Centralized crm and call routing service for multiple enterprises

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides a method of operating a multimedia contact center. The method comprises providing multimedia communications session management support for a plurality of customers. Each customer maintains customer relationship management (CRM) data. The CRM data is uploaded from the plurality of customers into a multimedia database. The uploading includes transforming the CRM data from an original format maintained by the respective customer into a standardized format for the multimedia database. Communications sessions can then be handled using the transformed CRM data in the multimedia database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A centralized CRM and call routing service for use by multiple enterprises, comprising:
 a session control service, located remotely from a plurality of contact centers of a plurality of enterprises, and comprising at least a memory, a processor, and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operable on the processor, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, when operating on the processor, cause the processor to expose a session control service interface via a public network; and   a centralized CRM database accessible via the session control service interface;   wherein the session control service interface:
 obtains, from each of the plurality of contact centers, heterogeneous non-program CRM data; 
 transforms the heterogeneous non-program CRM data from an original format maintained by the respective contact center into a standardized format; 
 stores the transformed CRM data in the centralized CRM database; 
 generates context-appropriate script prompts based on the transformed CRM data and storing the generated context-appropriate script questions in the centralized CRM database; 
 receives a consumer communication session of one of a plurality of media types; 
 routes the consumer communication session to an agent of a first multimedia contact center; 
 selects context-appropriate script questions based on the plurality of media types from the consumer communication session; and 
 sends context-appropriate script prompts to the agent of the first contact center. 
   
     
     
         2 . The service of  claim 1 , wherein the centralized CRM database further includes a configuration database describing the CRM non-program data. 
     
     
         3 . The service of  claim 2 , wherein the transforming is performed in accordance with information in the configuration database. 
     
     
         4 . The service of  claim 3 , wherein the configuration database includes a web interface, and wherein the information in the configuration database can be provided or modified via the web interface. 
     
     
         5 . The service of  claim 4 , wherein the session control service interface allows an enterprise to upload one or more customized script prompts into the centralized CRM database, wherein the one or more customized script prompts are to be used in the handling of consumer communication sessions. 
     
     
         6 . The service of  claim 4 , wherein the uploaded CRM non-program data includes spreadsheet data. 
     
     
         7 . The service of  claim 4 , further comprising providing a session database of the first contact center, the session database being located remotely from the plurality of contact centers, wherein information about consumer communication sessions handled by the first contact center is stored in the session database. 
     
     
         8 . The service of  claim 4 , wherein the web interface allows the enterprise to create its own customized CRM applications using the CRM non-program data. 
     
     
         9 . The service of  claim 8 , wherein the enterprise's creation of customized CRM applications is facilitated by the use of automated or partially-automated wizards or self-explanatory user interfaces that assist enterprises in specifying configuration data. 
     
     
         10 . A method of providing an interface to a centralized CRM and call routing service for multiple enterprises, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a session control service interface located on a public network remotely from a plurality of contact centers of a plurality of enterprises;   obtaining, from each of the plurality of contact centers, via the session control service interface, heterogeneous non-program CRM data;   transforming the heterogeneous CRM non-program data from an original format maintained by the respective contact center into a standardized format and storing the transformed CRM data in a centralized CRM database accessible to the session control service interface;   generating context-appropriate script prompts based on the transformed CRM non-program data and storing the context-appropriate script questions in the centralized CRM database;   receiving at the session control service interface a consumer communication session of one of a plurality of media types;   sending information pertaining to the consumer communication session, via the public network, to a first contact center;   routing the consumer communication session to an agent of a first contact center;   selecting context-appropriate script prompts from the centralized CRM database based on the media type of the consumer communication session; and   sending the context-appropriate script prompts to the agent of the first contact center.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the centralized CRM database further comprises a configuration database describing the CRM non-program data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transforming is performed in accordance with information in the configuration database. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the configuration database includes a web interface, and wherein said information in the configuration database can be provided or modified via the web interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising allowing an enterprise to upload one or more customized script prompts into the centralized CRM database, wherein the one or more customized script prompts are to be used in the handling of consumer communication sessions. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the uploaded CRM non-program data includes spreadsheet data. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing a session database of the first contact center, the session database being located remotely from the plurality of contact centers, wherein information about consumer communication sessions handled by the first contact center is stored in the session database. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the web interface allows the enterprise to create its own customized CRM applications using the CRM non-program data. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the enterprise's creation of customized CRM applications is facilitated by the use of automated or partially-automated wizards or self-explanatory user interfaces that assist enterprises in specifying configuration data.