Computer Telephony Integration

This section of our technical library presents information and documentation relating to CTI Computer Telephony Integration software and products. Computer Telephony Integration CTI software is a rich set of phone software library routines that enable application programs to control your phone system. This comprehensive CTI software lets you increase employee productivity, enhance customer service and reduce costs by combining the capabilities of our PACER phone system with the custom functionality of your Windows, Unix or Web applications. Data collected by your phone ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) or IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems can be passed to your existing PC, Unix or Web applications through our phone software. The PACER predictive dialer can automatically call your customers and pass only connected calls to your agents. With our computer telephony software, your telephone and computer work together to provide cost-saving benefits.

ComputerWorld.com.au

Migration from traditional PBXs and management of networks running resource-intensive applications main challenges

SYDNEY – 10 January, 2005: The rate of operational deployment of IP telephony by large companies is accelerating rapidly. According to a recent global survey conducted by Australian PROGNOSIS systems management software developer Integrated Research (IR – ASX: IRI), one of the main drivers of this trend is the adoption of IP-based video conferencing by multinationals.

The question for most organisations is no longer whether to adopt IP telephony, but how to migrate from their existing PBX infrastructures.

“The trend is clear; enterprises are moving from trial to full production deployments of IP telephony as their existing PBXs approach the end of their contract lives,” said Kailem Anderson, Product Manager, IP Telephony products for Integrated Research. “Other key factors driving IP telephony sales are the reduction of operating costs achievable through the deployment of applications such as IP-based videoconferencing and a perception that IP telephony has come of age and is now lower risk.”

More than 15,000 executives responsible for IT infrastructure were invited to participate in the online study in September 2004 – a year on from Integrated Research’s similar study on this topic. The U.S. accounted for 45 percent of respondents, while Europe was 21 percent, and Australia/Oceania and Asia accounted for 12 percent. The remainder of respondents were from Africa, the Middle East and unspecified locations.

Three out of four respondents stated that they already had, or intended to deploy IP telephony within the next 12 months. Of these respondents, 67 percent had an initial implementation of less than 500 phones. It is then interesting to note that 66 percent stated that they would expand their IP telephony deployment to over 1,000 phones within the next 24 months. A simple conclusion can be drawn from these results that a phased implementation is the preferred integration approach for IP telephony.

Large companies seek a phased migration in order to extend the life of their assets, keep existing applications, and minimise requirements for LAN and WAN upgrades. However, when compared with the 2003 survey, the 2004 results show a trend towards larger scale expansions with a 56 percent increase in phase 2 deployments over 1000 phones. These results show a continuation of trends identified in the 2003 survey. Last year respondents indicated the highest priority business driver for IP telephony was increased value through IP applications (66 percent response), followed by lower infrastructure costs (64 percent).

This year, 42 percent of those surveyed said they are interested in implementing IP-based videoconferencing, 15 percent have already deployed, 12 percent expect to deploy within one year, and 13 percent are testing.

However, the implementation of IP-based video puts pressure on existing converged network infrastructures. Respondents to the 2004 survey indicated that the challenges they expect to face when integrating video services include bandwidth congestion (58 percent of respondents), response time delays (45 percent), and picture quality (41 percent).

Anderson adds: “Video traffic is resource-intensive, and service quality is performance sensitive and susceptible to interference from voice and data applications. In order for network administrators to meet end-user expectations, they must have insight into and control over the key components of video quality. Therefore there is a clear and growing need for the adoption of management solutions specific to monitoring, troubleshooting and optimising performance of IP telephony environments to ensure quality of service (QoS).”

The 2004 Integrated Research survey shows that organisations are now placing greater emphasis on implementing IP telephony management systems such as the PROGNOSIS IP Telephony Management suite. The 2003 survey revealed management wasn’t considered a high priority at the time. However, this year’s results show that 28 percent of respondents are already using a management solution and a further 32 percent plan to when they deploy IP Telephony. Only 3 percent of respondents are choosing the risky alternative of not using a management solution.

About Integrated Research Ltd
Established in 1988, Integrated Research (www.ir.com) is a publicly listed company (ASX: IRI) with sales and support offices in the USA, Europe and Australia. Integrated Research develops PROGNOSIS cross-platform systems management software for high availability, business-critical environments. PROGNOSIS is available on the Windows, UNIX, Linux and HP NonStop™ platforms. Whenever you use an ATM, download email, trade stocks, make a phone call, watch cable TV or shop at a large retail outlet, chances are that you’re benefiting from PROGNOSIS. The world’s largest bank, telecommunications company, stock exchange, computer hardware manufacturer and Internet service provider all rely on PROGNOSiS, as do blue-chip customers in 47 countries.