<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-12-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000803014</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COMVERSE TECHNOLOGY INC/NY/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CMVT.PK</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001065142</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PORTER ALEXANDER A. JR.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PORTER, ORLIN LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>666 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 3403</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10103</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-12-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7853</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>38396</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3279643</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents shares of Comverse Common Stock deliverable in settlement of an award of deferred stock units granted on December 2, 2010, with such shares to vest and be delivered on January 1, 2012.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Not applicable.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes 17,853 shares of Comverse Common Stock deliverable in settlement of unvested awards of deferred stock units and 10,000 shares of Comverse Common Stock deliverable in settlement of vested awards of deferred stock units subject to deferred delivery.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The shares are held in the accounts of Amici Associates L.P., The Collectors' Fund, L.P., LightPath Capital, L.P. and Amici Qualified Associates, L.P. (collectively, the &quot;Partnerships&quot;).  The reporting person is the (i) Managing Member of CF Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the general partner of each of the Partnerships, (ii) Managing Member of Porter, Orlin LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the investment advisor to each of the Partnerships, and (iii) the Managing Member of Amici Capital LLC, which is the investment management entity for Amici Fund International, Ltd. (&quot;Amici Ltd.&quot;) and is an affiliate of Porter, Orlin LLC. The reporting person's interest in the securities reported on Table I herein is limited to the extent of his pecuiary interest in the Partnerships and Amici Ltd., if any.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Shefali Shah, as Attorney in Fact for Alexander A. Porter, Jr.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-12-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
