Abstract: A universal phone number service and method of providing a universal phone number service that allows a user to receive phone calls on any phone service with a single phone number. A telephone is disclosed that is associated with more than one phone number and a universal phone number, wherein any phone call placed to the universal phone number results in the call being completed to the telephone regardless of the service associated with the more than one phone number.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing a co-browsing preview of a queued contact. According to one embodiment, providing a co-browsing preview of a queued contact can comprise receiving a contact from a customer, selecting an agent from a plurality of agents based at least in part on the contact and a defined set of skills for each of the agents, and assigning the contact to the selected agent. Assigning the contact to the selected agent can comprise placing the contact into a queue for the selected agent. A live, real-time co-browsing preview of a current user interface of the customer can be provided to the selected agent while the contact is assigned to the selected agent's queue and before the customer is connected to the selected agent.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may use presence information to enhance the user experience when contacting entities such as call centers. In one implementation, a method may include receiving presence information relating to a state of a voice line. The presence information may include a wait time associated with the voice line, the wait time corresponding to an estimated time that a caller to the voice line will wait before reaching a human operator. The method may also include providing, by the one or more devices and to a user device that includes the voice line in a contact list, the presence information for display as part of the contact list.

Abstract: A method and system for prediction in a telecommunications network are described. Particularly, contact allocation, staff time distribution, and other performance metrics may be determined in a contact center operation environment comprising multiple media types and/or multiple agent skill sets for handling contact types. In an embodiment, models simulating queue behavior are built. Staff count may be altered in order to determine staffing allocations and performance scenarios using the models. Long term and short term predictions may be used to configure the telecommunication network and route communications through the telecommunications network.

Abstract: A computing system for managing a plurality of resources for one or more communication sessions in an enterprise is disclosed. The computing system includes a monitoring module for monitoring one or more parameters of at least one communication session. The system further includes a database for storing one or more monitored parameters. The system further includes a calculation module for calculating a multiplicity value for each of the plurality of resources based on the stored parameters. The system further includes an allocation module for allocating the at least one communication session to at least one resource of the plurality of resources based on the calculated multiplicity value.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein enable call center managers to identify behavioral drivers for improving call agents' performance. A computing device obtains call data for multiple calls received at a call center and plots individual calls of the multiple calls, based on the call data, against three behavioral measures related to agent activities. The computing device identifies an optimal zone, among the plotted individual calls, for a selected performance metric value over the three behavioral measures. The computing device also plots a particular agent's calls, based on the call data, against the three behavioral measures and identifies an agent's zone, among the plotted agent's calls, for the selected performance metric value. The computing device generates a visual model of the optimal zone and the agent's zone within the context of the three behavioral measures.

Abstract: A middleware device opens, based on an assistance call from a mobile device, a first leg of a websocket with a system associated with a call center customer representative, and sends a SMS text message to the mobile device that includes a first authentication token. The middleware device receives, while attempting to establish a second leg of the websocket between the first middleware device and the mobile device, a second authentication token from the mobile device, authenticates the mobile device based on the second authentication token, and opens the second leg of the websocket between the middleware device and the mobile device based on whether the authentication is successful. The middleware device receives a captured display screen from the mobile device via the second leg of the websocket, and sends the captured display screen to the system associated with the customer representative via the first leg of the websocket.

Abstract: A communications routing system, and method, for representing a plurality of predicted characteristics of a plurality of communications sources, each having an economic utility; representing a plurality of predicted characteristics of a plurality of communications targets each having an economic utility; and determining an optimal routing between the plurality of communications sources and the plurality of communications targets, by maximizing an aggregate utility with respect to the respective predicted characteristics of communications source and communications destination represented by linkages.

Abstract: A method, system, and relevant apparatuses for selecting a Multimedia Ring Back Tone (MRBT) are disclosed. The method for selecting an MRBT includes: receiving a call request sent by a calling party, where the call request carries an MRBT type required by the calling party; sending the MRBT type required by the calling party to the MRBT server; obtaining MRBT information sent by an MRBT server, according to the MRBT type required by the calling party; and sending the MRBT information to the calling party. With the present invention, the calling party sends the required MRBT type, and the MRBT server provides the corresponding MRBT information for the calling party. Therefore, the calling party has an opportunity of selecting the MRBT type required by the calling party, and thus user experience is improved.

Abstract: The invention concerns a conference bridge server (30) for establishing a conference telephone call, and a corresponding method and a computer program product. The conference bridge server (30) comprises input and output means (31, 33) for a plurality of communication connections connecting conference terminals (11 to 16, 20) with the conference bridge server (30) and a conference core (32) for distributing input signals from conference terminals (11 to 16, 20) to at least some of the remaining conference terminals (11 to 16, 20). The conference bridge server (30) comprises means for issuing a special address to be utilized, by one or more participants (111 to 116) at a first location (1) using a common conference phone (10), to connect one or more laptop computers (11 to 16) as additional conference terminals (11 to 16).

