BT Syntegra Presents New CTI Model Based On Business Rules & App Links

NEW YORK--BT Syntegra is embracing a new model for integrating voice and data that makes use of a firm's business rules as well as BT Syntegra's links to its Integrated Trading System (ITS), a trade processing application from MKI-Frustum Group, and other related applications. BT Syntegra is the systems integration unit of British Telecom (BT).

BT Syntegra recently demonstrated how the "next paradigm" of integrating voice and data could make trading a more efficient process. As they are used now, most turret voice systems on the trading floor are, technologically, islands, says Colin Knight, senior vice president, general manager for BT Syntegra in North America and director of global operations. The BT Syntegra demonstrations focused on what could be done here and now with computer telephony integration (CTI).

The goal is to integrate these islands and have a consistent way of treating customer and account information, Knight says. In the future, a firm might be able to pass this information from site to site to better service an account globally. As business processes change, the firm will be able to modify the underlying business rules, he says.

Towards this goal, the company demonstrated its ITSlink, an open interface to the ITS digital voice communications platform. ITSlink delivers commands, queries and status events to any standard computing environment that supports CTI applications. This supports customized applications for a specific trader as well as enterprise-wide applications. This enables a firm to use the knowledge they have to better service a customer.

The vendor's Trading Activity Reporting Application (TARA), was displayed, showing its ability to take a telephone call and link it to a transaction processing system that would automatically display the trading history and credit ratings of the account that is making the call. This application was demonstrated using MKI-Frustum Group's Opics trade processing system. Other than the link to transaction processing systems, this BT function can also be connected to trade capture systems to help achieve straight through processing (STP).

With TARA, BT also offers what it calls a third-party API server that resides on a customer's LAN, giving BT's clients the ability to share information internally, instead of having it only at one trader's desk. BT officials compare this to a groupware concept, where more than one person inside a firm can access a given piece of information.

An application called Talk & Key allows the voice component of a trade to be combined with the transaction data. Then, for trade reconciliation, the conversations that the trader had with the counterparty can be recalled to investigate problems.

The showcase was part of its "Innovations Week" presentations, held to display BT Labs' latest applications and initiatives. The products and configurations on display are available now.