Abstract: An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.

Abstract: A method for determining a number of calls to generate for a specific outbound campaign in an automated contact center based upon a prediction of agent occupancy in a future time period, wherein the automated contact center processes one or more outbound campaigns. The estimates a total number of outbound agents available to the one or more outbound campaigns. By using the total number of outbound agents, an effective number of agents for the specific outbound campaign is determined according to a ratio. The effective number of agents is used to determine a number of outbound calls to generate for the specific outbound campaign according to a dialing method. Calls are then generated for the specific outbound campaign based upon the determined number of outbound calls to generate.

Abstract: A method to discriminate a signal as a DTMF digit is operative in a service provider having a VoIP-based media server. The media server accepts both in-band DTMF and RTP telephone events. A digit detection module receives as input a data stream that may include one or more DTMF digits. The module processes the input data stream and provides, as output, an indication of what digit(s) have been detected and from what source (e.g., in-band audio, an RTP 2833 telephone event, of both). The output is then further processed by a discrimination algorithm to make a final digit determination. If RTP telephone events are detected, the algorithm prefers them and ignores in-band DTMF until the call ends or the media is re-negotiated. The approach detects when duplicate digits of differing types are initially received and only accepts one of them, regardless of spacing or duration.

Abstract: An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus has a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to schedule a communication between a contact center and a communication device associated with a user, prompt the user to configure a geographic location for the communication device, track geographic location for the communication device, and initiate the communication in response to determining that the geographic location of the communication device appliance is the configured geographic location.

Abstract: A system and method to provide telephonic teleservices management is provided. The system may comprise a session management module used to establish a session with an agent via a telephone of the agent. An agent management module may manage a work state of the agent within a plurality of sequential calls between the agent and a plurality of customers. During the session, the connection with the agent remains established between each of the sequential calls. A hub management module manages a call hub during a call of the plurality of sequential calls between the agent and a customer of the plurality of customers.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns is described. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons do not impair the connections being established and maintained to the agents.

Abstract: Telemarketing calls may originate from a call center based on processing a telephone number record which includes a telephone number. The telephone number record may also include other information pertaining to the telephone number, including whether it is a wireline or wireless number. Further information may indicate whether the solicitation call is being originated on behalf of a wireless carrier serving the wireless subscriber associated with the telephone number. The call center may use location information associated with the wireless number to ascertain a location of the wireless subscriber and to then ascertain a time zone of the wireless subscriber, so as to originate the telemarketing call within the appropriate regulatory calling time window. A dialer may originate calls for an agent using a list of wireline numbers and then using a list of wireless numbers.

Abstract: A system and method employed in a call center provide a memory structure for use in maintaining a call queue including data representing a plurality of calls to be serviced, and the data is structured so as to represent an order in which the plurality of calls are to be serviced. The call queue data further indicates whether each call is to be handled as an inbound or an outbound call. When an incoming call is received by the call center and no service representative is currently available to service the call, the caller is prompted to elect to either wait on-line for a next available service representative or to disconnect the call and receive a call back at a later time. An aspect of this technology is that the caller does not lose his or her place in the queue and is not stuck on hold.

Abstract: A method for determining a number of calls to generate for a specific outbound campaign in an automated contact center based upon a prediction of agent occupancy in a future time period, wherein the automated contact center processes one or more outbound campaigns. The estimates a total number of outbound agents available to the one or more outbound campaigns. By using the total number of outbound agents, an effective number of agents for the specific outbound campaign is determined according to a ratio. The effective number of agents is used to determine a number of outbound calls to generate for the specific outbound campaign according to a dialing method. Calls are then generated for the specific outbound campaign based upon the determined number of outbound calls to generate.

