API

We've designed the TTNC Developer API for people who want to take their telephone management to the next level. Using the same industry leading technology which runs our control panel; myTTNC, we've created a world class API for developers to build their own applications and integrate directly with our core services and numbering. The possibilities are endless and the opportunities untold.

Priority number one - on demand, real time call data

The single most important thing with a telephone number is the calls you get. This is why we make sure that you have full on demand access to download or stream all of the call data, voicemails, call recordings and faxes that your numbers receive. Either pull the data as and when you need it or store it locally within your own systems.

Webhooks

At their simplest level, a webhook is a way of one system instantly sending information about an event to another entirely separate system.

For your telephone numbers what this means is whenever a call comes in to a TTNC virtual number, your own systems can receive information about the call instantly from our network. For example you could populate information about the caller into your CRM system before your operator has even answered the call; it'll be ready and waiting for them.

To use webhooks, you'll need to have some technical development resource, just like if you wanted to use our direct API. When a webhook is 'triggered' we send the information of the call straight to your system over the Internet. Your system must be coded and ready to receive the information, and subsequently do something with it.

For more information see the Webhooks page.

Accessing the API

Access to the API requires an account enabled for API access and an application key (VKey) for your application created (this can be done through myTTNC. You'll also need to provide the IP addresses of your development and test environments for us to permit API access.

Understanding API Requests

The API uses XML to communicate requests to and from the server. The XML should be sent as POST data directly to the API URL. Multiple API requests can be sent for each POST to apply a full configuration in one transaction.

Sending API Request

API requests can be sent using your programming language of choice on any platform, provided that the computer sending the requests has had its IP address permitted for access (see 'Accessing the API' above). All API requests should be POSTed to the following URL;

https://xml.ttnc.co.uk

Formatting of API Requests

The XML document should always start with the opening tag NoveroRequest and finish by closing it; /NoveroRequest. Inside of these tags, multiple API requests can be queued using the Request tag. The requests are processed in the order they are placed in the XML. The Request tag should have 3 attributes attached; name, target and id. The name and the target are references to the type of request you wish to perform and the id, while not required, is used to 'tag' the request for easy retrieval from the response.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<NoveroRequest>
    <Request target="..." name="..." id="Request1">
 
        /* First API Request */
 
    </Request>
    <Request target="..." name="..." id="Request2">
 
        /* Second API Request */
 
    </Request>
</NoveroRequest>

Understanding API Responses

Upon the API receive one of more Request calls, a response will be given to each in the order they were received. If the Request was tagged with an id, the same id will be an attribute on the Response; so you can easily identify which Response relates to which Request. In addition to the id, each Response also includes a code attribute. This is the return code of the Response, a 200 code indicates a successful request, anything else is a failure and the response will include reasons for the failure.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<NoveroResponse>
    <Response target="..." name="..." Code="200" RequestId="Request1">
 
        /* Response XML */
 
    </Response>
    <Response target="..." name="..." Code="200" RequestId="Request2">
 
        /* Response XML */
 
    </Response>
</NoveroResponse>

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Starting up

You'll need an account; simply search for and purchase a number to get started. You'll be ready in minutes and can issue yourself with API access through your account.

We have Client Libraries available in several languages to help you interface with our XML and JSON schema, however you are of course free to develop your own Client Libraries or 'wrapper class' to suit your own needs.

Our Help Centre contains all of our documentation, sample code and Client Libraries and is updated on a regular basis as new features become available.

API Case Study 1 - Call Tracking (CDR)

What was the challenge?

• Identifying calls generated by paid online advertising or organic search is the missing link for many digital marketing companies.

• Being able to prove the full impact of their work is the key to developing positive relationships with their customers.

• Our client in particular was looking for a system that would give them call data for a variety of telephone numbers throughout their customer's campaigns.

Was there a solution?

• Call data is freely available with any of our numbers and is normally accessed through the online control panel we've developed.

• With the API however, it was possible for the client to set up call data reports to be generated automatically on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

• The call data they exported was then imported into their own reporting tools for them to present to their customers.

What happened?

• Being able to show not just increases in web traffic but also demonstrate the volume of calls that were being generated by online activity meant our client had a complete picture.

• This enables them to refine their customer's activity to improve its profitability.

• With this solution our client has been able to secure business with a national network of second hand car dealers.

API Case Study 2 - Automation

What was the challenge?

• Our client wanted to create a platform that would enable them to provide virtual telephone numbers to users within a highly regulated public sector.

• A key requirement was that they needed a way to bill their customers on a Pay As You Go basis to minimise the risk of offering calls on a credit basis.

Was there a solution?

• Our API offered the client the opportunity to automate the allocation and set up of numbers based on the results of an order through their own website.

• The API also enabled the client to export call data after each call to calculate the call charges generated and deduct this from the users prepaid credit.

What happened?

• The client has fully integrated their platform using our API so that their web orders are seamlessly allocating numbers to their users whenever one is required, setting up the forwarding destination and billing their users on a Pay As You Go basis powered by the supply of real time call data.

• Previous attempts to implement and grow this service had been hampered with other providers because of the lack of automation.

• Using TTNC's API has enabled the service to grow from less than 50 subscribers to over 1,000 subscribed users in 2013 alone.

API Case Study 3 - Dynamic Number Insertion

What was the challenge?

• Our client wanted a supply of numbers that they would dynamically insert onto websites to track calls based on the keyword or PPC campaign that brought the visitor to that site.

• The solution they were developing would be using several thousands of numbers in a bid to track unique visitors and gather comprehensive data on their journey.

Was there a solution?

• We have a large capacity of numbers available that means we could support their solution using 0844 numbers, despite the high churn of numbers (each number was being used temporarily and then recycled).

• In conjunction with our API it was also possible for the client to develop the means to allocate, set up and dynamically show numbers on their websites for each unique visitor and the channel they used to get to those websites.

• Real time call data was also integrated with their reporting platform using our API.

What happened?

• The client has gone on to supply their call tracking solution to some of the major companies in the tourist and leisure industries.

• They are now one of the primary providers of this type of solution in the market.