Final answer:
Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) has facilitated advancements in telecommunications, leading to cheaper, faster, and higher quality data transmission. Such progress has spawned technologies like Internet calling and contributed to economic efficiencies in long-distance economic activities and international trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The topic of the question centers around Computer Telephone Integration (CTI), which refers to the technology allowing computers to interact with telephone systems. CTI has significantly evolved with technological improvements like microwave transmission, communications satellites, and other wireless technologies, enabling cheaper, faster, and better-quality data transmission. These advancements have given rise to spin-off technologies such as free Internet-based calling and video calling, thereby increasing consumer choice and reducing the cost of phone calls, especially long distance. These telecommunication enhancements not only improved quality but also facilitated long-distance economic activities by allowing various information-based products and services, like computer software and financial advice, to be easily distributed over networks.
In the realm of polling and surveys, advancements in CTI have manifested through computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) systems, which streamline the interviewing process by automatically connecting interviewers with respondents and directly inputting responses into a computer program. While CATI systems enhance efficiency, they are also susceptible to human error and issues of reliability if the interviewer fails to follow the script or improperly interacts with the respondent. Overall, the evolution of telecommunications has been instrumental in fostering greater international trade and economic collaboration, as per international agreements and treaties.