Abstract: A work center monitoring system includes an output device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or other display device and a display controller. The controller formats work center information to be displayed on the output device as single-valued and multi-valued display segments. Each segment displays information related to work center activities, which may be categorized as various skills. The displays may be provided to a work center supervisor to assist in the management of a work center, such as a contact and fulfillment center. Current and historical values of the parameters may be displayed, simultaneously, or in sequence. The values of the displayed parameters may be different types, such as any of a variety of numerical representations which might represent the number of calls in one or more queues, or the oldest call in a queue, for example. The values may be indicative of the elapsed time for servicing the oldest call in a queue, or other indications of time.

Abstract: A workflow display system in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes an output device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or other display device and a display controller. The display controller and display operate in concert to display graphical images that are representative of workflow information. Textual information may also be displayed. Such a display may employ the size, color, and number of glyphs to represent the number of work units in one or more work states. Other display characteristics, such as patterns, flashing, or other such visual queues may also be employed to convey information about workflow in a manner which is readily comprehensible. For example, in a telephone contact and fulfillment center application, the size and/or number of circles may indicate the number of waiting calls in a given state.

Abstract: A novel telephone call center split monitoring and display system, uses an integrated three-dimensional bar chart to display multiple split activity information in a single view, enabling easy comparison and multiple split monitoring by split managers without crowded views or frequent toggling between several views.

Abstract: An information network, such as the Internet (FIG. 1), uses a plurality of servers (140-142, 160, 170-171) each one of which serves only a single object (200-205), whereby the servers avoid the processing overhead involved in searching through files containing a plurality of objects for a requested object. Rather, receipt of a request by a server can only mean a request for the one object served by the server, which the server retrieves and provides to the requesting client (120). Since each server serves only one object, the client must contact a plurality of the servers in order to obtain a page (250) of information that comprises a plurality of objects.

Abstract: A novel telephone call center agent monitoring and display system has a graphical user interface that allows a call center manager to automatically display a detailed multiple bar graph view of the status of particular agents currently engaged in agent activities specified by the manager for a duration also specified by the manager, the detailed view being linked to a composite view of the status of all agents being monitored by the manager. In the preferred embodiment, an agent status summary view displays in bar graph form, the collective statuses of all categories of agent status monitored by a call center manager corresponding to the longest time in the category for all of the agents monitored by the manager. If desired, the manager can “drill down” to a linked detailed view to display the duration of every agent currently in a chosen status category when the duration in that activity is within a time window chosen by the manager.

Abstract: One or more portions (221) of a database (220) which a primary server (106) uses to process client requests are duplicated (211) on one or more supplemental servers (105). As the clients demand for service increases and the processing load on the primary server becomes excessive (400), the primary server automatically off-loads the processing of those portions of the client requests that require one or more of the duplicated portions onto the supplemental servers by substituting (402) a secondary page (253) or a secondary object in its database that points to the one or more duplicated portions in the supplemental servers for a corresponding primary page (252) or a primary object in its database that points to the one or more duplicated portions in its database. The supplemental servers then serve the portions of the client requests that require the one or more of the duplicated portions.

Abstract: This invention relates to arrangements for leaving messages from a held telephone. A recording device or system attached to the held telephone station, to a PBX or to a central office switch records the message in response to a request from the held party. Advantageously, this permits a party who has been put on hold by another party a third alternative between the presently allowed alternatives of hanging on or hanging up; a message may be all that is needed and the held party can be saved from frustration.

Abstract: In an information network of clients (101-102) and servers (103-104), a service management system (122) of a server gathers data from the server and from the clients for managing an information service. Information management data is gathered on a client by extensions (131) to a browser (130) and is periodically reported to the service management system. Data gathered on the server includes: number of page accesses per unit of time, durations of delays between receipt of client requests for information and the server responses thereto, number of accesses to each accessed page from each referring page, number of page accesses per browser type, processor and mass-storage occupancy of the server, and configuration details of each accessing browser.