ServiceDesk 4.7.54 Update 08/23/13

If you have not prior enjoyed the pleasure of seeing, on your computer screen, the telephone number of a person you wish to dial, and finding you may initiate that dial-out with a simple click, you have little idea how much you've missed. 

It's one of those conveniences that, once you become habituated and discover how nice, intuitive plus time-and-effort-saving it is (not to mention how "right" it feels, like the kind of thing that in a modern world you simply should be able to do) -- once you've encountered all this, you'll find it's your feeling that strong men would have to drag you kicking and screaming back to the cave-man world, to ever again take you away from it. 

Because this "small convenience" is nevertheless so great, it's one that's been present in ServiceDesk virtually since its inception. 

However, this long-standing capacity was programmed, in those early days, to use a technology that was prevalent in those early days.  Specifically, it was programmed to use a dial-up modem.  You may recall, back in the days before everyone had broadband, if you wanted to connect your computer to the internet, it was done by having it equipped with what was essentially its own "telephone" (aka modem).  A standard telephone cord would connect from this item's port to a standard telephone jack.  Your computer would literally dial-up an internet provider, and that would be your connection to the internet. 

Our long-standing method for auto-dialing (which has continued to work all these years for those implementing it, and, indeed, works still) depends on this modem.  Specifically, it makes a call to that modem, telling it to go "off hook" (i.e., same as when you lift the handset on a standard telephone) and dial the number of interest.  The idea is, once this dialing has been done, you then pickup your normal handset and continue in normal fashion. 

This system has worked, and worked very well, for those implementing it.  The problem is that implementation has not been practical for many (or in many cases as useful as it might potentially otherwise have been).  There are a number of reasons:

• Many offices have phone systems where the jacks as provided to each station are other than standard phone-system jacks (dial-up modems require standard phone-system jacks).  In other words, for many offices the jacks talk to some central and proprietary box, and via some protocol other than standard telephone-system language (aka POTS, stands for "plain old telephone system"). 

• Even where a POTS jack is available at each desk (or even a particular desk where the feature is particularly desired), it will in most cases be direct attached to a particular POTS line.  If that line happens to be otherwise busy when the user wishes to auto-dial (perhaps in use by someone else in the office), it means that same line is not then available for auto-dialing purposes.

• KSU and PBX based phone systems (which otherwise use POTS lines for at least their connection out to the larger world) may not detect when a particular, direct-modem-connected POTS line has gone off-hook.  This makes it less obvious when a modem has completed the auto-dial and should be user picked up, or that another user should not simultaneously pickup, etc. 

• VOIP/SIP based phone systems do not have POTS lines underlying them at all.  For these, there are no POTS connections available for a modem to connect into at all (at least absent installation of special-added hardware). 

• Today's computers are no longer standard-equipped with dial-up modems -- meaning, if you wanted to use this old method for auto-dialing, it's an add-on extra accessory you'd have to acquire and attach to your computer. 

The combination of these factors has made it more the exception than the rule, where our users have taken advantage of ServiceDesk's otherwise-wonderful auto-dial capability.  We've long wanted to address that, and with this release we finally have. 

Our fully-modernized auto-dial feature allows you to use TAPI. 

What is TAPI? 

It stands for "Telephone Applications Programming Interface."  It's a technology (or set of protocols, methods and Windows capabilities) designed to facilitate communication between applications running within Windows and any phone system that is connected to and "talking" to your local network of computers (aka local area network, or LAN).  At least, it's designed to facilitate such communication with virtually any such system. 

What do I mean when saying "virtually any?"  Essentially, your phone system must be TAPI-compliant, meaning its manufacturer designed it with ability to communicate and respond to requests under TAPI standards.  Almost all "systems" as manufactured in the last ten to 15 years have in fact been so designed, so if you have a "system," chances are very high it has this capability. 

Notice I have also emphasized the word "system."  Why?  If you have a set of multi-line phones that connect directly to POTS lines (again, ordinary, direct to phone company connections), it is not a "system" in the sense I mean it.  At the least, a true "system" puts some kind of proprietary box (often called a KSU or PBX) between you and the phone company's standard set of incoming lines.  If you've made the transition to VOIP (likely using SIP as your local protocol), your system does not connect to phone company at all (or at least does not via standard POTS modalities).  It may run off a dedicated "black box" or via software in a PC.  As long as it is so centralized (i.e., something more than, say, a Magic Jack) it is likewise a "system." 

