CTI Screen Pop Application Development

• Project: The development of a notification app for a phone system and its integration with a CRM platform
• Duration: 2+ months
• Technologies: JavaScript, ElectronJS, Angular, Bootstrap, Keytar, KAZOO API, AgencyBloc API, MSI CRM API
• Target audience: Audian’s customers

Audian is a telecom company that helps its customers create, manage, and scale their business phone systems. They provide a voice and unified communications solution with hundreds of features to accommodate any business need.

Challenge

The analysis of project requirements revealed the company’s need in the development of the desktop app that would integrate their 2600hz KAZOO-based phone system with various CRM platforms. At that time, it was the AgencyBloc and MSI CRM.

With the focus on ensuring a holistic experience for Audian’s clients, the app had to be extensible for other CRM integrations and compatible with both Microsoft Windows and macOS.

Besides, the Client wanted to see screen pops for all calls, displaying the contact details based on a phone number. It was also essential to provide customers with the ability to create a new contact record right on the call.

To capture the core idea of what to be done during the implementation process, we’ll first provide some explanation about screen pop software.

What Is a CTI Screen Pop?

A CTI screen pop is a window or dialogue box that allows users to manage inbound and outbound calls on their desktop. This type of software can be implemented during the integration of a telephone system and a CRM platform to deliver more personalized interaction with customers.

How Does CTI Screen Pop Work?

CTI screen pop appears automatically on the user’s desktop and brings the data about a caller to the forefront before a call is answered. It is achieved by drawing relevant customer information from the CRM system. The data may include contact name, phone number, company, or call history. Additionally, these details can be modified right in the screen pop interface post-call or in real-time.

Process

At the discovery stage, Audian clearly outlined their challenges that our team further transformed into actionable steps. Breaking the implementation of a project into several phases, we ensured an iterative process to meet every Client’s requirement.

1. Desktop App Implementation

The first and foremost part of the project implementation was to build the app enabling a phone system and CRM platforms to work together efficiently. To achieve that, our team used the ElectronJS framework that allows for the development of cross-platform desktop GUI apps — right what Audian needed.

Having deep expertise in custom app development, Velvetech created a cross-platform solution that can function seamlessly on OSX and Windows.

The UI is intuitive and supports two different roles: user and admin. Following the Client’s requirements, we included in the app’s interface three main items — a login page, an admin settings page, and a CTI screen pop up.

With the use of 2600hz KAZOO API, our team smoothly integrated the app with the Client’s phone system to make it possible to determine whether a user is receiving an incoming call or making an outgoing call. On top of that, this integration allows the users to log in to the app with their credentials.

2. CTI Screen Pop Development

The next step of the project included the implementation of screen pops that were meant to be an essential part of the desktop app functionality. Expectedly, they had to streamline user interaction and experience with the telephony and CRM platforms.

Velvetech developed a fully functional screen pop software that addressed Audian’s needs. In particular, CTI screen pops provided the capability to:

• Display incoming and outgoing calls
• Show contact details
• Add a new contact to the CRM if no results are found

When there’s no call activity, the app has no interface present and stays in the system tray. It prevents a user from distraction. On the contrary, once a call is made, the CTI screen pop appears for assistance.

Depending on the scenario, screen pops allow users to see the name, company, and a link to the contact’s CRM record or add a new one during the call. On top of that, it enables creating activities in the CRM automatically after the call is finished.

In order to be able to implement the mentioned above functionality, our team had to work on the app’s integration with CRM platforms.

3. CTI and CRM Integration

Since one of our core competencies lies in CRM software services, we clearly understood the importance for Audian to integrate CRM software with the desktop app. Primarily, this connectivity was vital to enhance communications and elevate business efficiency.

According to the Client’s request, the project firstly incorporated two CRM platforms — AgencyBloc and MSI. Once the integration was completed, Audian could benefit from the app’s full functionality.

Now, it was possible to define the contacts by phone number, open their records in the CRM systems, or create new contacts and activities for them right in the screen pop software. The integration also allowed for saving a call activity with details like start time, duration, or user.

Outcome

The development of the desktop app has provided the Client with opportunities to seamlessly integrate their KAZOO telephony with various CRM platforms. By the end of the project, Audian had AgencyBloc and MSI CRMs connected to the phone system, which supported users with elevated capabilities.

The app’s intuitive interface with CTI screen pop functionality allows for receiving and making calls, updating contact information, and saving call details to the CRM records. As a result, Audian improved their telephony services, facilitating communication processes for their customers and enhancing their experience with the product.

What’s Next

Continuously, we keep supporting Audian’s application with various CRM integrations. On top of that, Velvetech and Audian are working on their telephony connectivity with Microsoft Teams.

The result will provide the company customers with more opportunities to streamline their business workflows by making and receiving phone calls directly from the Teams’ interface. The focus on such integrations fosters the adoption of cloud phone infrastructure.