Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise

Table Of Contents

Data Sheet

Multi-Site Support

Scalability

Upgradability

Packaging

Cisco IP Automated Attendant Capabilities

Service and Support

Summary

Data Sheet

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Cisco IP Queue Manager

The Cisco IP Queue Manager is an intelligent, IP based, multi-site call treatment and routing solution that provides powerful call treatment options for the Cisco IP Contact Center solution, an integral part of Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) that delivers intelligent call routing, network to desktop CTI and multimedia contact management to contact center agents over an IP network. Cisco IP Queue Manager allows callers to select routing options, providing easy access to multiple agent skill groups, extensions or announcements, either before or after routing. Cisco IP Queue Manager's call treatment messages may be static, pre-recorded announcements or dynamic announcements tailored to specific caller interests. Similar to visiting a Web site that displays content based on previous visits, the Cisco IP Queue Manager can provide dynamic content to queued callers, delivering unique messages tailored to caller's needs, the route selected, their place in queue, or other associated values.

The Cisco IP Queue Manager provides the following call treatment options:

•Static announcements: "All of our agents are busy..."

•Pre-recorded music or announcements mixed with music

•Dynamic announcements: "There are 12 calls in queue. Your expected wait time is 15 minutes"

•Prompts for route options: "To leave a message press 1, to select from a list of frequently asked questions..."

Multi-Site Support

The Intelligent Contact Management (ICM) component of the Cisco IPCC solution has extensive multi-site capabilities that enable Cisco IP Queue Manager to be used as a call treatment platform for geographically dispersed or mixed environments where TDM and IP-based technologies co-reside. In these environments, calls are connected to Cisco IP Queue Manager for call treatment until an agent or resource becomes available in a local or remote site, regardless of whether the agent is behind an IP or legacy-based ACD. This unique capability allows the solution to route the call to the best available resource regardless of the destination or technology.

Scalability

Cisco IP Queue Manager is a flexible, scalable solution for call treatment. Each caller is connected to IP Queue Manager through a port. IP Queue Manager supports up to 60 ports per server. In environments that require a greater number of simultaneous calls to be queued, additional IP Queue Manager's can be deployed, each providing the same or different call treatment and routing options.

Upgradability

Cisco IP Queue Manager is based on the Cisco IP-IVR engine, with functionality restricted to providing call treatment and routing options. Cisco IP Queue Manager can be easily upgraded to IP-IVR functionality to provide additional self-service capabilities.

Packaging

Cisco IP Queue Manager is designed to work exclusively with the Cisco IPCC solution. Cisco IP Queue Manager is priced on a per-port basis and is offered in two packages:

•A co-resident option that allows IP Queue Manager to reside on the same server as Cisco CallManager.þThis package can scale to a maximum of 10 ports.þ

•A dedicated server option that allows IP Queue Manager to scale up to 60 ports depending upon the version of IP Queue Manager installed and the hardware platform. This software kit includes 12 Queue Manager ports.þ

For IP Queue Manager to scale beyond 60 ports on the dedicated server option, additional servers must be added to increase the scalability.

Cisco IP Automated Attendant Capabilities

Cisco IP Queue Manager includes the Cisco IP Auto Attendant application, an automated attendant flow that provides simple call answering and forwarding services. Cisco IP Auto Attendant provides both dial-by-extension and telephone keypad mapping to allow callers to identify an extension by entering the first few characters of the user's name.

Figure 1 

1. Customer dials a PSTN phone number and the call is routed by the PSTN to the VoIP gateway.

2. The ICM component of the Cisco IPCC solution invokes a routing script that first retrieves a customer database record using the CLID and then checks to find the most appropriate agent based upon information in the customer database record.

3. Because no agent is currently available to service the caller, ICM instructs the Cisco CallManager component to the Cisco IPCC solution to route the caller to IP Queue Manager.

4. IP Queue Manager is then informed by ICM which call treatment messages to play, including the number of calls in queue in front of the caller and expected wait time.

5. When an agent becomes available, ICM instructs CallManager to send the call to the IP phone of the selected agent while ICM sends a screen pop of the customer database record to the selected agent's desktop.

6. Upon completion of call, agent enters wrap-up information that is then compiled with other call information into detailed reports.

Service and Support

Cisco AVVID Service and Support ensures customer success with a complete range of life cycle-enhancing services required for the creation and ongoing health and performance of integrated networks, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 

Cisco AVVID also provides support for an array of customer-contact applications with an open platform model. The Cisco AVVID Application Support services integrate Cisco, partner, and customer competencies to create collaborative support solutions. Together, these offerings improve customer-contact management through accelerated, converged network application deployment and enhanced network availability.

Summary

Cisco IP Queue Manager is a powerful, IP-based call treatment solution for the Cisco IPCC solution. Cisco IP Queue Manager delivers multiple routing options and static or dynamic call treatment messages to queued callers regardless of whether their ultimate destination is local or remote, or supported by an IP or legacy-based ACD. The flexibility of the Cisco IP Queue manager allows for a range of call treatment options that provide a better calling experience that ultimately increases customer satisfaction. In addition, enterprises deploying Cisco IP Queue Manager are assured of investment protection due to IP Queue Manager's inherent scalability and upgradability.