Abstract: The system and method enable an agent to be able to select a contact (e.g., a voice call or email from a customer) from a contact queue in a contact center. As contacts come into a contact center, the contacts are placed in the contact queue. An agent in the contact center is presented with the contacts along with a profile that is associated with each of the contacts. The profile may contain information about the contacts such as an attitude of the contact, a conversation style of the contact, a sentiment of the contact, and the like. The agent selects one of the contacts in the contact queue. The selected contact is then sent to the agent for handling.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for collecting proxy presence information about an object associated with a user from one or more proxy presence sources associated with the user. A proxy presence agent is associated with each of the proxy presence sources; and the proxy presence agents provide proxy presence information to one or more presence servers. The object may be, for example, one or more of a business document, an application document, or one or more runtime objects associated with the user. The proxy presence agent reports one or more of macropresence events and micropresence events related to the object. A continuous presence function is generated for each of the proxy presence sources that characterizes the likelihood that the object is active at the corresponding presence source at a given time. The proxy presence sources may include, for example, one or more business applications, application execution environments, devices or locations.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for dynamically guiding a user to a target conversation area with a communication device. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a call request to establish a call with a communication device and determining a location of the communication device. The method further provides determining a target conversation area for a user of the communication device to participate in the call based on the location of the communication device. The method also provides directing the user to the target conversation area.

Abstract: The system and method enable an agent to be able to select a contact (e.g., a voice call or email from a customer) from a contact queue in a contact center. As contacts come into a contact center, the contacts are placed in the contact queue. An agent in the contact center is presented with the contacts along with a profile that is associated with each of the contacts. The profile may contain information about the contacts such as an attitude of the contact, a conversation style of the contact, a sentiment of the contact, and the like. The agent selects one of the contacts in the contact queue. The selected contact is then sent to the agent for handling.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a meeting scheduling system that can apply an enterprise rule to determine one or more requirements for a scheduled meeting.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for dynamically guiding a user to a target conversation area with a communication device. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a call request to establish a call with a communication device and determining a location of the communication device. The method further provides determining a target conversation area for a user of the communication device to participate in the call based on the location of the communication device. The method also provides directing the user to the target conversation area.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling an availability of a user in an enterprise environment. If an enterprise user requests to change an availability status on one or more media, a determination is made as to whether to grant the request based on one or more predefined criteria associated with the enterprise. For example, the predefined criteria may comprise resource needs or one or more policies of the enterprise. The predefined criteria may be expressed as one or more rules in a rule base.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for establishing a conference based on the presence or preferences (or both) of one or more invitees. The presence of each invitee is evaluated on one or more devices. A media type is selected based on the presence information. User preference information may be evaluated for those invitees who are not currently present on a device. The selected media type for the conference may optionally be required to support the requirements of the conference, such as document sharing or video links. In this manner, the same communication application can trigger conferences of different media types (where the selected media type is most likely to lead to the successful establishment of the conference). In addition, the present invention allows a media type to be selected that will be more likely to lead to the successful establishment of a conference.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for analyzing user activity and for recording such user activity in an entity relationship model. A network is searched for materials associated with a user and content analysis techniques are performed on the associated materials to extract one or more characteristics from the associated materials based on predefined criteria. The extracted information is stored in an entity relationship model that relates the user to the extracted characteristics. The characteristics may include activity information, expertise information and location information. The entity relationship model can thereafter be searched to identify and optionally contact one or more users having desired characteristics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for collecting presence information about a user from one or more presence sources associated with the user, such as applications, devices and locations. A presence agent is associated with each presence source; and the presence agents provide presence information to one or more presence servers. Typically, the presence agents execute on a processor associated with the corresponding presence source. The presence agent reports one or more of macropresence events and micropresence events. The presence agent optionally prompts the user to update the presence information based on one or more criteria, such as exceeding a time threshold since the last presence event. Continuous presence functions are generated for each presence source that characterize the likelihood of the user to be present on the corresponding presence source at a given time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a virtual assistant to at least one party of a communication. The virtual assistant is injected into the communication, for example, by a VXML engine. The operation of the virtual assistant is controlled by one or more software modules that are obtained from a proxy node. The software modules allow commands received from or destined for the party to be interpreted. The virtual assistant may optionally be customized based on a selection of the one or more supported external applications. The proxy node provides at least one method for the party that allows the party to access functionality provided by at least one external application. The proxy node interprets signals from the virtual assistant; converts the signals from the virtual assistant into commands for the external application; and converts one or more of commands, messages and data from the external application into signals understood by the virtual assistant.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for developing and processing workflows that include communication tasks. A workflow is generated according to the present invention by inserting at least one communication node in the workflow. The communication node associated is with a communication task having at least one property that is resolved at run time. For example, the media type, recipient list, or timing of a communication may be resolved at run-time. A workflow generation tool is provided that generates a workflow based on (i) a user selection of at least one communication node to insert in a workflow, and (ii) a user specification of one or more properties of the communication task, wherein at least one property of the communication task is resolved at run time. At run-time, a workflow engine parses at least communication node in a workflow associated with a communication task and having at least one property that is resolved at run time.

Abstract: A personal digital assistant (PDA) stores a list of available phone features and policies and selects certain phone features and policies from the stored features and policies. When connected with an internet protocol (IP) phone device, the PDA downloads the selected phone features and policies to the IP phone device in a new location, so that the IP phone device can be operated as the user's personal phone. The PDA verifies the user's identity to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to the IP phone device or IP-PBX. Also, the PDA, with phone features and policies stored therein, visually displays phone configurations and mappings to an administrator of the IP-PBX for verifying the actual configuration of the phone system based on the stored configuration.