Click-to-call - Basics

Basics

Click-to-call (CTC) is actually a misleading name for this technology in its most common 21st century implementation. "Click-to-call" technology now virtually always refers to a means for a web consumer to ask a website operator to call her. In other words, "click-to-call" would be more accurately referred to as "Request-a-Call," as in "Please give me a call (here is my phone number)." Obviously, therefore, CTC technology in most instances requires the web consumer to enter his phone number in order for the site operator, or its CSRs, or audio telephony version of an autoresponder, to place the call. CTC technology is now used most often to convert web-based traffic into direct telephone communication between an end user and some other entity. CTC originates out of the older PC2PC telephony whereby a client, or software application, was downloaded onto an end user's own personal computer to interface with the same software running on the other party's computer, to enable a conversation between the two computer users.

Current CTC technology requires no consumer download except perhaps for industry standard plugins such as Flash. Indeed, modern CTC technology reportedly evolved out of its PC client-to-client roots as a direct result of consumer reluctance to download what was, then, the necessary software. Such reluctance is familiar, and is commonly ascribed to fear of viruses and other malware. CTC today is a clientless web to phone service, with the call taking place outside of the consumer's computer. This architecture also improves reliability and quality of service.