Tech

TAPI Reloaded

Published on:

February 15, 2013

TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) has been a staple in connecting user programs with telephony hardware, evolving from physical devices to virtual software solutions. Widely adopted by the PBX industry, snom ONE also provides a TAPI service provider (TSP), with the latest version offering enhanced functionality. The new TSP supports both incoming and outgoing calls, including automatic call clearing even before the phone is picked up. It also includes a reconnection feature for lost connections, addressing internet reliability issues. Available for both 32 and 64-bit systems, users should ensure they install the correct version for their operating system.

TAPI is one of those die-hard standards from the 90s. Originally designed to deal with hardware installed in the PC, it has evolved over time into a more virtual piece of software that connects the user programs running on Windows with the devices that make phone calls.

Not much of a surprise, the PBX world has widely adopted TAPI. Almost all vendors of PBX systems offer a TAPI service provider that may be used with their PBX. This is like a device driver for the PBX.

snom ONE has its own TAPI service provider (TSP). While the first versions were very basic, the latest one now offers incoming calls. This is an important step forward, because a lot of CRM tools also offer a bridge to TAPI, essentially making the incoming call pop-up possible. But for outgoing calls the new TSP also has enhanced functionality, so calls can be cleared even though the user hasn't even picked up the phone. We found out that not only for SIP connections, but also for CSTA, the internet can be unreliable and the TSP needs to reconnect in case the connection gets lost.

Like before, we offer the TSP for 32 and 64-bit systems. Because of its origin from the 90s, you need to pick the right one for your Windows operating system, as there are dependencies in it. For more information and the latest version, visit our Wiki at http://wiki.snomone.com/index.php?title=Snom_ONE_TSP. If you have the snom ONE TSP installed, uninstall it first and install the new one.

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