Centric CRM can make outbound phone calls from an Asterisk extension, and can display screen-pops through an XMPP server for inbound phone calls.
Initial Configuration
- Setup an Asterisk Server
- Enable the Asterisk manager configuration entry to allow port listening by a centric user
- Configure Centric CRM with the Asterisk server properties
Sample manager.conf:
[general] enabled = yes port = 5038 bindaddr = 0.0.0.0 ;displayconnects = yes [centric] secret = centric read = system,call,log,verbose,command,agent,user write = system,call,log,verbose,command,agent,user
Inbound Phone Calls
This capability requires the additional configuration of an XMPP Server. When Centric CRM is alerted to an incoming phone call by Asterisk, the following steps are taken to alert the user with an instant message; if any of them fail, then no alert is made:
- Centric CRM checks the user list for a valid user with an extension receiving the call
- Centric CRM checks to see if this user has a Jabber instant message address
- Centric CRM looks up the incoming phone number, based on the caller ID details, for a contact that the user has access to
- Centric CRM checks to see if the user is logged into the XMPP server and is listed as available
- If necessary, the Centric CRM Jabber user will request that the target user allow them to be added to their roster
- Centric CRM sends the IM with a link to the contact record
Outbound Phone Calls
The first iteration of this capability simply places a red phone icon next to phone numbers that can be dialed. When the user selects the phone icon 
, Centric CRM prompts which extension the user is currently at, then proceeds to place a call. The user's phone will ring, then Asterisk will continue placing the call.
Additional dialed calls during the user session will not prompt for the user's extension.
