How generate a call to a Cisco IP phone from VB.net application

Question

I'm in a need of develop an application to get calls to Cisco CUCM extension numbers via VB application. I have Installed the Tapi driver for the computer and now i need to know where to start. Your advice is highly appreciated

Thank You

Answer 1

Take a look at JulMar's ATAPI .net assembly for TAPI 2.x. (http://atapi.codeplex.com/).

It's free and I've used it for Cisco CUCM as well as a many other telephone systems. I don't use VB.net, (so please don't judge my very simplistic code example). My experience is in CTI not VB.

'The extension number of the Cisco Endpoint
Dim deviceNumber As String = "PUTEXTSIONHERE" 

' The number you want to call
Dim callNumber As String = "PUTNUMBERTOCALLHERE"

Dim mgr As JulMar.Atapi.TapiManager = New JulMar.Atapi.TapiManager("Test App")

' Now iterate through all the lines - 
' and make a call from any address that matches our device number
mgr.Initialize()

For Each line As JulMar.Atapi.TapiLine In mgr.Lines
     For Each address As JulMar.Atapi.TapiAddress In line.Addresses
        If address.Address = deviceNumber Then
            line.Open(JulMar.Atapi.MediaModes.InteractiveVoice)
            line.MakeCall(callNumber)
            line.Close()
         End If
    Next
Next

mgr.Shutdown()

• If you want to control more than one line (~Handset), you'll need to use the third-party TAPI TSP (The alternative is First-Party for a single line);
• You'll need to ask your Cisco maintainer to configure your Cisco CUCM and depending on the CUCM version. Here's a link for CUCM V11; http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/admin/11_0_1/sysConfig/CUCM_BK_C733E983_00_cucm-system-configuration-guide/configure_cti_applications.pdf
• Configure the TSP on your machine for the user that has been created for you and with details of the CUCM;
• My example is very simplistic. e.g. It is possible to register an address to more than one line on a CISCO CUCM.