Abstract: A call directing system receives an incoming call from a caller. The caller is prompted to speak, thus enabling a prosody analyzer to generate an analysis of a prosody of the caller's voice. This analysis provides a basis for generating a caller profile that describes caller preferences of the caller. Based on the analysis of the prosody of the caller's voice and the generated caller profile, the call is directed to a particular call recipient.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium are disclosed for adjusting port usage and call duration in an interactive voice response (IVR) system based on changes in call volume. In one embodiment, the method comprises monitoring usage of one or more ports within an IVR system. A determination is made whether the usage of the ports exceeds a predetermined threshold for port usage. In response to determining port usage exceeds the predetermined threshold, the method adjusts one or more call flows within the IVR system to reduce call duration within the IVR system.

Abstract: A method and system manage a plurality of servers coupled to a network. Each of the servers is identified by a server name. At least one of the servers is identified by an old server name. The method notifies at least some of the plurality of servers that at a specified time the old server name will be changed to a new server name.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method to detect credit card fraud. It allows the user, or the credit card company, to limit the use of a particular credit card according to authorized use data which is prespecified by the card holder, such as allowing authorized use within a geographical area or a set of ZIP codes. This way, the credit card owner, can limit the credit card's use according to the card holder, such as within a specified geographical area, a date frame, a time frame or even to within particular stores or with particular vendors. In addition, data from the credit card's magnetic stripe is conveyed and compared against the authorized use data. With respect to geographical information, the present use geographical data is provided either by the particular point-of-sale terminal or from a GPS system.

Abstract: A method of and system for optimizing interactive voice response (IVR) unit port utilization starts each call of a plurality of calls on a separate IVR unit port. The method launches an IVR call flow for each call. Each IVR call flow includes a section that is common to all of the call flows. The method conferences together on a single IVR unit port at least some of the plurality of calls for the common section of the call flow by transferring calls to the single IVR unit port when each transferred call reaches the common section. The method synchronizes the calls conferenced together on the single port by inserting into the call flow on the single IVR unit port an on-hold treatment. The method starts the common section of the call flow when all calls have been transferred to the single IVR unit port.

Abstract: A method of and system for managing a conference call among participants and a moderator provides a control mode in which only one participant can speak at time. All participants other than the speaker are muted. The system maintains a talk queue. When a participant requests to speak, the system places the participant in the talk queue. The system may announce to the moderator that the participant has registered to speak. The system may also announce to the moderator the participant's position in the talk queue. When a speaking participant relinquishes, or is preempted from, the speaking position, the system mutes the speaking participant. The system informs the participant at the top of the talk queue that it is his or her turn to speak and unmutes that participant, whereby that participant becomes the new speaking participant. The system removes the new speaking participant from the talk queue. The system may announce their respective positions to the other participants in the talk queue.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-usable medium for routing a call. A server receives a call from a client. A routing engine captures a voice print from the call. In response to the routing engine capturing the voice print from the call, the routing engine compares the voice print to a database that includes a collection of voice prints. In response to the routing engine matching the voice print to at least one voice print among the collection of voice prints, an interactive voice response (IVR) module routes the call to an appropriate call queue based on the matching of the voice print. The appropriate queue routes the call from the appropriate call queue to a call center corresponding to the appropriate call queue.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and program products for a client application provide child passwords mapped to a parent password authorized for login to a secure network resource server. A child user logs in to the client application by entering the child password. When a child user properly requests a secure resource from the secure network resource server, the client application uses the authorized parent password to login to the secure server and retrieve a secure resource without communicating the child password to the secure server. The child user login session is administered by the local application pursuant to access rules or limitation parameters associated with the child password. Child passwords may be set to expire. The client application may also monitor secure server access by a child user; monitored use may also be reported, and an access rule or password limitation parameter may be revised in response to monitoring and use reporting.

Abstract: A search algorithm utilizing confidence levels of keywords spoken by a caller to identify keyword indexed search items which best match the spoken keywords. In response to receiving a spoken search request from a caller, keywords are identified in the spoken search request. A list of candidates is created comprising a match to at least one of the keywords, wherein each candidate in the list is assigned a level of confidence in the match. Keyword indexed search items having at least one of the keywords as an index and an original matching score are then located. The original matching score of each keyword indexed search item is weighted with the level of confidence in the list of candidates to form weighted matching scores. The keyword indexed search items are sorted based on weighted matching score. A list of the sorted keyword indexed search items is then created.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for providing a user identity-based secure channel between a digital telephone and a service provider is presented. At the service provider, an encrypted voice transmission from a digital telephone is decrypted. The voice transmission was encrypted at the digital telephone by using a user voice encryption key that was created in the digital telephone. The user voice encryption key was created at the digital telephone by inputting a telephone identifier and a called telephone number into a public encryption key algorithm that is supplied by the service provider. By decrypting the encrypted voice transmission, the service provider is able to extract the voice transmission, the telephone identifier, and the called telephone number, thus allowing the service provider to route the voice transmission to an appropriate answering party at the service provider.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for dynamically balancing call loads among call center resources when a call load reaches a threshold. Responsive to receiving an incoming call at a call center, a target call center resource group is determined to handle the incoming call. A determination is then made as to whether a call load of the target call center resource group is above a threshold. If the call load is above the threshold, the least utilized call center resources in the call center are located. The resources in the least utilized call center resources which have a same skill set of the target call center resources are then identified. The identified resources are then assigned to the target call center resource group.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for providing a Virtual Contact Center (VCC) to call-in customers is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of: screening a plurality of service agents according to agent qualifications needed by a Virtual Contact Center (VCC); developing a network of pre-qualified service agents from the screening step, wherein each pre-qualified service agent is an independent contractor; receiving, at a Virtual Contact Center Portal (VCCP), a request for service call from a customer; and directing the request for service call through the VCCP to one of the pre-qualified service agents according to a nature of the request for service call.

Abstract: A connector application for integrating disparate systems within a pre-set computer telephony integration framework for routing calls is provided. The connector application receives input regarding a status of an agent of a plurality of agents. The connector application stores the status of each agent of the plurality of agents. The connector application receives a request for the status of each agent of the plurality of agents. The connector application then transmits the status of each agent of the plurality of agents to the requesting application.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium for optimizing retrieval of customer data needed to handle a call are presented. The method includes the steps of receiving a call at a data center; initiating a query for a business data related to the call; creating a key that identifies the business data related to the call; pre-fetching the business data using the key with a lookup table; caching the pre-fetched business data; attaching the key to the call; routing the call with the attached key to a desktop agent; receiving a request from the desktop agent for the pre-fetched business data; retrieving the cached pre-fetched business data; and transmitting the cached pre-fetched business data to the desktop agent.