Abstract: Audio processing is provided to determine whether an audio issue is present within a multi-participant communication system such as a teleconference or videoconference bridge or a trunk dispatch system. Audio issues such as background noise, background conversations, or other unwanted audio that is being interjected into the multi-participant conversation and that may be dominating the audio are detected by measuring characteristics of audio samples taken from the communication ports of the multi-participant communication system. A correction may then be applied to the audio received through the communication port by a processor of the multi-participant communication system without intervention by an administrator, such as by muting the port, applying a noise cancellation to audio from the port, or time-shifting the audio from the port.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing inventory assignment amongst a plurality of Producers to achieve maximum revenue from a given inventory are provided. The system employs historical analysis of each producer's relative liquidation rate at a given percentage of capacity. The inventory is then assigned to the producers such that the anticipated relative liquidation rate for each producer working the inventory is substantially equal to a target relative liquidation rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling audio signals associated with a plurality of conferences. A user interface is displayed that depicts a first defined area and a second defined area. The first defined area is associated with a first conference and the second defined area is associated with a second conference. A first plurality of participant identifiers is displayed in association with the first defined area, and each of the plurality of participant identifiers corresponds to a different participant of a plurality of participants in the first conference. Aural position identifiers are determined for each participant associated with the first conference, and an aural position identifier is selected for the second conference. Audio signals are provided at aural positions identified by the aural position identifiers, enabling the user to correlate the voices of different participants with corresponding locations on the user interface, and to listen to multiple conferences simultaneously.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for establishing a telecommunications link (C1, C2, C3), controlled by a control program (28), with a second communications terminal (D1), according to which a CTI service is made available to the first communications terminal (36) by a CTI server (20) in a CTI domain allocated to said CTI server (20), and the second communications terminal (D1) is located outside the CTI domain and by way of a proxy (Trk2) situated within the CTI domain is linked to the CTI server (20). The control program (28) is linked to the CTI server (20) by way of an intermediate functional unit (30, 32). The intermediate functional unit (30, 32) signals to the control program (28) that the second communications terminal (D1) instead of the proxy (Trk2) is linked into the established telecommunications link (C1, C2, C3) as the telecommunications terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate generally to Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and more particularly to a system, methods, and computer program products providing or supporting a cross-channel CRM support system for serving contact phone numbers for display at a web site and using such numbers to track, analyze and utilize prospective customer behavior on the Internet prior to the prospective customer calling the served contact phone number.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media consistent with the present disclosure manage multiple telephone calls by managing a session record associated with the call, amending the session record according to a plurality of rules to reflect a plurality of instructed actions, evaluating an amended session record to derive at least one of the plurality of instructed actions, and implementing a derived instructed action on the call under the control of an automated apparatus.

Abstract: One embodiment relates to a computerized process for assisting a user in obtaining help from a help desk comprising a plurality of steps. One step can involve connecting the user with a computer network. Another step involves presenting the user with a plurality of questions. Another step involves analyzing a plurality of answers provided by the user by comparing said plurality of answers with a plurality of answers stored in a database. Another step involves determining using a microprocessor whether to connect a user with a live agent and connecting the user with a live agent by switching to a telephone network after determining via a predetermined score that the user needs further assistance. Ultimately, through a series of steps the system becomes more agile and intelligent thereby becoming a dynamic system which can change the process for assisting a user based upon the satisfaction of the user.

Abstract: A call is placed to a communications device. A response to the call is received from a call recipient associated with the communications device. The received response is processed based on a set of parameters. Based on processing the received response, a determination is made whether the call recipient is a human or an answering machine. If the call recipient is determined to be a human, the call is handled in a first manner. If the call recipient is determined to be an answering machine, the call is handled in a second manner that is different from the first manner.

Abstract: A graph database is described for use in connection with a contact center. The graph database includes a plurality of nodes and relationships that describe the operations, entities, personnel, and attributes in the contact center. Also included in the graph database is an attribute tree that enables a work assignment engine in the contact center to make proximity-based work assignment decisions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for identifying an occurrence during a conversation being conducted between a first party and a second party where sensitive information is conveyed by the first party or the second party. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to monitor audio of the conversation and a first speech characteristic is detected indicating a start event identifying a start of an occurrence where sensitive information is conveyed by the first party or the second party. Following the detection of first speech characteristic, a second speech characteristic is detected in the audio indicating an end event identifying an end of the occurrence. Accordingly, identifiers for the start and end events are then recorded in various embodiments as metadata along with a recording of the audio of the conversation to identify where in the recording the occurrence takes place.