Method and apparatus for intelligent routing of instant messaging presence protocol (IMPP) events among a group of customer service representatives

Abstract

A routing system is provided for intelligent routing of instant messages between clients connected to a data network and customer service representatives connected to the network. The system comprises at least one instant message server and at least one intermediate server connected to and addressable on the network, the intermediate server capable of routing and accessible to the instant message server. Clients connecting to the instant message server through instant message software assert a connection link advertised by the instant message server to establish bi-directional communication between the client machine and the intermediate server. In preferred application, the intermediate server interacts with the client for identification of client and client software. The client request is then routed to an appropriate customer service representative running compatible software according to enterprise rules establishing an active instant message connection between the client and the selected customer service representative.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An Instant Messaging (IM) Communication system, comprising:
 two or more proprietary IM servers in a data-packet-network, each providing a different IM service and different IM protocol to specific clients; 
 an IM server in a communication center, the IM server connected to the data-packet-network and to a Local Area Network (LAN), the LAN connecting computerized workstations used by agents of the communication center; 
 a first data storage device storing a set of routing rules for the communication center; and 
 storeda second data storage device storing agent data for the agents of the communication center, the data including agent availability of the agents and IM capability capabilities of the agents relative to one or more of the different IM protocols; 
 wherein the IM server in the communication center receives IM messages from the two or more proprietary IM servers in the data-packet-network, the IM messages representing desired communication between the specific clients of the proprietary IM servers in the data-packet-network and an agent selected from the agents of the communication center, each of the IM messages adhering to a specific IM protocol, wherein the IM server in the communication center consults the communication center routing rules, IM protocol capabilities the IM capability of the agents, and the stored agent data to determine an available agent with the the needed the IM protocol capability that is detected to be needed, and establishes IM communication between one of the specific clients and the determined available agent determined to be available and to have having the needed IM protocol capability IM capability for exchanging one of the IM messages from the first one of the specific clients and the determined available agent, and 
 wherein the consulting of the IM capability of the agents includes determining whether an agent device of the determined available agent has IM software adhering to the specific IM protocol corresponding to the IM messages. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the IM server in the communication center, in the event of receiving an IM notification, conducts IM communication with the specified client initiating the notification, elicits information from the client, and uses the elicited information along with the agent data and availability to determine the capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the client. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the data-packet network data-packet-network is the Internet network. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the IM server in the communication center is in the data-packet-network and connects to the LAN via a computer-telephony-integration (CTI) processor at the communication center. 
     
     
       5. A communication center Instant messaging (IM) server connected to a data-packet-network and to a Local Area Network (LAN) also connecting computerized workstations used by agents of the communication center, the server comprising:
 at least one bi-directional data port for receiving data thereto and sending data there from; 
 at least one version of instant messaging software executable therein for generating, sending and receiving instant messages; 
 wherein the communication center IM server receives IM messages from the two or more IM servers in the data-packet-network providing IM services to specific clients, the IM messages from the two or more IM servers in the data-packet-network providing IM services to the specific clients representing desired communication between the specific clients of the two or more IM servers in the data-packet-network and an agent selected from the agents of the communication center, each of the IM messages adhering to a specific IM protocol, wherein the communication center IM server consults communication center routing rules, IM protocol capabilities and stored agent data to determine an available agent with the a needed IM protocol capability selected from the IM protocol capabilities, required by the IM messages, and establishes IM communication between the specific clients and the agent determined to be available and to have the needed IM protocol capability for exchanging the IM messages between the specific clients and the determined available agent, and 
 wherein the consulting of the IM capability of the agents includes determining whether an agent device of the determined available agent has IM software adhering to the specific IM protocol corresponding to the IM messages. 
 
     
     
       6. The IM server of  claim 5  wherein, in the event of receiving an IM notification, the IM server of the communication center conducts IM communication with the specified client initiating the notification, elicits information from the client, and uses the elicited information along with the agent data and availability to determine the capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the client. 
     
     
       7. The system server of  claim 5  wherein the data-packet network data-packet-network is the Internet network. 
     
     
       8. The server of  claim 5  wherein the communication center IM server is in the data-packet-network and connects to the LAN via a computer-telephony-integration (CTI) processor at the communication center. 
     
     
       9. A method for establishing an instant message communication channel over a data-packet-network between a client and a customer service representative an agent representing an enterprise based on returned results of at least one executed routine comprising the steps of:
 (a) client establishment of a network connection; 
 (b) establishing a client-to-server connection with an Instant Messaging (IM) server operating in a communication center using an instant messaging software application; 
 (c) receiving at the IM server of the communication center IM messages from two or more IM servers in the data-packet-network, the IM messages representing desired communication between specific clients of the IM servers in the data-packet-network and an agent of the communication center, each of the IM messages adhering to a specific IM protocol; 
 (d) the IM server of the communication center consulting the communication center routing rules and IM protocol capabilities for the agent and stored communication center agent data to determine an available agent with the a required IM protocol capability of the IM messages, wherein the consulting of the IM capabilities for the agent includes determining whether an agent device of the determined available agent has IM software adhering to the specific IM protocol corresponding to the IM messages; 
 (e) the PA IM server establishing IM communication between the specific clients and the agent determined to be available and to have the required IM protocol capability for exchanging IM messages between the specific clients and the determined available agent. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein in step (c), in the event of receiving an IM notification, the IM server of the communication center conducts IM communication with the specified client initiating the notification, elicits information from the client, and uses the elicited information along with the agent data and availability to determine the capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the client. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the data-packet network data-packet-network is the Internet network. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  wherein the IM server of the communication center is in the data-packet-network. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 1, wherein the IM server in the communication center, in response to receiving an IM notification, conducts IM communication with one of the specific clients initiating the notification, elicits information from the one of the specific clients, identifies parameters relating to an IM application used by the one of the specific clients, and uses the elicited information along with the identified parameters relating to the IM application, the agent data, and availability, to determine a capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the one of the specific clients. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 5, wherein, in response to receiving an IM notification, the IM server of the communication center conducts IM communication with the one of the specific clients initiating the notification, elicits information from the one of the specific clients, identifies parameters relating to an IM application used by the one of the specific clients, and uses the elicited information along with the agent data and availability, to determine a capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the one of the specific clients. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to receiving an IM notification, the IM server of the communication center conducts IM communication with one of the specific clients initiating the notification, elicits information from the one of the specific clients, identifies parameters relating to an IM application used by the one of the specific clients, and uses the elicited information along with the identified parameters relating to the IM application, the agent data, and availability, to determine a capable and available agent with whom to establish the IM communication for the one of the specific clients.