Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages within a host to a plurality of agents. The method includes the steps of determining the message type of each of the plurality of different types of Internet messages and inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types. The method further includes the steps of routing the packets to an Internet message distributor and distributing the messages within the Internet message distributor to the plurality of agents based upon the inserted message type identifier.

Abstract: The method and apparatus teach agents in a communication system, such as an automatic call distribution system. In a first step of one embodiment of the method, a previously stored call transaction having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points is provided to the agent. The call transaction is replayed, and at least one decision of the respective decision point in the call transaction is simulated. This simulation is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the call transaction. The results are evaluated and presented to the agent. In one embodiment at least one decision is a best practice decision. Also, the method further may overlay preferred paths of a call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions. The apparatus implements the method for replaying call transactions.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically updating a “Real Time” Average Speed of Answer, RASA, for a number of calls received by an automatic call distributor, ACD, during a set interval. This “real time” average speed of answer may be determined across a sliding time window via moving averages and exponential smoothing. The method includes the steps of computing a current average Speed of Answer, SA, for the number of calls received by the ACD during the set time interval, by dividing total waiting time to answer for these calls by the number of calls and scaling the current SA by a weight factor W. The real time average speed of answer, RASA, is updated by scaling a previous RASA by the unity complement of W, i.e. (1?W), and augmenting it by the scaled current SA.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for setting up a voice call between a client and one of a plurality of agents of an organization. The method includes the steps of detecting a contact request associated with the client determining a communication system address of the client based upon the detected contact request transferring a request to a router at a router Internet protocol address for a voice connection between the client at the determined address and one of the plurality of agents selecting an agent of the plurality of agents and forming a voice channel between the determined address of the client and an agent Internet protocol address of a terminal of the selected agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks. The method includes the steps of providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks, measuring a performance parameter of the agent in completing each of the plurality of tasks and training the agent when the measured performance parameter of the agent in performing a task exceeds the respective performance threshold of the task for each task of the plurality of tasks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for measuring a time of considering an e-mail message received by an agent of an automatic contact distribution system. The method includes the steps of detecting each opening and closing of the e-mail received by the agent, measuring an elapsed time between each detected opening and closing of the e-mail and summing the measured elapsed times between the openings and closings of the e-mail to provide a cumulative total time for preparing the response to the e-mail.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for providing enterprise information to a client through a call center of the enterprise. The method includes the steps of detecting an identity of the client based upon call associated information received through a call connection between the client and the call center, presenting the client with a plurality of options based upon the identity of the client and presenting the client with enterprise information based upon a selected option of the plurality of options.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for providing a graphical user interface for a plurality of users under a predetermined format substantially controlled by an employer of the plurality of users. The method includes the steps of disposing a proxy server between the plurality of users and an information resource used by at least one user of the plurality of users and converting information exchanged between the predetermined format substantially controlled by the employer of the user and a predetermined format of the information resource.

Abstract: The method or system for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising the steps of or software and circuitry for: receiving and processing an email message at an email server, supplying the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which simultaneously delivers the email message to client agents each containing a custom SIP user agent for processing/answering the email.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for providing optimal transaction routing for data packets through a network on a plurality of logical pipes includes assigning each data packet to one of the plurality of logical pipes, with each logical pipe having an assigned numerical service level, and associating a numerical priority-usage level to each of the data packets. The method then includes establishing a threshold return-time-out (RTO) amount for each logical pipe, and transmitting data packets from one of the logical pipes and evaluating a running estimate of round trip times (RTT) for the transmitted data packets from the logical pipe being serviced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for expediting subject matter evolution of an information exchange during a contact through a communication system between a client and an agent of an organization that possesses an expertise in the subject matter of the contact. The method includes the steps of providing a state map of subject matter progression of the subject matter of the contact from a starting point to subject matter resolution along a plurality of parallel subject matter paths, fitting a subject matter progression of the contact within a progression of subject matter of a most likely one of the plurality of parallel subject matter paths of the state map and prompting the agent with prospective subject matter from the most likely one of the plurality of subject matter paths.