Abstract: A communications portal for interfacing with a carrier network, a contact center, and a user is disclosed. Telecommunications links are connected to the communications portal to receive inbound calls and place outbound calls. A gateway signaling proxy containing an application server and a reverse automation subsystem is connected to the telecommunications links to recognize and store user selections, detect answer supervision, and execute scripts as configured in the user interface.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for utilizing agent availability by an outdial application are provided. A routine may be periodically run by an outdial server that evaluates agent availability in a call center backend. If any agents are available, the routine may schedule a pre-defined number of calls per available agent. A number of phone numbers corresponding to the number of scheduled calls may then be fetched by the routine from a phone number database. Once calls are initiated by the outdial server, the routine again checks if any agents are available. In the event that an agent is available, a scheduled phone number is retrieved, and a call is placed thereto and connected with an available agent. After a successful call connection is made, the outdial application may again check the agent availability. If no agent is available, the outdial application may reschedule itself.

Abstract: Methods and systems implemented in an information handling system are provided for managing call event data between agents and callers for calls completed through a carrier. Functionality provided by certain embodiments includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following features: the ability to automatically update customer information databases according to call event data in real-time, dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) activity of the caller and/or agent, do-not-call (DNC) verification and updating, agent identification, lead source and content identification, the recording of calls, the automatic translation of voice communications to textual transcripts, key word detection, communication of customer demographic data to an agent before or during phone calls, audio file management, agent call tracking, and other functions and advantages as will be apparent with the benefit of this disclosure. Methods and systems are also included for data associated with managing broadcast campaigns.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for routing an agent to a preferred communications platform comprises accessing a server comprising a routing strategy, wherein the routing strategy consists of a site value, a project identification value, a project load value, and an attribute value of the agent, and wherein the site value takes precedent over the project identification value which takes precedent over the project load value which takes precedent over the attribute value of the agent, and routing the agent to the preferred environment based on a result of the routing strategy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to prioritize requests for speaking privilege in a communication session. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving from an audience one or more bids for privilege to speak in a communication session; selecting one or more speakers from the audience based at least in part on the one or more bids; receiving voice communications from the one or more speakers; and transmitting the voice communications to the audience in the communication session.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to selectively provide communication connections based on an automated procedure to test whether a caller is a human or a machine. One embodiment includes: receiving at a connection server a telephone call from a caller; presenting a message to the caller in response to the telephone call; receiving from the caller a response to the message; and comparing the received response with a predetermined response to determine whether the caller is a human or a machine.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, simultaneously execute two different work assignment algorithms on the same work flow either in real-time as the work flow is received or in a simulation environment. The differences in the way that each work assignment algorithm handles the same work flow are compared and contrasted to help describe the differences in the work assignment algorithms.

Abstract: A method for partitioning a call center having N agents associated with M agent groups, for computation by a plurality of computational nodes, has steps for (a) assigning each agent as a vertex in a hypergraph; (b) assigning each agent group as a hyper-edge in the hypergraph; and (c) applying a hypergraph partitioning algorithm to partition the agents and groups relative to the nodes with the hypergraph cost function awarding equal load distribution to nodes and minimizing inter-node traffic.

Abstract: A dialing strategy determination engine (DSDE) for selecting a dialing strategy for placing an outbound call has determination software executing on a computerized server from a machine-readable medium, access to stored dialing strategies, contact data, and a rules set, and a port for receiving a request for dialing strategy from an outbound dialer. The determination software, upon receiving a request for a dialing strategy associated with a contact identification, consults the rule set and the contact data, selects a dialing strategy based on the rules and the data, and returns the selected strategy to the outbound dialer.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a call from a primary interactive voice response (IVR) system at a load-balancing IVR system. The primary IVR system routes a first percentage of calls to routing logic and a second percentage of calls to the load-balancing IVR system. A telephony system is selected from among a plurality of telephony systems based on agent availability data associated with call center sites of the plurality of telephony systems. The method includes routing the call to a routing protocol component of the routing logic, where the routing protocol component routes the call to a call center of the selected telephony system.

