The architecture of a
multimedia customer
care center (100) is divided into three separate application
layers: a
contact layer (104), a communications layer (106) and a business layer (108). The
contact layer comprises media-specific handlers (200–212) that manage their media-specific resources, connect customer contacts to resources (220) and report events, including status to the communications layer. The communication includes media-independent
software (106) that manages shared resources, that tracks, accumulates, and reports events reported by the
contact layer, and that directs handling of events by the contact layer according to business information. The business layer includes
software (108) that provides an interface to the customer
contact center for the business that is served by the center. It manages business services by supplying business information that defines the services and
business goals to the communications layer, and generates reports from information accumulated by the communications layer. It effects scheduling and adherence tracking of resources. It also provides
workflow control capability or interfaces to pre-existing
workflow systems.