Softphone CTI Adapter
A legacy Salesforce CTI component (replaced by Open CTI) that was a browser plugin required to connect a user's desktop phone system to the Salesforce interface for screen pops and call management.
Definition
A legacy Salesforce CTI component (replaced by Open CTI) that was a browser plugin required to connect a user's desktop phone system to the Salesforce interface for screen pops and call management.
In plain English
“The Softphone CTI Adapter was a legacy browser plugin required to connect a user's phone system to Salesforce for screen pops and call logging. It's been replaced by Open CTI, which is JavaScript-based and doesn't need a browser plugin.”
Worked example
Larkford Software's legacy Salesforce Classic Service Console used a Softphone CTI Adapter - a browser plugin installed on each agent's machine - to connect their on-prem Cisco PBX with the Salesforce softphone. The plugin was painful to deploy (each browser update required testing, every machine needed the install) and fragile. Salesforce introduced Open CTI to replace it: a JavaScript-based API requiring no browser plugin, that works across browsers and operating systems. The Softphone CTI Adapter is now legacy; new CTI integrations use Open CTI exclusively.
Why Softphone CTI Adapter matters
A Softphone CTI Adapter was a legacy Salesforce CTI component (replaced by Open CTI) that was a browser plugin required to connect a user's desktop phone system to the Salesforce interface for screen pops and call logging. The browser plugin model became unsustainable as browsers dropped plugin support.
Open CTI replaced the adapter model entirely, using JavaScript-based integration that works without plugins. Any organizations still referencing CTI adapters should migrate to Open CTI or Service Cloud Voice. The adapter pattern is completely obsolete.
How organizations use Softphone CTI Adapter
Migrates legacy CTI adapter integrations to Open CTI or Service Cloud Voice.
Treats CTI adapter references as legacy migration triggers.
Migrated from CTI adapter to Open CTI for modern plugin-free telephony.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Softphone CTI Adapter.
- Open CTI Developer GuideSalesforce Developers
Test your knowledge
Q1. What was the Softphone CTI Adapter?
Q2. Why was it replaced?
Q3. What replaces it?
Discussion
Loading discussion…