Abstract: In a contact center, a system for processing communication events has an interaction server for managing events waiting to be routed, a routing server for routing the events, a rules engine, and a gateway server executing rules invocation logic and interacting with the rules engine. The interaction server tracks incoming events, initiates and sends a routing request to the routing server, including a special routing object, for each event that requires conformance to business rules, the routing server, executing the routing object, sends an execution request to the gateway server, which upon receipt of the request prepares a business object model (BOM), being a set of facts upon which the rules engine executes rules appropriate to the facts, resulting in routing direction for the routing server to route the event.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for processing an outbound call to a target. The methods and systems of the present disclosure may provide an interface between a human controller and an automated dialing system to prompt the human controller for permission to place the outbound telephone call to the target.

Abstract: Devices, methods and systems are disclosed herein for dynamically allocating agents during automated operation of a system performing attempts to establish communication connections between a user and a target. When human intervention is needed in order to further process an attempt to establish a communication connection between a user and a target, the system automatically selects the best available agent based upon the skills and experience of available agents in comparison to the conditions, characteristics, or requirements of the attempted communication connection.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for real time feedback of script logic that comprises counting at least one agent utilizing at least one panel associated with at least one caller, establishing an average length of time required to utilize the at least one panel associated with the at least one caller, tallying a number of callers terminating interaction during utilization of the at least one panel, calculating statistics associated with the counted agents per panel, the established average length of time required per panel and the tallied number of callers terminating interaction per panel, and displaying the calculated statistics.

Abstract: A method of processing a data stream comprising audio data exchanged over a network between a server (SERV) and at least one telephone terminal, the data stream corresponding to a telephone call from said terminal during which a user has produced at least one event. The method comprises a step a) consisting in extracting from the stream audio data (INST2) corresponding to each event, and a step b) consisting in executing at least one task relating to the extracted audio data (INST2) and executable by a software application (AL), the software application being designed to interact with the network by using a data transmission protocol that is not specifically audio. The method further comprises a step c) of introducing into said software application (AL) at least one instruction (INST2?) relating to the extracted audio data (INST2) and adapted to activate the step b).

Abstract: The system and method detect a communication device being connected to a network. It is determined if the communication device will be used by an Agent the contact center. If the communication device will be used by an Agent in the contact center, a contact center display application is downloaded onto the communication device. The contact center display application is used to display contact center status information. The contact center status information is transmitted to the communication device. The communication device receives the contact center status information and displays the contact center status information via the contact center display application that was downloaded onto the communication device.

Abstract: An iterative scheduling and campaign management process uses a WFM system and a CLM system. These systems may be independent or consolidated. In a first step of the process, the WFM system provides the CLM system coarse agent availability data. The coarse agent availability data is used by the CLM system to generate a first list order for a given outbound contact list, which contact list is then provided back to the WFM system. In a second step of the process, the WFM uses the first list order to facilitate a multi-skilled agent scheduling routine. The resulting set of multi-skilled agent schedules (or staffing level data derived from those schedules) is then provided by the WFM system to the CLM system. The CLM system then uses the multi-skilled agent schedules (or staffing level data) to create a second list order for the given outbound contact list. This list may be considered an optimized list given the agent schedule data provided by the WFM system. The outbound campaign is then initiated.

Abstract: A queueless contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, achieve true one-to-one matching. Solutions are also provided for managing data structures utilized by the queueless contact center. Furthermore, mechanisms for generating traditional queue-based performance views and metrics for the queueless contact center are proposed to help facilitate a smooth transition from traditional queue-based contact centers to the next generation contact centers described herein.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for automated communication is described. It is estimated whether a new established outbound communication session will be processed by a live agent within a predetermined period of time. In response to the estimate, it either waits to receive a new inbound communication session, or initiates a new outbound communication session with an unused communication channel. The estimate may be affected by whether a minimum number of channels are configured to receive a new inbound communication session, a number of the channels configured to initiate a new outbound communication session, and a number of live agents and an expected time spent by the live agents per outbound communication session. The amount of time spent waiting may vary among the channels.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns is described. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons do not impair the connections being established and maintained to the agents.

Abstract: The invention provides a computer-implemented method of handling a telephone call, comprising monitoring a conversation between an agent and a customer on a telephone line as part of the telephone call to extract the audio signal therefrom. Real-time voice analytics are performed on the extracted audio signal while the telephone call is in progress. The results from the voice analytics are then passed to a computer-telephony integration system responsible for the call for use by the computer-telephony integration system for determining future handling of the call.

