Unified CCE Release 8.5(1) offers the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Dialer alongside the Skinny Call Control Protocol (SCCP) Dialer that has been the sole Dialer offered in previous releases of Outbound Option. In an Outbound Option deployment that uses the SIP Dialer, the Voice Gateway handles functions such as dialing, call control, and Call Progress Analysis for Outbound campaigns rather than the Unified CM. This process increases the number of Outbound agents that a deployment can service on a PG, and reduces the number of PGs and Dialers customers must deploy for larger enterprise systems.

The following table summarizes feature differences between the SIP Dialer and the SCCP Dialer.

The dialer component reserves agents when it sees agents have become available. The Dialer requests skill group statistics from the agent PG every two seconds and attempts to reserve agents based on the number of available agents and the number of dialers active for this PG. If there are two dialers, each dialer attempts to reserve no more than half of the available agents. If there is only one agent left in the queue, the first dialer to see the available agent reserves it. The dialers are not synchronized. When the dialers are underused, one dialer may reserve more agents than the others, because it is more likely to see an agent become available.

For example, both dialers ask every two seconds. If Dialer 2 always asks about agent availability right after Dialer 1, then Dialer 1 is always ahead on requesting agents and reserves more agents. Unless the agent becomes available after Dialer 1 asks, Dialer 2 receives fewer reservations.

Note	Load balancing between Dialers increases as they get busier service for larger or multiple campaigns.

The Dialer component allocates available dialer ports based on need. Campaign skill groups with more available agents or that are dialing more lines per available agent receive a greater percentage of the available ports.

For example, in a two-dialer system, when one campaign dials three lines per agent with six available agents, the Dialer reserves nine ports for dialing, plus three ports to reserve agents because it is sharing agent resources with its dialer peer. If multiple campaigns are active and the number of ports that are needed is greater than the number of ports that are available, ports are distributed in proportion to the lines per agent multiplied by the available agents for each campaign.

Each dialer checks agent availability to make reservation requests based on the skill group statistic refreshes that occur every two seconds. When skill groups for multiple campaigns are active for one or more of the same agents, then one campaign always reserves that agent or agents. You can avoid this situation by scripting the reservation scripts to queue reservation calls using the same mechanism that is described for queuing personal callback reservation requests. This resolution ensures a more even distribution of calls for active campaigns that share a common agent pool.

For example, in the following scenario where two campaigns are in progress:

• Campaign 1 has four available agents and is dialing two lines per agent, which has a relative weight of eight (two lines each for four agents).

• Campaign 2 has one available agent, but is dialing at four lines per agent, which has a relative weight of four (four lines for one agent).

To dial customers for all available agents requires 12 ports, but only 9 ports are available.

The results:

• Campaign 1 gets 2/3 of the remaining ports, or six of the remaining ports.

• Campaign 2 gets 1/3 of the remaining ports, or three of the remaining ports.

• Each dialer begins dialing using the ports assigned to it, and assigns additional ports to the campaigns when new ports become available.

Preview, Predictive, and Progressive campaigns require at least two ports to place calls because they require at least one port to reserve the agent and one port to dial the customer. Because campaigns are shared across active dialers that service a PG, this maximum number of active campaigns applies to the PG.

Transfer to VRU and Direct Preview calls only require one port. Transfer to VRU calls do not reserve the VRU port before dialing, and Direct Preview calls use the agent's phone to place the call.

The following figure displays a call flow for an agent-based campaign in an SCCP Dialer deployment.

Figure 3. Agent-Based Campaign Call Flow

This Image 271181.jpg is not available in preview/cisco.com

1. The Dialer process continually monitors peripheral skill group statistics from the CTI Server for an available agent. Concurrently, the Campaign Manager monitors the database for customer records and forwards active records to the Dialer. When the Dialer identifies an available agent for use in an outbound campaign, it sends a route request to the MR PIM.

2. The MR PIM forwards the route request to the Router.

3. The Unified CCE Router executes a routing script, selects an available agent, reserves that agent, and then returns a routing label (phone extension) identifying the reserved agent.

4. The MR PG returns the label for an available agent to the Dialer.

5. The Dialer then places a reservation phone call to the agent's phone extension. The Dialer auto-answers the reservation call for the agent using the CTI Server and then places that reservation call on hold.

