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Telephony
Combining the power of the computer
with the functionality of the telephone
Initially, the desktop computer was a personal productivity tool - first
through the use of spreadsheets and word processing programs, and later with
additional tools such as databases, project managers, presentation packages, and
personal information managers. Then LANs interconnected desktop computers
within workgroups and departments and allowed people to share information and
resources. This expanded the role of the desktop computer to support
collaborative efforts. In addition, LANs allowed people within a workgroup to
communicate electronically, further expanding the role of desktop computers to
communicate business information.
The next major step in the evolution of the desktop computer is to combine
it with one of the most basic business tools--the telephone. Intel Corporation and
Microsoft corporation, in cooperation with many major telecommunications, PC,
and software companies, have created a standard interface - the Windows(TM)
Telephony Application Programming Interface - for the integration of personal
computers and telephones within the Microsoft Windows* operating
system.
This API brings the utility and almost limitless reach of the telephone to
the desktop computer. In fact, with the availability of cellular telephone technology,
the capabilities are not even limited to the desktop.
Technology Overview
- The Impact of the TAPI API on the
PC Market is a brief paper that describes the implications the telephony applications programming
interface (TAPI) will have on the development of communications software and its relationship to the
personal computer evolution.
- This briefing describes how
the PC is evolving to become the center of communications tasks. (PDF format requires Adobe Acrobat
Reader.)
Technical Information
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