Using CTI

Through CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) Tools, CRM.COM integrates with a telephony system in order to manage incoming and/or outgoing calls via its own interface. CTI tools are embedded in CRM.COM and provide the ability to manage incoming and/or outgoing calls through the Communication Centre screen.

The CTI utility can be accessed by Users who are defined as "CTI Enabled", and whose phone device's (installed in the PC which is used to access CRM.COM) extension number is included in their User account. 
Consequently, when a call agent logs in to CRM.COM, the CTI Utility matches the phone's extension with the actual device and starts monitoring the calls. 
The call agent will be able to answer incoming calls through CRM.COM and the caller's information will be loaded in the Communication Centre screen, as the incoming caller's phone number is cross-referenced with those of customers registered within CRM.COM. 

Calls from external telephony systems can be handled from CRM.COM by using one of the following integrations

• CRM.COM to Asterisk: through Asterisk - CRM.COM integration, 
• CRM.COM to any other 3rd party Telephony system: through CRM.COM Event Listener AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R11.0.0

Check the Validations & Restrictions Table for restrictions applicable when using CTI.

Validations & Restrictions

Using Asterisk Integration

By using Asterisk integration you can handle both inbound and outbound calls through CRM.COM. In order to handle calls through CRM.COM Communication Centre, using Asterisk, login is required by the agents.

Logging In and Out

1. Navigate to Communication Centre
2. Provided the user is CTI Enabled an additional section becomes available with a number of controls for managing calls
    
3. Click on LOGIN
4. Once you login the button changes to LOGOUT
   

Making an outbound Call

Follow the steps below to place an outbound call:

1. After you have successfully logged in, search for the contact you would like to call using the search toolbar of the Communication Centre.
2. Enter the phone number in the Phone No. textbox including extensions required by your Telephone System to make outbound calls
   1. i.e. 9-00357-997777777 (hyphens are used in the example to distinguish between the extension dialling code, the area code and the phone number)
      
3. Click on CALL
   1. The call will be transferred to the Telephone System you are using, from where it will be placed
      
   2. The call will be established with the subscriber

Receiving an Incoming Call

In order to receive a call, the Telephone System must be active

1. When an inbound call is received by an agent logged in the CTI utility, the calling Contact is loaded on the Communication Centre screen (provided their telephone number is registered to a Contact Information). 
   If the number is related to more than one contact, then a modal window opens with a list of contacts that have that specific number

1. Answer the phone from the Telephone System application
   

2. Once the call is answered select the calling Contact from the modal 

3. The Contact will be loaded in the Communication Centre screen 

4. Handle ending of the call through the Telephone System application.

Using CRM.COM Event Listener Integration - AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R11.0.0

By using the CRM.COM Event Listener Integration you can integrate CRM.COM to any third party Telephony System, given that the CRM.COM WEB API can be called from the Telephony System, to notify CRM.COM of incoming calls. Event Listener Integration, does not require users to login Communication Centre CTI and only handles incoming calls.

The Telephony System forwards the caller's phone number and the call agent to whom the phone call should be transferred to, in order for CRM.COM to identify the caller and dynamically set the Communication Center screen of the designated agent to display detailed Contact Information. As a result, the call agent will be able to immediately view this detailed Contact Information on his/her Communication Center screen once the call is accepted and without any manual contact search.

Receiving Inbound Calls

The inbound calls to CRM.COM are first handled by the Telephony System. The following process is followed:

• Once a call comes in the Telephony System is responsible for finding available agents and send the call to the call agent's soft-phone. 
• Once the agent answers, the CRM.COM Web API is triggered to send the caller's identifier, (phone number), and the call agent (phone extension) to whom the call will be forwarded to.
  • If neither the caller nor the agent can be identified then the Telephony System is informed accordingly and no further processing takes place in CRM.COM

  • If the caller and agent are identified the Contact Information details (identified through the phone number) is loaded in the Communication Centre Screen

    If multiple contacts are identified having the same phone number then a popup window is displayed in the Communication Centre screen, showing all of the available Contact Information. The agent should then select one of these contacts in order for the Communication Centre screen to display detailed Contact Information.