6. The Dialer initiates the customer call using Unified CM and voice gateway.

7. If call progress analysis is configured, the Dialer process analyzes the RTP stream to detect a live answer (or answering machine detection). When a live answer is detected, the Dialer immediately initiates a transfer of the call (along with call context for screen pop) to the next reserved agent extension from the list maintained by the Dialer. Similarly, if answering machine detection is enabled, the call can be transferred to the agent, to an IVR, or dropped. The transferred call arrives on a second line appearance on the agent IP phone (thus a second line appearance for the Unified CCE extension in Unified CM must be enabled for Unified OUTDs).

8. The Dialer auto-answers the transferred call for the agent via the CTI Server, so that the voice path between the customer and the agent can be quickly established. This action releases the dialer port used to call the customer. The Dialer then hangs up the reservation call to this agent. The Dialer also updates the Campaign Manager to indicate a live answer was detected for this call. After the agent finishes handling the outbound call, the agent can be reserved for another outbound call via the same message flow.

The following figure displays a call flow for an VRU-based campaign in an SCCP Dialer deployment.

Figure 4. VRU-Based Campaign Call Flow

This Image 271182.jpg is not available in preview/cisco.com

1. The Dialer starts a call to the customer.

2. The Real Time Port (RTP) stream is analyzed and voice is detected.

3. The Dialer requests an in-line transfer to a preconfigured route point.

4. The Unified CM PG requests translation route for the Router.

5. The Router responds.

6. The response is translated and sent to Unified CM.

7. Unified CM transfers the call to the VRU, for example IPIVR.

The following figure illustrates a Transfer to Agent Call Flow in a deployment with a SIP Dialer that is connected to a SIP Proxy.

Figure 5. Transfer to Agent Call Flow - SIP Dialer with SIP Proxy

This Image 341029.jpg is not available in preview/cisco.com

1. An agent campaign starts. Customer records are delivered to the Dialer.

2 to 5. An agent is reserved with a virtual placeholder call.

6 to 7.The dialer asks the gateway (via proxy) to place a call, and it does.

8. The Voice Gateway performs Call Progress Analysis and detects live voice. Media is terminated at the VGW until the CPA completes.

9. The dialer is notified and asks the voice gateway (via proxy) to transfer the call to the agent.

10. The Voice Gateway sets up the customer call with the voice agent (via proxy) and the UC Manager.

The following figure illustrates a Transfer to VRU Call Flow in an Outbound Option deployment with a SIP Dialer connected to a SIP Proxy.

Figure 6. Transfer to VRU Call Flow - SIP Dialer with SIP Proxy

This Image 341030.jpg is not available in preview/cisco.com

1. An unattended VRU campaign starts. Customer records are delivered to the Dialer.

2. The Dialer asks the SIP Proxy to forward an invitation to an available gateway to start a call.

3. The Gateway places the call.

4. Voice Gateway does Call Progress Analysis and detects an answering machine. The Dialer is notified.

5. The Dialer asks the MR PG where the VRU is.

6. MR PG forwards the request to the Router.

7. The routing script identifies the VRU and notifies the MR PG.

8. The MR PG forwards the route response to the Dialer.

9. The Dialer notifies the voice gateway to transfer the call to the VRU.

10. The Gateway starts the transfer to the SIP Proxy, and the SIP Proxy forwards the invitation to the Unified CM. Unified CM forwards the call invitation to the VRU, and media is set up between the Gateway and the VRU.

The following figure illustrates a transfer to agent call flow in an Outbound Option deployment with a SIP Dialer without a SIP Proxy.

Figure 7. Transfer to Agent - SIP Dialer with No SIP Proxy

This Image 341031.jpg is not available in preview/cisco.com

1. Import is scheduled and campaign starts. Records are delivered to Dialer.

2. The Dialer looks for an available agent via the Media Routing Interface.

3. MR PG forwards the request to the Router.

4. The routing script identifies an agent and responds to the MR PG.

5. Media Routing PIM notifies the Dialer that the agent is available.

6. Dialer signals the gateway to place a call to the customer.

7. The Gateway places a call to the customer, and the Dialer is notified it is trying.

8. Call Progress Analysis is performed at the gateway. Voice is detected, and Dialer is notified.

9. The Dialer asks the voice gateway to transfer the call to the reserved agent by its agent extension.

10. The Gateway directs the call to the agent via Unified CM using dial peer configuration to locate the Unified CM. Media is set up between the Gateway and the agent’s phone.