If you have any such a "system" (and if it's connected or can be connected to your LAN) you can almost certainly use our new, modernized auto-dial feature -- and easily, too.  In most instances (this will depend on your particular system) it will not even require added hardware.  It will certainly require no other connections to the computers in your office (i.e., auto-dialing from each will work through the standard network/Ethernet connection they already have setup).  

It is up to you and your telephone system provider to first assure each station (at least each where you want this feature to operate) is setup to properly TAPI-communicate with your phone system.  Once that is done, there is but one, very simple element of setup to be done in ServiceDesk.  Go to the Settings form (Ctrl-F1) from each applicable station, and in the modem-setting box select "TAPI"

That's it.  Really.  It's no more complex than that.  Once you've done this, ServiceDesk is fully ready to do TAPI-based auto-dials. 

It can be done from virtually any SD location where there is a box designated for a telephone number (e.g., Callsheets, JobRecords, Rolodex, etc.).  Generally, from such a box, you can either right-click or double-click (for any who do not know, "double-click" always refers to the left mouse button).  It can also be done (this is another new element with this release) from any hyperlink-enabled box (e.g., the Description box in a Callsheet or JobRecord, the History box in a JobRecord, etc.) if you double-click on a telephone-number as otherwise free-form-text found within that box. 

When you invoke any such auto-dial request, you'll instantly see the auto-dial window:

and, simultaneously, the TAPI request will go forth.  I suspect the exact following response may vary somewhat depending on the particular phone systems.  When I use the feature in our office's VOIP/SIP system, my extension immediately rings, telling me to pickup the handset or headset (or perhaps the speakerphone, as a third alternative).  When I do, the auto-dial window automatically retires, and I find myself then on the line listening to the ring confirmation of the completing call.   It's like magic, and is virtually immediate. 

I wish I could shout very loudly my urge for you to implement this ASAP.  Assuming you have a phone system that is compatible (or that can be made compatible), you'll find it is SO WONDERFUL.  It's the way the modern world should work.  There that telephone number is, in front of you and on the computer screen, already existing in data form.  Why in the heck should you have to read that number with human eyeballs, translate through the wet matter of your brain, think through the sequence of digits then manually punch them onto a pad.  That's stupid.  The right, sensible and modern way is to effortlessly click on the number, and it just dials.  It's how it should be, and how it will be once you assure the underlying setup is in place for your phone system. 

In regard to the setup work as needed for your phone system (this is entirely outside ServiceDesk), there are three things you must assure:

• Your phone system must be connected to your LAN (it's just a standard network-cord connection, like any other), and must be ready to respond to TAPI requests.

• Each station (at least each where you want the feature to be operational) must have an appropriate TAPI-driver installed in its Windows\System32 folder.  This is sort of a micro-app that directly manages communication between Windows and your phone system.  Much like a printer driver is particular to a printer, this driver is particular to your phone system, and will generally be obtained from your phone system provider. 

• The Windows "Phone and Modem" setup, at each such station, must be configured to appropriately access the above-described driver. 

The above-described elements of setup are not part of your ServiceDesk support.  It is between you and your phone system provider to assure they are properly secured.  As an easy test to assure you've obtained success, in this regard, we suggest you use the built-in Windows Dialer.  It's a phone-dialing utility present in virtually all Windows versions (click on Start, Run and type "Dialer").  If this utility connects to and dials out through your phone system, it means you've setup correctly, and we can virtually guarantee SD's auto-dialer will work with equal perfection. 

Please understand if you cannot succeed with this basic Windows test, it is with your phone system provider where you should seek support, and not Rossware.  If you can succeed with this basic test, and still have trouble, then of course come to us.  So that you know, the first thing we'll do, if you come to us, is test that Dialer.  It it works with your phone system, yet you're having an issue using the feature within ServiceDesk, it will definitely be our problem to solve.  If it does not work, we'll insist you go back to your phone system provider for the needed assistance. 

By the way, if you do not have a phone system (i.e., you're using one or more phones, multi-line or otherwise, that connect directly to standard phone system jacks), we recommend auto-dialing just as highly (you are simply in the category of folks that could have been doing it rather easily all along).  You can buy modems to add to your computers at less than $15 a piece (just Google to find them).  Setup is easy.  You'll love it.