Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing transaction services to one of a plurality of organizations where such transaction services are provided for servicing contacts with clients of the organization through an independently operated contact processing system having a communication connection with the organization through the Internet. The method includes the steps of a contact controller of the organization providing contact control instructions for servicing the contacts to a control interface of the contact processing system and a web services publisher exchanging control information between the organization and contact controller through the Internet for the servicing the contacts with the clients of the organization.

Abstract: A system and method can broadcast a plurality of instant messages, at substantially the same time, via a computer network to a plurality of recipients. The recipients can respond via the network to a human or an automated agent. A predetermined reply message can be sent if all agents are busy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for distributing customer contacts to a transaction processing entity of a transaction processing system. The method includes determining a media type for a customer contact in the transaction processing system and finding a transaction processing entity that is capable of handling the media type. In addition, the method includes routing the customer contact to a transaction processing entity that is capable of handling the media type. In one embodiment, a transaction routing table is used to perform the distribution of customer contacts. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system comprising assessing at least two evaluators programmed to collect information about identified sets of attributes associated with a call. The system then initiates the collection of information to enable the evaluators to assign a value to those attributed for which information exists. A comparison is then performed of the values assigned to the attributes in each evaluator. The call is then routed to the agent selected by the comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for prompting an agent of an automatic contact distributor during a customer service contact with a client. The method includes the steps of detecting a state of the customer service contact with the client via operation of a terminal of the agent; selecting a set of possible responses for use by the agent from a plurality of sets of possible responses that are appropriate to the detected state of the customer service contact and visually prompting the agent with the selected set of possible responses.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing information within a computing system. The method includes the steps of detecting a contact with a client of an organization that operates and uses the computing system for its own internal business purposes, providing a processing application within the computing system for distributing the detected contact to one of a plurality of human agents of the organization based upon a context of the contact, where said provided processing application has been previously divided into a sequence of separated software modules based upon a predetermined criteria, locating each software module of the sequence of software modules within a set of computers of the computer system where the set of computers are interconnected via a network and sequentially activating the sequence of software modules of the processing application by performing a search over the network to locate and activate each software module to process and distribute the contact to the human agent.

Abstract: Queue callback systems and methods handle scheduled callbacks to requesters in the absence of resources by providing a pre-established message soliciting the establishment of an alternate callback. Non-callback options can also be presented to the respective requester. Agents can also be organized in a plurality of queues, each of a selected size, to more effectively use callback resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing a contact with a client of an organization. The method includes the steps of a contact processing resource of the organization detecting a contact with the client through a first communication channel operating under a first communication format, the contact processing resource generating an information request based upon the contact with the client, transferring the information request to a media server of the organization and the media server sending an information response to the client through a second communication channel operating under a second communication format.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting session information from a packet routing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a header packet of a communication session within a communication stream passing through the packet routing device where the communication stream contains packets from a plurality of users, comparing a type of the detected header packet with a list of headers that are to be collected and storing a message header of the header packet and only the message header in a file indexed by an identifier of the session when the header matches an entry within the list of headers to be collected.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus which in one embodiment provides for prioritizing and presenting calls routed from callers through a communication network to an agent station having an associated agent, where the calls are based on voice-dialog communication and/or text-dialog communication. The method includes the steps of receiving a call from the communication network, determining a contact evaluation parameter associated with the call, and applying one or more selected business rules to the contact evaluation parameter to generate a priority value corresponding to the call. The call is assigned the priority value and is routed to a selected agent station. The call is displayed with an indication of its assigned priority value so that the agent may service the calls in priority order.

Abstract: An agent telephone system for use in a transaction processing system, where the transaction processing system is configured to couple an incoming telephone call with an agent of the agent telephone system and to route the incoming telephone call over one of a plurality of communication networks, where the communication networks utilize differing communication protocols. The agent telephone system includes a microprocessor and a memory operatively coupled to the microprocessor. An agent microphone and agent speaker are included for transmission and reception of audio information, respectively. The agent telephone system includes a conversion device configured to operatively couple the agent microphone and the agent speaker to the microprocessor, and an input multiplexer operatively coupled to the microprocessor, where the microprocessor is configured to control selection of one of a plurality of input lines of the multiplexer.

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 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: 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: 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 processing calls in an automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of learning a set of desired resource relationships for servicing a plurality of call processing load conditions in the automatic call distributor and, afterwards, distributing resources of the automatic call distributor based upon call processor loading and the learned desired set of resource relationships.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for forwarding messages among peripherals of an automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of forming a message table in a first peripheral of the automatic call distributor and forwarding a message from the first peripheral to a second peripheral of the automatic call distributor based upon a content of the message table.

Abstract: A method and system (100) establishes voice communications between a computer operator (102) and an agent (104) of a business over a computer network, such as the Internet (108). Using an operator computer (106), the computer operator (102) views advertisements of the business' products or services on the Internet (108) via customized home pages (200). When the operator (102) wishes to order a product or ask additional questions about a product, the operator (102) activates a “call me” button (210). A return call screen (300) is then presented to the operator (102) with areas to insert a name (302), a telephone number (304) and a time to call (306). This information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet (108) to a telephone switching system (112) associated with the business. The telephone switching system (112) subsequently dials the telephone number (304) at the time to call (306).

Abstract: A media handler is used in a transaction processing system, where the system is configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, and the incoming calls are based on voice-mode communication and text-mode communication. The media handler includes a media translator operatively incorporated into the transaction processing system and configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication. An agent preference setting is selectable by the agent between a voice-mode and a text-mode. Also included is a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication and a speech synthesizer configured to convert the text-mode communication to the voice-mode communication.