Computer telephony integration gateway

A telecommunications system comprising:

• a public telecommunications intelligent network (IN) including an IN service control element and an IN switching control element providing IN services following IN control procedures;
• a private telecommunications network including a computer telephony integration (CTI) server providing CTI services following CTI control procedures and a first group of plural telephones connected to the public IN network;
• and
• a network gateway coupled to the public and private networks through which the CTI server requests a service from the IN service control element,
• wherein a virtual private network connecting the first group of telephones using the public telecommunications intelligent network is established in accordance with communications between the service control element and the CTI server through the network gateway.

A method of enhancing telecommunications services offered in a private network domain controlled by a private network computer server with services from a public intelligent network (IN) that includes an IN service control element and an IN switching element, comprising the steps of:

• providing a network control gateway between the computer server and the IN service control clement;
• establishing a service logic control path between the computer server and the IN service control element via the network control gateway;
• the computer server requesting from the gateway over the service logic control path a public IN switching service for the private network;
• the gateway conveying a switching message corresponding the requested switching service to the service control element;
• and
• in response to the switching message, the service control element performing the requested switching function using the switching element.

A method of enhancing telecommunications services offered in a private network controlled by a computer telephony integrated (CTI) server with services obtained from an intelligent network (IN) that includes a service control element and a switching element, comprising the steps of:

• establishing service logic relating to a private network service in the IN service control element and one or more triggering conditions in the IN switching element;
• providing a gateway coupled to the CTI server and IN service control element;
• detecting in the IN switching element a call having a trigger condition;
• invoking the private network service logic in the IN service control element and communicating information regarding the call to the CTI server;
• processing the call information in the CTI server;
• instructing the IN service control element to complete the call;
• the IN service control element instructing the IN service switching element to complete the call;
• and
• the IN service switching element completing the call.