Salesforce has officially announced the retirement of Open CTI, the JavaScript-based framework that has powered softphone integrations inside Salesforce since 2012. The end-of-life date is February 28, 2028, and Open CTI is already unavailable for newly created Agentforce Service orgs.
That may sound far away, but for Salesforce teams that rely on embedded telephony, this matters now. If your users depend on click-to-dial, screen pops, call logging, or an in-console phone experience tied to an Open CTI adapter, you need a plan before the deadline becomes urgent.
This is not just a phone system issue. It is a Salesforce architecture, licensing, and provider strategy decision.
Why Salesforce Teams Should Care
For many orgs, Open CTI has been supporting important day-to-day workflows for years. To migrate away, the impact can be bigger than expected.
This move can affect:
- Embedded softphone behavior inside Salesforce.
- Click-to-dial and inbound screen pops.
- Task or activity logging.
- Service and sales agent workflows.
- Supervisor visibility into calls and CRM activity.
- Custom workflows tied to telephony events.
That means the real question is no longer whether you use Open CTI. It is what your Salesforce telephony strategy looks like after it.
The Three Paths Teams Need to Evaluate
1. Map Your Open CTI Dependency
Even if you are not changing anything immediately, you should start identifying where Open CTI is used, which teams depend on it, and what business processes break if it disappears.
Which provider powers your adapter? How are calls logged? What screen pop logic exists today? Are sales and service users sharing the same setup, or do they have different needs?
The 2028 date is a deadline, not a starting point. Budgeting, roadmap planning, vendor evaluations, integration work, testing, and rollout all take time.
2. Do You Move to Salesforce Voice?
Salesforce has made it clear that Salesforce Voice is its strategic path forward. That includes multiple options such as Amazon Connect, BYOT partner models, and a native voice option tied to Agentforce Contact Center.
For some organizations, this will be the right answer. It can provide a more native Salesforce experience, closer alignment with Omni-Channel and Agentforce, and access to features like real-time transcription in the Salesforce UI.
But this is not a simple one-for-one replacement. Moving to Salesforce Voice can affect routing ownership, agent workflows, reporting, channel strategy, and licensing. It should be evaluated as a future-state operating model, not just a softphone replacement.
3. Do You Consider a Decoupled API-Based Model?
Some providers will not take the Salesforce Voice route. Instead, they may offer a phone experience through a custom Lightning component, browser extension, or external interface while syncing call data into Salesforce through APIs and events.
For some businesses, this can be attractive. It may reduce dependence on Salesforce Voice licensing and give the provider more flexibility over the user experience.
But it also comes with tradeoffs. Logging behavior, screen interaction, supervisor workflows, reporting, and the overall agent experience may differ from a more native Salesforce Voice setup.
What Many Orgs Miss
The first mistake is assuming your current provider can simply move you to the next model. That is not always true.
A provider may have a solid Open CTI adapter but no meaningful Salesforce Voice option. Another may support Salesforce Voice only in limited ways. Another may push customers toward a decoupled model that changes the user experience more than expected.
The second mistake is underestimating cost. Open CTI itself did not require separate Salesforce licensing. A move to Salesforce Voice can introduce new Salesforce costs on top of your existing telephony and CRM spend. Add-ons like AI, analytics, quality management, workforce tools, and premium support can push total cost even higher.
The third mistake is treating this like a technical swap instead of an architecture decision. Your choice can affect where routing lives, how voice and digital channels work together, how presence is managed, how call data lands in Salesforce, and how future AI features fit into the environment. Open CTI 🡪 Salesforce Voice is a major migration, and should be treated as such.
In some cases, Open CTI retirement will expose that your current telephony setup was already outgrowing your Salesforce design.
If You Need a New Provider, the Process Gets Messy Fast
If your current provider is not the right long-term fit, evaluating a new one can become complicated quickly.
The biggest problem is usually poor preparation. Without clear requirements, vendors fill in the blanks with their own story. Every provider says they integrate with Salesforce, but that can mean very different things depending on the depth of the integration and the workflows your team actually needs.
Demos can also be misleading. Without a defined evaluation framework, most providers stay on the happy path. The Salesforce-specific workflows that matter most often do not get tested, licensing details stay fuzzy, and support quality is hard to judge until late in the process.
That is why Salesforce teams should lead with requirements first, architecture second, and demos third.
Why a Salesforce-Focused Advisor Helps
Most communications vendors know their own platform well. What they often do not bring is deep Salesforce architecture experience.
CommCorrect is an independent advisory firm built specifically for Salesforce customers evaluating communications platforms. Our advisors are certified Salesforce Architects who understand both the communications market and the Salesforce environments that those platforms need to support.
We help clients define requirements, assess realistic post-Open CTI paths, vet providers against Salesforce-specific needs, pressure-test demos, compare options objectively, and negotiate with a better market context. Unlike a traditional consulting engagement, CommCorrect’s advisory services come at no additional cost to your organization.
Start Before the Deadline Forces the Decision
Open CTI may not retire until 2028, but the best time to act is now. The earlier you assess your current state, provider fit, licensing implications, and future-state options, the more control you have over the outcome.
Visit CommCorrect.tech to request an assessment of your current Salesforce and communications platform environment, and we will help get you moving in the direction that makes the most sense for your company.
