API and its applications for IP PBX

This article discusses what an API is, the API’s that are provided by IP PBX and the applications they enable – Call creation, IVR Integration with a web application, Event notification, Integration of IP PBX through Panels – CRM, Google maps and custom generated.

What is an API – API is the short form for Application Programming Interface. An API is a set of programming instructions or standards for accessing an internet based software application or web tool. An API is a software to software interface. Some IP PBX vendors release their API to the public so that other software developers can design products that are powered by its service (Service of the IP PBX). This extends the functionalities of the IP PBX and lets the administrators write code for performing new tasks using variables (like caller_id for example) that are already defined by the IP PBX vendors in their libraries.

Why are API’s exciting in an IP PBX?

¤ API’s extend the functionalities of an IP PBX. Suppose you want to implement a new custom feature for your company. Just take the variables, do some coding and and you can implement it yourselves. It is not as simple as it sounds, but it is certainly a big development from the days of the analog PBX which are totally proprietary and cannot do anything more than what it has already been programmed to. Unless there is a new release from the company, which is not in your hands.

¤ It enables applications like the IP PBX automatically dialling numbers and setting up a call, IP PBX interacting with a website and setting up a call based on the user input (a phone no. for example), IP PBX authenticating a user (based on his/her number and pin (password)) and providing some account specific information, Ingetration with CRM applications to fetch the user records based on their phone no. for example, and a lot more integration with the web that you can never imagine!

Call Creation:

Suppose you have a website. A lot of visitors come to your website on a regular basis. Now you have decided that you need to enable them to contact you. And you also want to make it easier for them. So, you can display an icon in your website saying something like ‘Set up a call with our agent’ and when the customers click on it and enters their phone numbers, the IP PBX would automatically call their phone no. and then it would call one of your agents/ IVR and connect them both in the call. You can also do this from extension to extension, extension to external no, external no. to another external no, external no. to IVR. A lot of options, that.

Interfacing IVR with a web application:

Suppose you have a web login for your customer and he can access some of his account related information via the internet. For some reason, if he is not able to access the internet (like he is on the move) but has a phone only. And you don’t want him to contact your agents for simple information which he can get automatically from the IVR. But the information is confidential. So, you set up a web application with a list of phone numbers and PIN numbers and intimate the client in advance. When the client calls and requests for his account information, the IVR prompts him to enter the PIN number. The IP PBX then interacts with a web application to check if the phone number is matching with a PIN number and upon confirmation from the web application, it gives him access to certain account information or plays certain confidential audio files. Much like logging in to phone banking application and checking your account balance. You can enable a similar service for your customers with a simple IP PBX!

Event notification:

You have already saved some rules in the IP PBX. Like if the call comes from a particular country, route it automatically to the appropriate agent who is handling that country. But you may want certain exceptions. If the call is from a particular customer from a particular country, you need to route it to the supervisor, rather than the agent if the account is a key account for you. So, you can create such exceptions by programming IP PBX to submit all the incoming caller ID’s to a web application and if that caller ID matches certain numbers then the IP PBX would directly transfer the call to a supervisor, than a agent that it would have, normally.

XML Response:

After transferring the call in the above fashion, the IP PBX can do some additional functionalities. It can display the URL containing the caller’s user record to the supervisor so that the supervisor can check the recent transactions and communications – if any.

CRM/ Google Maps/ Custom web-application integration with IP PBX:

Suppose you have already created a database using a CRM tool that you are using in your company. The IP PBX can integrate with such CRM software’s to query the user records and display it to the users when they receive a call.

The CRM vendor should support such open interfaces and API’s to enable this. Some IP PBX vendors have ready made integration interfaces for certain popular CRM applications. But the point to be noted is – you can be aware of who is calling, when they called last time, what was their previous conversation about, what is their current transaction status and much more before you lift that call.

Similarly, certain IP PBX enable you to integrate with popular applications like Google maps to find out where exactly the call is originating from, Google search to display top 5 results (eg.) based on the caller phone no or caller id information. You can also build custom panels to integrate with the web applications you like.

That is what I call a next generation communication, information and integration device!

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