What Is CTI Integration?
Computer telephony integration (CTI) connects your phone system to your desktop applications so agents can manage calls directly from their computer screen. Instead of using a physical phone to dial, transfer or put calls on hold, agents use software controls embedded in their CRM or agent desktop. CTI also enables features like screen pops, click-to-dial and automatic call logging. In a contact center, CTI is the bridge between your telephony infrastructure and your business applications.
When a call comes in, CTI pulls the caller's information from your CRM and displays it on the agent's screen before they answer. When the agent finishes, CTI logs the call details back to the CRM automatically. Five9 provides native CTI integration through its CRM Connectors for Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, and Zendesk. These connectors embed Five9 call controls directly inside the CRM interface so agents work in a single application. Five9 also offers open APIs for custom CTI integrations with proprietary or specialized business systems.
What Are the Benefits of CTI Integration?
CTI integration improves contact center operations in several ways:
Screen pops display caller information the instant a call connects, eliminating the need for agents to search for customer records manually.
Click-to-dial lets agents place outbound calls by clicking a phone number in their CRM or agent desktop, removing manual dialing errors and saving time.
Automatic call logging records call details (duration, disposition, notes) in the CRM without manual data entry from the agent.
Unified agent desktop gives agents call controls (answer, hold, transfer, conference) inside their CRM window so they do not switch between applications.
Reporting integration combines telephony data with CRM data so you can measure performance by customer, product line or campaign in a single view.