The CTI OS component provides an object-based interface to the CTI Server using the COM, C++, Java, and .NET interfaces. These interfaces permit development of agent desktop applications that interface with Unified CCE software.

Outbound Option includes a sample agent desktop, the Cisco CTI Toolkit Outbound Desktop (Win32), with Visual Basic source code, using CTI OS.

See the CTI OS Developer Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise & Hosted for information about the CTI OS Architecture and the CTI OS Client Interface.

Cisco Agent Desktop (CAD) is a computer telephony integration solution for contact centers that is easy to deploy, configure, and manage. The desktop provides contact center agents and supervisors with powerful tools to increase agent productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce contact center costs.

CAD includes the following major components:

• Cisco Desktop Administrator

• Cisco Agent Desktop

• Cisco Supervisor Desktop

• Cisco Agent Desktop Services.

This section discusses the Cisco Agent Desktop, Cisco Supervisor Desktop, and Cisco Desktop Administrator. See the CAD documentation for detailed information about other components.

Cisco Agent Desktop displays windows on the agent PC when the call arrives, increasing the speed of call processing. The screen displayed can use a combination of elements. Cisco Agent Desktop can also populate third-party applications (databases, help desk packages, personal information managers, and so on) based on the calling number, called number, or other information that a VRU collects.

The Cisco Agent Desktop softphone allows agents to control calls from the PC. It minimizes keystrokes and saves time for agents who are working simultaneously with the phone, CTI desktop, and third-party applications. The softphone toolbar automates common telephony functions, including answer, drop, and speed dial. The toolbar also includes a taskbar, which launches applications based on telephony or data events. Agents can select from up to ten predefined task buttons to update CRM data and other applications, as well as begin automated after-call tasks, such as sending an e-mail or fax, initiating call-handling scripts, or starting other Windows-based tools.

The Chat feature allows agents to communicate with their supervisors and other agents via text messages for assistance at any time without leaving their desks or putting a call on hold.

The integrated browser allows agents to view intranet and internet web pages from within Cisco Agent Desktop.

Cisco Supervisor Desktop allows contact center supervisors to view and direct agent activity in real time. Without leaving their desks, supervisors can observe, coach, and communicate with agents using instant messaging. They can view agent status details, as well as view conference information. Without the caller’s knowledge, supervisors can start "chat" sessions to coach agents on how to handle customer issues. Supervisors can send scrolling marquee messages to all agents or to teams of agents to broadcast important information.

Supervisors can also use the real-time audio monitoring capabilities to listen to agent conversations with customers. If necessary, they can "barge in" to calls (conference themselves into the conversation) or intercept a call (transfer a call to themselves.) Supervisors can also record agent conversations and save those recordings for up to 30 days for later review.

Cisco Desktop Administrator allows a contact center administrator to configure how Cisco Agent Desktop looks and behaves. Using Cisco Desktop Administrator, an administrator can create work flows, configure how enterprise data is displayed, customize task buttons, and perform many more tasks to customize Cisco Agent Desktop for your contact center’s particular needs.

Cisco Finesse provides the following applications and tools:

• A web-based desktop application for agents and supervisors. Agents and supervisors access their desktops by entering the following URL in their browsers: http://hostname, where hostname is the hostname or IP address of the Finesse server.

• A web service that provides contact center agent desktop functionality through a REST-like interface.

• An administration console for configuring system settings, desktop layout, wrap-up reasons, and reason codes. Administrators access this console by entering the following URL in their browsers: http://hostname/cfadmin, where hostname is the hostname or IP address of the primary Finesse server.

Note	Cisco Finesse supports Outbound Option as follows: Use Progressive mode, Predictive mode, or Preview mode only. Direct Preview mode is not supported. Use the SIP Dialer only. SCCP Dialer is not supported.

The Finesse Agent Desktop does not support the following Outbound Option features out-of-the-box:

• scheduling a callback (regular or personal)

• adding a contact to the Do Not Call List

Note	Agents who are on Progressive or Predictive Outbound Option calls do not appear in the Talking - Outbound column of the Queue Statistics gadget on the supervisor desktop. This number only includes agents who are talking on outbound calls placed by those agents.