Abstract: A method for administering a communication session includes initiating a session between a server and a user device, the user device associated with a user phone number, associating the user phone number and a first session state phone number with a state of the session, and sending a first message associated with the state of the session from the server to the user device, the first message sent from the first session state phone number to the user phone number.

Abstract: A web-based hosted solution (a managed service or system) through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns, such as interactive campaigns that afford target recipients an opportunity to be connected to a contact center. The managed service carries out a communications campaign on behalf of a client. A “campaign” refers to a series of calls to a contact list using one or more sub-campaigns. A sub-campaign associates a list of contacts, a script, and a timeframe. An “agent” typically is a contact center operator. A “skill group” is a set of agents that are trained to handle a given script. Call pacing enhancements are implemented to allow simultaneous progress on multiple sub-campaigns under a skill group. The techniques enable control over the pacing of individual sub-campaigns when multiple sub-campaigns are running under a single skill group.

Abstract: A campaign strategy manager (CSM) component for a hosted communications campaign system allows users to define more granular and specific campaign strategies, including pass escalation for alternative channels (e.g., text and email) and/or based upon attempt results, contact attributes and response group data. The campaign strategy manager allows users to define pass strategies statically and dynamically, to manage lists across multiple campaigns, and to view results in real-time. A defined strategy is a static strategy created by a user for a particular campaign that, once created, typically is not modified. A dynamic strategy is one where, during the course of a day (e.g., as a sub-campaign is running), a user may alter the defined strategy, preferably just for that day (or portion thereof). The CSM may be used to implement a recovery strategy using a dialer pass.

Abstract: A system for assuring agent connection for outbound calls placed in an automated outbound calling campaign includes an outbound dialing server, a digital data repository coupled to the outbound dialing server, the data repository storing outbound dialing records for automated outbound dialing, and software executing on the outbound dialing server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for determining for a specific outbound dialing record if the connection to a live agent must be an assured connection, a second function for dialing and engaging an agent via an internal call for reservation of the agent, and a third function for bridging the call connections forged between the system and the agent and the system and the outbound party upon answer of the outbound call.

Abstract: An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to communication systems and methods that allow a resident of a controlled environment facility to report a past, on-going or threatened crime, such as a rape. The resident is able to make the report using a facility communications system without alerting other residents of the controlled environment facility that the crime has been reported.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating an outbound forecast. In particular embodiments, campaign parameters are defined for at least two outbound call campaigns that include for each campaign a time period over which the campaign is to be carried out, a target value identifying a number of an outbound communication result to occur over the time period, and sources for handling outbound communications. Further, a historical dataset is selected that includes historical data on the corresponding outbound communication result for each campaign based on past outbound communications. In various embodiments, an outbound forecast is generated based on the historical dataset and campaign parameters for the outbound call campaigns. The forecast provides a number of the outbound communication result forecasted to be achieved over the time period for each campaign in an attempt to meet the target value for the corresponding campaign.

Abstract: A system and method for handling calls at one or more call centers. In an exemplary method of the invention, it may be determined whether a call should be transferred from the VSS to an agent of a call center based on, for example, agent availability or queue wait times. When it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, it may be determined whether a callback call should be offered to the caller. When it is determined to offer the callback call, the method may include providing one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing. Upon calling back into the system within one of the time blocks, the call may receive preferential routing treatment.

