Agent Server Intercepts ACD Messages for PC Data Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact centers face challenges in providing enhanced services to agents without incurring the costs and difficulties associated with upgrading telecommunications endpoint hardware and software, such as proprietary hardphones and automated call distributors.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an agent server that intercepts messages from the automated call distributor, transmitting call initialization information to conventional telephones and caller-provided data to personal computers, allowing for the execution of display-oriented presentation applications without requiring upgrades to existing hardware or software systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If new telecommunications endpoint hardware is provided to agents, then enhanced services and features can be delivered, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A gateway server is introduced as an intermediary component between the existing telecommunications infrastructure and the agents' personal computers. The gateway server receives messages from the automated call distributor, extracts caller-provided data, and transmits it to appropriate applications on agents' PCs, thereby enabling enhanced services without requiring upgraded endpoint hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway server provides multiple functions: it acts as a message interceptor from the ACD, a data extractor for caller-provided information, a router to transmit data to appropriate applications, and a coordinator for launching applications. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate system upgrades
2Adaptability or versatility
If contact center software is upgraded to provide enhanced features, then agent capabilities improve, but implementation cost and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the enhanced service functionality from the core contact center software. Instead of upgrading the ACD or other central systems, the patent segments the enhancement into a separate gateway server component that works with existing infrastructure, allowing selective implementation of new features
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway server creates a virtual copy of the call initialization information and caller-provided data, transmitting it to applications on agents' PCs. This allows the same information to be presented in enhanced formats through separate applications without modifying the original call handling system
3Ease of operation
If proprietary hardphones with new buttons and displays are provided, then agent functionality improves, but cost and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the enhanced functionality from the traditional telephone interface (physical buttons and displays) to a different dimension - the computer screen interface. Applications running on agents' PCs provide enhanced displays and controls, leveraging the graphical interface capabilities of computers rather than physical telephone hardware
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for permitting a contact center to provide enhanced services to its agents are described. An agent server is interconnected with the automatic call distributor (ACD) and agent telephones of the contact center. The server intercepts messages sent by the ACD, which contain caller-provided data obtained by an interactive voice response system. When it is determined that the particular agent has access to both a telephone and a personal computer, the agent server draws a distinction in the information content of the received message. In doing so, the agent server provides the call initialization information in the message to the agent's telephone, and appears as if the information were coming from the ACD; additionally, the agent server provides the caller-provided data to the agent's personal computer. The personal computer is then able to execute a predetermined application, such as a display-oriented presentation application, based on the caller-provided data.