Open CTI Is Retiring in 2028. Is Your Voice Strategy Ready?

Salesforce has set a hard deadline. Here is how to plan your transition.

Salesforce has officially deprecated Open CTI. It is no longer available for new Agentforce Service orgs. Existing implementations will stop working on February 28, 2028.For many organizations, this JavaScript-based API has supported third-party telephony integrations for over a decade. Its retirement is not a surprise. But the hard deadline changes the conversation from planning to execution.This is not just a technical migration. It affects how voice is integrated, how data flows through Salesforce, and how AI can be applied across your service and sales operations. The question is no longer whether to transition. It is how to transition in a way that is practical, low risk, and aligned with where Salesforce is heading.

Why this matters now

Moving away from Open CTI changes how voice is managed in Salesforce. Traditional CTI relied on external softphones, custom JavaScript, and call center configuration files. Voice was separate from the core CRM experience.Salesforce Voice (formerly Service Cloud Voice) introduced a new model. Voice became a native channel within the Service Console, integrated with routing, data, and AI. Calls, transcripts, and outcomes are captured directly in Salesforce.In March 2026, Salesforce went further. The launch of Agentforce Contact Center brought native telephony, IVR, and full CCaaS capabilities directly into the Salesforce platform. This means the destination for your voice strategy is no longer just a better integration. It is a unified platform where voice, digital channels, CRM data, and AI all operate natively in a single system.With a two-year window before Open CTI stops working, organizations need to make decisions now about which path to take and how to sequence the transition.

Legacy CTI vs. native voice

In practice, moving from Open CTI to native voice results in less custom integration code and more configuration through Salesforce-supported patterns. Core functions such as click-to-dial and screen pops remain. They are now enhanced by transcription, AI guidance, and unified reporting.The key differences:

Legacy CTI uses a separate softphone and adapter. Native voice embeds call controls directly in the console.
Legacy CTI stores call data primarily in the telephony system. Native voice creates standard CRM records for every call.
Legacy CTI requires custom JavaScript and XML definitions. Native voice uses Salesforce's standard framework.
Legacy CTI has no path to Agentforce AI capabilities. Native voice is the prerequisite for Agentforce Voice, Service Rep Assistant, and autonomous service agents.

Seven questions your organization needs to answer

Salesforce has set the direction and the deadline. Designing an effective transition requires addressing practical questions that extend beyond product documentation.1. How do we plan against the February 2028 deadline?Open CTI will stop functioning on February 28, 2028. That gives most organizations roughly 18 to 24 months to plan and execute a transition. Factor in vendor evaluation, pilot programs, phased rollout, and KPI validation. The timeline is tighter than it appears.2. What is our destination: Salesforce Voice, Agentforce Contact Center, or both?Salesforce Voice (the native voice channel) is available today and supports multiple telephony models including Amazon Connect and Bring Your Own Telephony. Agentforce Contact Center is the broader platform that adds native telephony, IVR, and full CCaaS capabilities. Some organizations will start with Salesforce Voice and move toward Agentforce Contact Center over time. Others, especially those starting fresh or ready for full consolidation, may go directly to Agentforce Contact Center.3. Which telephony model fits our environment?Salesforce Voice supports several deployment models: Amazon Connect as a turnkey provider, Partner Telephony using an existing Amazon Connect instance, Bring Your Own Telephony with providers like Genesys, NICE CXone, or Cisco, and now native telephony through Agentforce Contact Center. Each has different implications for cost, compliance, control, and long-term architecture. The right choice depends on your current telephony investments, regulatory requirements, and appetite for change.4. How should routing be redesigned?Native voice brings routing logic into Salesforce's unified model through Omni-Channel. Careful planning is needed to align voice queues, skills, and priorities with digital channels and agent capacity. This is an opportunity to simplify, not just replicate existing complexity.5. How do we introduce AI responsibly?Native voice enables transcription, summarization, and real-time agent guidance. Agentforce Contact Center adds autonomous AI agents that can handle calls before a human is involved. These capabilities require governance. Organizations must decide where AI logic resides, how data is audited, and how to scale AI use cases gradually.6. How will legacy CTI and native voice coexist during transition? Most organizations will migrate in phases. Managing a hybrid environment requires clear plans for agent rollout, consistent reporting, and KPI alignment. The goal is parallel operation until the new system proves stable, not a hard cutover.7. How does voice support revenue and retention goals? Voice modernization affects more than the contact center. Inbound sales calls, renewals, and service-to-sales handoffs benefit from shared data and AI insights. With Agentforce Contact Center, voice data enriches the same customer profile used by sales, marketing, and service. Voice should be managed as an enterprise capability, not a standalone project.

Moving forward

Open CTI is a legacy pattern with a defined end of life. Native voice through Salesforce Voice and Agentforce Contact Center is the future of service and sales on the platform.The organizations that move early will have time to pilot, learn, and scale. Those that wait will face compressed timelines and higher risk as the deadline approaches.A structured approach with experienced guidance is essential. The right transition plan protects existing investments, minimizes disruption, and positions your contact center for the AI-enabled capabilities that are now available on the platform.

How OSF Digital helps

At OSF Digital, we help organizations plan and execute the transition from Open CTI to Salesforce Voice and Agentforce Contact Center. We start by assessing your current environment, identifying risk, and designing a phased roadmap that fits your timeline and business priorities.Ready to plan your transition? Contact OSF Digital for a personalized assessment and roadmap tailored to your environment.