Telephony Integration
ContactsLaw includes functionality for integrating with telephone systems. This is primarily a feature of the Desktop App, where it can be used to dial telephone numbers and announce incoming calls. More broadly, the system supports logging telephone calls and linking to time records.
Requirements
To enable telephony integration, a TAPI driver, sometimes called a Telephony Service Provider (TSP), must be installed on the PC running the Desktop App. Only first-party TSPs are supported; i.e. where the driver grants control over a single telephone extension only. You can, however, install multiple TSPs for different telephone systems if needed.
Configuration
Telephony integration is configured in the Options section of the Desktop App, under Plug-ins. Selecting the entry for TAPI Telephony Integration will reveal its configuration. Simply check the boxes corresponding to the telephone line(s) you wish to monitor in ContactsLaw.
There are other general configuration options for telephony integration in the section above:
- Choose whether you want to log all calls, answered calls or only calls with time records.
- Whether to log internal calls (i.e. where the other party is a member)
- Whether to treat internal calls as WIP (and therefore record time)
- Whether to close the telephone monitor window automatically when the line goes idle
Functionality
Telephony integration monitors the configured telephone line(s) and announces incoming calls by displaying a pop-up window or native Windows notification. You can control various line functions, such as answering or rejecting calls, placing callers on hold or hanging up. ContactsLaw will attempt to match the caller ID to an existing contact whose telephone number is already known.
When you answer an incoming call, the behaviour depends on the other party and your individual configuration; however, generally, the Desktop App will log the particulars of the call and record the time spent on the phone. If the number was matched to an existing contact, it will pre-fill the time record and, if it can be inferred, the matter as well. For unmatched telephone numbers, you have an opportunity to create a new contact.
You can also dial outgoing calls by clicking on telephone hyperlinks in various parts of the application. Behaviour may vary, however you can right-click for additional commands which allow you to explicitly control time recording.