Method and apparatus for proactively sending a message

• US 20040010431A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Elberse, Arik A., Marvich, Vickie, Thomas, Andrew, Hickey, James, Prokop, Andrew, Davis, Sheldon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/435,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010431A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

Contact centres are typically arranged to receive incoming contacts from customers and act accordingly. That is, the customer initiates contact with the contact centre. More recently, a need has arisen for contact centres to be able to initiate communication with customers. For example, to inform a customer that his or her flight has been cancelled and offer that customer the option to take part in an interactive communication session to book a new flight. A communications system such as a contact centre is interfaced with a business system such as customer relationship management system. In this way messages can be proactively sent to users.

Claims

1. An apparatus for proactively sending a message to one or more users via a communications network said system comprising:

(i) a business system arranged to manage information about users;

(ii) a communications system arranged to communicate with users via the communications network using messages of a plurality of media types; and

(iii) an interface between the business system and the communications system arranged such that the business system is able to send a message to the communications system in order that the communications system proactively sends a message to one or more users.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said business system is a customer relationship management system.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said communications system is selected from a contact centre, a multi-media contact centre, a call centre and an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which is further arranged to establish an interactive communications session between a user who is proactively sent a message and the communications system.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said interactive communications session is a live session between a user and an agent at the communications system.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said interactive communications session is a self-service communication session.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the business system is arranged to send a message to the communications system via the interface in order to proactively establish a communication session with one or more users, said message comprising information about contact addresses and media types which can be used to contact the one or more users.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said information about contact addresses and media types is ordered to indicate a sequence of communication attempts to use.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the business system is arranged to send a message to the communications system via the interface in order to proactively establish a communication session with one or more users, said message comprising content to be provided to the user in the message proactively sent to the users.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said content is provided in the form of a script such as a VXML script.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the business system is arranged to send a message to the communications system via the interface in order to proactively establish a communication session with one or more users, said message comprising information about one or more agents at the communications system.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the business system comprises a system to generate message content for the message to be proactively sent.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the business system comprises a communications policy arranged to determine a prioritised list of media types to be used for the messages to be proactively sent.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communications system comprises an interface to a presence management system such that the communications system is able to obtain information about the most suitable manner in which to contact a particular user at a particular time.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communications system comprises one or more rules about how communications are to be effected.

17. A method of operating an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 said method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving information about events at the business system;

(ii) generating and sending a message to the communications system on the basis of the received information about events as well as on pre-specified user data;

(iii) at the communications system, receiving the message from the business system and proactively sending messages to any users specified in the received message.

18. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium and arranged to carry out the method of claim 17.

16. A method of proactively sending a message to one or more users via a communications network said method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing a business system to manage information about users;

(ii) providing a communications system arranged to communicate with users via the communications network using messages of a plurality of media types;

(iii) providing an interface between the business system and the communications system arranged such that the business system is able to send a message to the communications system in order that the communications system proactively sends a message to one or more users.