice response (IVR) system is the automated menu callers speak to or press keys in. CTI is neither: it is the connection between the phone system, including its ACD and IVR, and business software. In a typical contact center, the IVR collects an account number, CTI uses it to look up the customer in the CRM, the ACD routes the call based on that data, and CTI pops the record on the agent’s screen when the call connects. Our unified communications as a service and customer relationship management overviews cover the platforms involved.
Problems this helps with
- Agents ask callers for information we already have
- Calls aren't logged in the CRM unless someone types them in
- Staff waste time dialing numbers by hand
- Want to route callers based on who they are, not just which number they dialed
