Toshiba Using ACT Application Bulleti

Computer Telephony Integration

Application Bulletin

AB50-0001 Page 1 of 8
January 10, 1997

Using ACT! Phone Link with Strata DK

ACT! is a very powerful contact management PC application which can add important
functionality to your telephone system. It works well with a Strata DK system, as a TAPI
compatible application, to provide database lookup and Screen Pop features.

When using ACT!, it is important to understand its capabilities and limitations so it can be
used properly. The purpose of this bulletin is to assist you in understanding how to install, set
options, and use ACT! as a TAPI application with the Strata DK system.

Linking ACT! Phone Link to the Toshiba TAPI Service Provider

The popular ACT! for Microsoft® Windows® (V2.04 or greater) contact management software
package, with help from the ACT! Phone Link utility, can tightly integrate with the Toshiba
TAPI Service Provider. For outgoing calls, ACT! Phone Link receives the dial string sent by
ACT! and relays the number to the Toshiba TAPI Service Provider. For incoming calls, TAPI
messages are sent dire ctly fr om the Toshiba TAPI Service Provid er to A C T! Phone Li nk which
causes ACT! to lookup the phone number in the database and display any matching entries,
commonly referred to as a “Screen Pop.”

Microsoft Windows PC

ACT!

Strata DKT

RS-232 Link

RPCI to COM Port

TAPI

Service
Provider

TAPI

DLL

(Windows)

Phone Link

ACT!

V2.0

1951

ACT! Phone Link has several characteristics that should be understood before using. First,
ACT! Phone Link can handle only a single call at a time. When connected to the Strata DK,
calls arriving on other line appearances while on a call will be ignored by ACT! Your phone
will continue to ring and the call can be answered from your phone, but ACT! will not
automatically change screens to match the next call.

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.

Telecommunication Systems Division

9740 Irvine Bl vd., Ir vin e, CA 92618-1697 [phone]

4170106

AB50-0001 Page 2 of 8
January 10, 1997

Using ACT! Phone Link with Strata DK

ACT! Phone Li nk requ ires a manu al int erv ent ion to open the gr oup to all recor ds in the file for
the next call to make a selection. This is done by going to the Group listing and selecting
“ALL.” ACT! can only have one database file open at a time; therefore, all records to be used
must be kept in the same database file using its single format. ACT! does allow sub-grouping
of records w ithin the file.

ACT! Ph one Link ex pects the Toshiba Service Pr o vider to be d e vic e zer o (0) . This requi res the
installer to remove all existing drivers in the Telephony Control Panel, install the Toshiba
Service Provider, and re-install the other drivers.

Note

ACT! Phone Link uses th e fi rst Calle r ID it receives to attempt the “Screen Pop.” F or e xamp le,
when a transferred call re mains on the same k ey as t he transferr ing call, ACT! Phone Link will
not update the Caller ID field to the outside number and search for the matching record
associated with the outside caller. This is typical of Strata DK280 Release 3 systems using
Directory Numbers [DNs] for all call appearances and calls answered by an Auto-Attendant.
To get around this situation, use the LCD Names feature to name the phones that will be
transferring the ca lls. When a n ame is used f or th e LCD Displa y in p la ce of the s ta tion n umber
(and the Name is not entered with the [DN]), then the Service Provider provides ACT! with the
Caller Name in place of the Caller Number. The first Caller ID seen by ACT! will be that of
the outside line; thus ACT! Phone Link will search using this number.

The dial codes fo r acce ss ing out side P BX li nes must be incl uded in th e Locat ion se ction of the
Telephony Control Panel. In this section, you should define the home area code and a trunk
access code for local and long distance calls. ACT! uses these settings to adjust the dialed
number to be sent to the Service Provider for dialing.

This may require adjust ing the settings for the appropriate device on the other
applications.

Installing ACT!

Step 1: Install the Toshiba TAPI Service Provider.

Use the installation instructions for the service provider found in Chapter 13 – Computer
Telephony Integration of the Strata DK Installation and Maintenance Manual.

Step 2: Install ACT! (V2.04 or greater)

Use the installation instructions provided by the ACT! User Guide to install the software. For
the Trial Size copy of ACT! available with the TAPI demo kit, use the procedures in
Application Bulletin AB50-0002 for ACT! Trial Size.

Step 3: Install ACT! Phone Link

See ACT! Phone Link “Read Me” files for proper setup information.

Step 4: ACT! Phone Link Tutorial (Optional)

When ACT! Phone Link is installed, a new program group labeled ACT! Phone Link is added
to the Windows Program Manager. Within the ACT! group, there are two files called ACT!
Phone Link T utor ial P ar t 1 and 2. The tutoria ls pro vid e an e xce llen t o ve rview of the new TAPI
features supported by Symantec’s ACT! when used with the Toshiba RPCI-DI.

AB50-0001 Page 3 of 8
January 10, 1997

Using ACT! Phone Link with Strata DK

Step 5: Enter ACT! Settings

1. Double click on the ACT!
Phone Link icon to start the
program.

2. From the Phone pull-down
menu, select (check) the
“Popup Incoming Calls”
option.

Phone Link displays the
Station number in b racket s, b ut
with name and data from the
current ACT! Contact record.

3. From the Phone pull-down
menu, select (check) the
“Setup” option.

4. Make sure the button for your
Intercom or [PDN] appear anc e
is selected from the pull-down
window; click the OK button.