How does Twilio website works?

Question

There is a good pitch on Twilio here

I just don't get how they can do that with a website. How can you control a land line with a web browser?

Answer 1

Here's a better link to the Twilio web site.

They use their website to sell the service.

They use voice over internet (VOIP) hardware or software to deliver their service.

Answer 2

Short answer: magic butterflies.

Longer answer: Twilio isn't actually controlling a phone line directly from the browser. There are a few layers between the browser and your phone. For outbound calls it works something like this:

• Web Browser makes requests to...
• Back-end server technology (like PHP/ASP.NET/Rails/etc) makes requests to...
• Twilio REST API which dispatches...
• Magic butterflies to connect the call to...
• The person being called using...
• A URL you specify to direct the call using simple TwiML/XML

For inbound calls, it works pretty much in reverse:

• A caller is connected to...
• Magic butterflies which do their thing and make...
• A HTTP POST request made to the a URL you specify using a...
• Back-end server technology that returns TwiML/XML back to Twilio
• Magic butterflies handle translating TwiML into actions sent back to the caller

In each case, the magic butterflies represent a scalable cloud communications infrastructure that handles all the complicated telephony stuff required to send/receive calls and text messages so that you don't have to worry about anything beyond GET, POST and XML, the stuff you're used to working with every day as a web developer.

Overview of How Twilio Works for voice calls

Sending/Receiving SMS with Twilio

If you have any other questions about how it works, let me know. I work at Twilio :)