[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]
TAPI version 3.0 is a set of COM-based APIs providing convergence of both traditional telephony and IP (Internet Protocol) Telephony.
IP Telephony enables voice, data and video collaboration over existing LANs, WANs and the Internet. TAPI 3.0 implements IP Telephony on the Windows® platforms by providing simple and generic methods for making connections between two or more machines.
TAPI 3.0 supports standards-based H.323 conferencing and IP Multicast conferencing, utilizing the Windows NT® 5.0 Active Directory service to simplify deployment within an organization. Quality-of-service (QOS) support is included to improve conference quality and network manageability. Media stream access is provided through DirectShow® filters.
TAPI 3.0 PSTN and IP functionality is provided by three main sections: call and media controls, media stream controls, and directory controls. The following diagram illustrates how these controls interact with the telephone and IP networks.
The beta 1 release of TAPI 3.0 contains the core elements of telephony. Future releases will include interfaces and objects to expose and encapsulate additional telephony concepts, including call center-specific functionality.