Computer telephony systems are systems that link interactions on a phone and a computer together. They are based on computer telephony integration, which links many forms of communication together with computer systems. Computer telephony systems can perform many tasks: they can display call information, remote phone control, automatic dialing and computer controlled dialing, and call control monitoring. Some systems may even have the feature to accept or reject a call based on voice recognition of a caller`s voice.

Computer telephony systems are extremely convenient for business users, as they can control many phones at the same time from their computer. Computer telephony integration automates much of the process, making it easier for you to control your phone using the computer with ease. Many call events can be handled efficiently and quickly by a computer telephony system, saving you valuable time. These computer telephony systems also have a very good use at call centers, where many phone calls are made to the same location.

There are two forms of computer telephony integration used in systems. These two forms are first-party call control and third-party call control. In first-party call control, it acts as if the computer is directly connected to the phone set. This could be physically linked or through a modem card on the computer. However only the computer directly connected can control the phone functions, so first-party call control is not suitable for use in call centers and other large-scale uses. In third-party call control, commands are sent from a computer to a server, which then relays the command to the phone, controlling it. Unlike first-party call control, it is possible for all computers in the network to control the phone set without needing a direct connecting to the phone itself.

Many software solutions can be used to monitor your phone from your computer using computer telephony integration. Cisco produces software that is used in computer telephony systems, it has many functions and features that can be easily incorporated making it more convenient for people who need to manage a phone from their computer. Dialogic, bought out by Intel, also makes computer telephony integration software, written in C and C++, which makes the software light on memory usage, important on many computer systems. If you are looking for the solution to link both your computer and your phone together, look into computer telephony systems.