Abstract: A recording system for recording calls between callers and agents of a transaction processing system includes an Internet Protocol (IP) gateway, an interface configured to operatively couple the IP gateway to the transaction processing system, a communication network operatively coupled to the IP gateway, where the IP gateway is configured to convert a call received from the transaction processing system into IP protocol data, and provide the IP protocol data to the communication network. Also included is a memory storage system operatively coupled to the processor and configured to store the IP protocol data, a processor operatively coupled to the communication network and configured to receive the IP protocol data, and a switch controlled by the agent and settable between a record-on mode and record-off mode such that the recording system records the call if the switch is set to the record-on mode and does not record the call if the switch is set to the record-off mode.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a workload of an agent of the transaction processing system is disclosed, where the agent handles inbound and outbound calls and the calls are based on voice-dialog communication and/or text-dialog communication. The method includes obtaining historical data from a database based on a category of a current call handled by the agent, where the historical data provides an indication of an expected duration of the call. The method also includes determining a predicted end time of the current call. If an inbound call is pending, the inbound call is routed to the agent after the current call terminates. If an inbound call is not pending, then an outbound call number is obtained from a list of outbound call numbers to be placed, the outbound call is placed a determined amount of time prior to the predicted end time of the current call, and the outbound call is routed to the agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for objectively grading a performance of a contact center based upon input from a plurality of customers of the contact center. The method includes the steps of receiving a consumer importance rating and a consumer satisfaction rating on the performance of the contact center from a multiplicity of customers of the plurality of customers of the contact center for each entry within a set of categories including empathy and advocacy, efficiency and automation, determining a maximum point score for each entry of the set of categories based upon a relative value of the importance ratings provided by the plurality of customers and assigning a point score to each entry of the set of categories based upon the maximum point score for the entry and the satisfaction ratings of the plurality of customers for the category.

Abstract: The method and system for presenting a predetermined announcement or greeting to a calling party attempting to reach a called party within a Multimedia IP Communication System comprising the steps of or software or circuitry for: determining an announcement or greeting based on a variety of parameters, other than DTMF and ANI/DNIS, related to a call or caller; storing the announcement or greeting in a repository of announcements or greetings; identifying an incoming call or caller; selecting the predetermined announcement or greeting for that call or caller; playing the announcement or greeting to the calling party; and advising the called party of the incoming call.

Abstract: An automatic call distribution system is adapted to connect a telephone call of a caller to an agent station through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) where call information identifiers received from the PSTN are repopulated. The method includes the steps of receiving the incoming telephone from the PSTN, transferring the incoming call to a voice response unit (VRU), requesting, by the VRU, predetermined data from the caller, receiving, by the VRU, the requested predetermined data, repopulating a portion of the call information identifiers with repopulated data corresponding to the predetermined data, transferring the incoming telephone call back to the automatic call distribution system from the VRU along with the repopulated data retained within the call information identifiers, routing the transferred call to the agent station, displaying the repopulated data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for guiding a conversation between an agent of a call center and a client of the call center towards one of a plurality of goals of an organization controlling the call center. The method includes the steps of recognizing a voice content of the client of the call center, correlating the recognized voice content with a first goal of the plurality of goals of the call center and presenting script to the agent of the call center based upon the correlated goal of the call center.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improves call transactions in a communication system having an automatic call distribution system. A personality profile of each agent of a plurality of agents in the system is determined. A respective personality profile is one of a plurality of predetermined personality profile types. The determined personality profile type for respective agents are stored as personality profile records in a database. A personality profile of a caller is then determined, the personality profile of the caller being one of the plurality of personality profile types. A priority hierarchy is provided for matching a personality profile types of the caller to personality profile types of the agents. The personality profile type of the caller is then compared to the personality profile type of the agents according to this priority hierarchy. An agent is selected from the plurality of agents based on the comparison of the personality profile types.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improve transactions in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. In one embodiment, an assessment is performed in substantially real time of respective stress levels of at least one of a caller and an agent in a call transaction. A third party is engaged in the transaction when at least one of the stress levels of the caller and the agent exceeds a threshold. This third party may include, for example, a virtual party or an automated input source. The third party may engage in the background of the transaction or in the foreground of the transaction, thus communicating either only with the agent or with both the caller and the agent, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of determining a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types. The method further includes the steps of processing a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix and assigning the call to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix.