Abstract: A method that allows a user to have his or her telecommunications terminal automatically monitor one or more teleconferences so that he or she participates in the relevant portions of a teleconference without the disadvantages associated with the prior art is described. The illustrative embodiment teaches a method that can monitor one or more teleconferences and determines when there is a discussion that is relevant to the user. At that point, the user is automatically joined to the teleconference bridge where the teleconference is taking place.

Abstract: A predictive dialer in a call center may originate a number of outbound calls on behalf of agents for an outbound call campaign. Since many calls may fail to connect with the right party, the predictive dialer may originate several contemporaneous calls in order to provide a single call to an available agent. A pacing algorithm in the predictive dialer determines how many calls are to be made based on various factors, conditions, and rules. In some instances, the predictive dialer may attempt to originate more calls than there are available trunks. In such instances, the number of originated calls is limited by the number of available trunks causing a trunk-related deficiency condition, which can adversely impact the agents' performance. Various embodiments of the invention detect and provide notifications of such conditions to allow effective diagnosis of the cause of degradation of agent performance.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a proactive scheduler having a controller element to determine a scheduling conflict between a called party and a calling party according to calendar information of the called party and presence information of the called party. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for establishing a communications session among end-points are shown and described. The method can include receiving, from a client computing device at a gateway computing device, a request to establish a communication session with an end-point, the client computing device executing a program that locates address information for the end-point within application output displayed at the client computing device and forwarding at least a portion of the received request to a private branch exchange in communication the gateway computing device, the at least a portion of the received request including the address information of the end-point and address information associated with an end-user of the client computing device.

Abstract: A telephone system comprising a plurality of phone devices and a plurality of information terminals for mutually communicating via a communication network, comprising position managing means for managing mutual position relations between the plurality of phone devices and the plurality of information terminals, and correlating means for mutually correlating at 1:1 between the plurality of phone devices and the plurality of information terminals on the basis of the managed position relations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing end user feedback is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system can have a collection element that receives a vendor identifier and a measure of satisfaction associated therewith, and a storage element that stores the measure of satisfaction in a telephone directory of commercial vendors according to the vendor identifier. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A skills-based method for routing an incoming communication includes determining a task associated with the incoming communication. The method also includes routing the incoming communication, based on the task, to be serviced by a pool of selected agents. The pool of selected agents includes agents from a first virtual group. The method further includes adding agents from a second virtual group to the pool of selected agents when the incoming communication has not been serviced before a waiting time exceeds a predetermined time.

Abstract: A technique for scheduling conferences includes receiving a conference request, which includes an invitee list, a prioritized list of preferred media types, and one or more times for a conference associated with the conference request. The conference is requested with respective invitees associated with the invitee list (via respective subscriber terminals) and it is determined whether the respective invitees can be scheduled for the conference. The conference is scheduled between a conference requester (associated with the conference request) and available ones of the respective invitees, when mandatory attendees, included within the respective invitees, are available.

Abstract: A predictive dialer in a call center may originate a number of outbound calls on behalf of agents for an outbound call campaign. Since many calls may fail to connect with the right party, the predictive dialer may originate several contemporaneous calls in order to provide a single call to an available agent. A pacing algorithm in the predictive dialer determines how many calls are to be made based on various factors, conditions, and rules. In some instances, the predictive dialer may attempt to originate more calls than there are available trunks. In such instances, the number of originated calls is limited by the number of available trunks causing a trunk-related deficiency condition, which can adversely impact the agents' performance. Various embodiments of the invention detect and provide notifications of such conditions to allow effective diagnosis of the cause of degradation of agent performance.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a conference bridge receives a call initiated by a first caller endpoint. The conference bridge identifies a conference to which the call requests entry and determines whether the conference bridge has available resources to process the call. The conference bridge enables the call to join the conference via a second conference bridge associated with a second caller endpoint participating in the conference according to whether the conference bridge has available resources to process the call.

Abstract: When a call from a call terminal to a called terminal is received, a relay processing device transmits calling terminal specific information that specifies the calling terminal to the called terminal by using data communication. The calling terminal specific information, for example, is a phone number of the calling terminal, but may be a user's name of the calling terminal. The called terminal transmits to the relay processing device, connection information that indicates whether or not to respond to the call from the calling terminal. The transmission of the connection information may be performed by any one of voice communication and data communication. The relay processing device connects the phone call between the called terminal and the calling terminal or cuts off the connection between the calling terminal and the relay processing device according to the connection information.

Abstract: A method and system for providing reliable path for Direct Inward Dial (DID) calls on networks, e.g., Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) networks, the packet networks Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present method enables the customers to request for a reliable path for Direct Inward Dial (DID) calls. For example, the present method enables a service provider to connect a customer's switch, e.g., a PBX, to two or more switches (or softswitches) via two separate DID trunk groups. The method also enables the service provider to create a DID trunk group between the two or more switches (or softswitches) connected to the customer's switch. With this architecture, the service provider is able to continue to forward DID calls towards the customer's switch even if one of the two separate DID trunk groups has failed.

Abstract: Access to an electronic conference may be administered by receiving an electronic instruction configured to establish the electronic conference, enabling more than one user to generate content restrictions that limit content rendered during the electronic conference, analyzing one or more participant devices to ensure compliance with the content restrictions, establishing the electronic conference in accordance with the content restrictions, and enabling user access to the electronic conference consistent with the content restrictions.

Abstract: The present solution can include a method for using dialog contracts for contact center interactions. The method can include a step of determining a context that applies to a caller who is communicating with a contact center. A dialog contract can be identified that corresponds to the determined context. The dialog contract can specify requirements for a real-time contact center session. The contact center can transfer the caller to a contact center agent. The real-time communication session can be conducted. A software program, referred to as an agent monitor, can analyze input of the caller and the contact center agent during the communication session and can automatically update a session file as requirements of the dialog contract are satisfied. The session file can be used as a quality measurement of the communication session.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a service session using a call include: initiating a first call between a caller and a callee according to a callee address record; establishing a voice communication session during the call; modifying the caller address record; and initiating a second call between the caller and the callee according to the modified callee address record. A behavior of the second call differs from a behavior of the first call. In one embodiment, the callee address record is modified according to a modification request. In one embodiment, the callee address record includes at least one session initiation entry. The session initiation entry includes a session address attribute with information for establishing the communication session, a session communication method with a protocol used for the communication session, and a session data attribute with data information for sending over the communication session based on the session address attribute.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a call center system providing network metrics based off of an individual's social networking connections, and more particularly embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing a recommendation to an individual contacting the call center, based on the reason the customer is contacting the call center and the customer's network metrics. The network metrics include analyzing an individual's social networks and the social network of connections associated with the customer. In this way, recommendations, such as a promotion, product, service, or response to the communication to the call center may be tailored to network metrics of an individual from social networks.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a proactive scheduler having a controller element to determine a scheduling conflict between a called party and a calling party according to calendar information of the called party and presence information of the called party. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and a voice conference system for carrying out a voice conference are disclosed, the system having at least three voice terminals in a communication system. At least one of the voice terminals is associated with a first group such that the voice data provided by the respective receiving channels thereof is decoded into individual voice signals for said group. Said individual voice signals are superimposed to form an aggregate voice signal and the aggregate voice signal is encoded into first aggregate voice data. Furthermore, at least two of the voice terminals are associated with a second group such that the second group has only voice terminals wherein an extensive inactivity on the respective receiving channels thereof is identified. The first aggregate voice data is supplied to the voice terminals associated with the second group by the respective receiving channels for a respective output of the first aggregate voice data.

Abstract: A predictive call routing system that includes a real-time decision engine to receive information about a customer and identify a skill that is useful for providing service to the caller. The decision engine identifies the skill by generating scores for a plurality of statistical models using the statistical models and parameters associated with the caller, each statistical model representing a correlation between a subset of parameters and an action that may be performed or requested to be performed by the caller, the score for each statistical model being generated using the statistical model and the subset of parameters associated with the statistical model, and identifies a skill based on the scores. The system includes a call router to route a call from the customer to a representative who has the skill.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for common account based distribution of contact records. A comparison engine analyzes call record accounts to identify and tag related call records, such as call record accounts related to the same individual. A common account tag detector detects related accounts and communicates with a common account controller of a distribution module that distributes contact attempts in pools and queues. The common account controller locates related accounts, such as by searching for accounts having the same tag, to prevent additional contact attempts to the individual associated with the related accounts. The related accounts are forwarded to the operator who made the successful contact to coordinate resolution of the related accounts along with the account that originated the contact attempt.