Abstract: A hosted list service provider (“HLSP”) provides list management services for compliance purposes. The HLSP receives electronic consent information from an enterprise that may comprise a telephone number and stores the same in at least one database, to facilitate retrieving the electronic consent information for a particular telephone number. A telephone number list is provided to a call center, which can originate calls for a calling campaign using the telephone numbers on behalf of the enterprise. After the campaign is completed, the call center may provide data to the HLSP indicating which callers have requested to opt-out, and the HLSP updates its databases appropriately. The HLSP may process the telephone number data against other databases, and may inform the enterprise of called parties that have requested a change of status. Follow up communication can occur to the called party to confirm or re-establish consent for subsequent calls.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to message response systems for customer service environments and provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic message context driven application assembly in a customer service agent productivity suite of applications. In one embodiment of the invention, a message context driven application assembly method for a customer service agent productivity suite can be provided. The method can include determining a context of an inbound message in a message list of an agent user interface for the customer service agent productivity suite; selecting at least one application based upon the determined context; providing an activatable reference to the at least one application in the agent user interface; and, displaying the agent user interface to provide access to the at least one application through the activatable reference.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for presenting a plurality of scripts to a contact. A system includes a dialer, controller, Input/Output devices, and a memory containing modules for execution on a processor. A script player module plays a plurality of prerecorded audio file scripts. A presentation module presenting a plurality of script options to an agent. An input module receives an agent input corresponding to at least one of the script options. A profile module stores a contact profile reflecting contact-specific data, and the presentation module presents script options to the agent based upon the profile for outputting contact-specific scripts.

Abstract: In various embodiments, advertising campaigns can be defined that incorporate technologies such as two-dimensional bar codes or embedded links in electronic material, for directing a user to communicate with a call center. For instance, in particular embodiments, the reading of a two-dimensional bar code may cause a communication to be sent to, and received at, the call center, where a calling campaign associated with an advertising campaign is identified using information associated with the communication. Likewise, in particular embodiments, the activation of an embedded link may cause a communication to be sent to a publisher, who sends a communication to the call center. Upon determining the calling campaign, an appropriate agent is selected and a communication, such as a voice call, is initiated to the user. In particular instances, if a no-answer condition is reached as a result of the communication, another communication may be scheduled for a later time.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, assess contextual information and adjust an outbound dialer's pacing algorithm based on the assessment thereof. The contextual information may be obtained from sources that are inside the contact center and outside the contact center.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for presenting structural relationships in an automatic contact distribution system. The method includes the steps of defining a plurality of structural elements within the automatic contact distribution system, selecting a structural element of the automatic contact distribution system as a root element, identifying any related elements of the plurality of elements that together with the selected element affect contact handling within the automatic contact distribution system and displaying the root element and related elements along with an indicia of the relationship between the root element and related elements.

Abstract: A system for enabling collaboration between two or more customer contact campaigns running within a call center environment includes at least one outbound contact server (OCS) resident on a digital medium, the OCS including an automated dialer application resident on a digital medium thereon or accessible thereto for dialing contact numbers from contact records assembled for the running campaigns, a call monitoring and recording system executing from software on a digital medium, for monitoring call dialing progress and business results of completed calls, a central data repository for storing dialing progress and business results data collected by the running outbound campaigns, and a data sharing mechanism executing from software resident on a digital medium, accessible to each campaign running on the OCS for sharing collected data among the running campaigns.

Abstract: A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, establish and maintain a pool of idle agents so that when an outbound call attempt is successful, the agent which is assigned to the successful outbound call attempt can be selected from a plurality of agents based on the agent's superior efficiency rather than being based on the fact that the agent is the next in line to be assigned to such a contact.

Abstract: A machine-implemented method includes enabling a script writer to enter a line of dialog for use by a call center in a connection with a machine-implemented, speech-based, caller-interaction, assigning a line type to the line of dialog, determining, based on the assigned line type, information to incorporate the line into the user-interaction and enabling the script writer to provide the information anytime after the line is entered, and, an integrated database and delivery system that can automatically make the results available to callers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for handling contact requests among a plurality of dissimilar automatic contact distributors. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of workflows scripts, translating each of the plurality of workflows scripts into a respective native language of each of the plurality of dissimilar automatic contact distributors. The method further includes the steps of tendering a request for a contact to the plurality of dissimilar automatic contact distributors, selecting a automatic contact distributor of the plurality of dissimilar automatic contact distributors to handle the contact based upon a response from at least some of the plurality of dissimilar automatic contact distributors and transferring the contact to the selected automatic contact distributor.

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.