Abstract :
Experimentation with screen-based telephony is discussed in the framework of Apple Computer´s user-centered design philosophy. The approach described enables programs to be developed for the most ubiquitous technologies today-plain old telephone service (POTS) and proprietary private branch exchanges (PBXs)-but also allows for an easy, logical upgrade to future technologies like ISDN. The model has been built in three layers, which reflect the three constituencies who must cooperate to bring ISDN applications (and their forerunners) to market, in the volume required to spark the growth of this area: telecommunications vendors, personal computer vendors, and independent software developers. The Call Manager Application Programmers Interface is the code/specification from Apple that enables voice and data applications to be written independently of the vendor or technology. Telecommunications vendors can write drivers to the Application Program Interface (API) and build the appropriate hardware interfaces, without having to support thousands of software developers. Some of the features of Apple´s prototype human interface to the voice network on this API are described.<>
Keywords :
Apple computers; ISDN; computer interfaces; microcomputer applications; private telephone exchanges; telecommunication network management; telecommunications computing; user interfaces; Apple computers; Call Manager Application Programmers Interface; PBX; code/specification; data applications; hardware interfaces; plain old telephone service; private branch exchanges; prototype human interface; screen-based telephony; user-centered design philosophy; voice network; Application software; Embedded software; ISDN; Microcomputers; Pervasive computing; Programming profession; Sparks; Technology management; Telephony; User centered design;
