Recording invocation of communication sessions

• US 7,899,178 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dong, Thomas Z., Williams, Jamie Richard, Calahan, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US11/541,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.06, 379/266.1, 379/112.01, 379/67.1, 379/159, 379/202.01, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/265.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: configuring a communication component of the customer center communication system to enable recording of a media stream associated with the communication session; transmitting the media stream over a network based on the configuration of the communication component; receiving the media stream over the network; and recording the received media stream.

Claims

1. A method for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent, comprising the steps of:

configuring a communication component of a customer center communication system to enable recording of media streams associated with a communication session;

determining whether to record the media streams associated with the communication session based on the configuration of the communication component;

determining one or more recorders from a plurality of recorders to record the media streams based on call control protocols,

responsive to determining the one or more recorders, transmitting instructions to the customer center communication system to duplicate the media streams and transmit the duplicated media streams over a network;

receiving the duplicated media streams over the network;

recording the received duplicated media streams at the one or more recorders; and

stitching the received duplicated media streams together to form a single media stream.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein configuring the communication component includes instructing the communication component to not record the media streams.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein configuring the communication component includes instructing the communication component to record all media streams.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein configuring the communication component includes instructing the communication component to record X % of the media streams, X being greater than 0 percent and less than 100 percent.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein configuring the communication component includes receiving instructions from applications to initiate the recording of the media streams, the applications including at least one of the recording system and a policy system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein configuring the communication component includes instructing the communication component to record the media streams based on business rules of the communication system, the business rules including recording all or X % of the media streams in a queue or at a predetermined time, X being greater than 0 percent and less than 100 percent.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the duplicated media streams over the network is achieved by a proxy server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning at least one campaign to implement the goals;

scheduling and deploying a workforce in accordance with the campaign to produce a plurality of agent-customer interactions;

measuring performance of an agent on at least a portion of the agent-customer interactions to produce a set of quality metrics for the agent;

analyzing the quality metrics to produce a rating of the measured interactions;

combining at least a portion of quality metrics to produce performance indicators; and

using the performance indicators in the planning step of a second campaign or another iteration of the at least one campaign.

9. A system for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent, comprising:

a customer center communication system having a communication component, the communication component being operative to be configured to enable recording of media streams associated with a communication session, the communication component being further operative to transmit the media streams over a network based on the configuration of the communication component,

a proxy server operative to;

determine whether to record the media streams based on the configuration of the communication component; and

determine one or more recorders from a plurality of recorders to record the media streams based on call control protocols, wherein responsive to determining the one or more recorders, the proxy server transmits'"'"' instructions to the customer center communication system to duplicate the media streams and transmit the duplicated media streams over the network to the one or more recorders;

a recording system comprising the plurality of recorders, wherein each recorder is operative to receive and record the duplicated media streams over the network; and

an archival system being operable to stitch the recorded duplicated media streams together to form a single media stream.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication component is configured to not record the media streams.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication component is configured to record all the media streams.

12. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication component is configured to record X % of the media streams, X being greater than a percent and less than 100 percent.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication component is configured to receive instructions from applications to initiate the recording of the media streams, the applications including at least one of the recording system and a policy system.

14. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication component is configured to record the media streams based on business rules of the communication system, the business rules including recording all or X % of the media streams in a queue or at a predetermined time, X being greater than a percent and less than 100 percent.

15. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein a media stream includes one of the following:

audio stream and video stream, both associated with the communication session.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a workforce manager comprising a scheduler; and

a quality monitor configured to provide, to the scheduler, at least one quality goal for a work period and at least one agent quality score,

wherein the scheduler is configured to produce a workforce schedule comprising agent assignments to work activities,

wherein the workforce schedule is based at least in part on the at least one quality goal and the at least one agent quality score.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a lesson assignment component configured to receive at least one indicator of performance of an agent, and further configured to assign a lesson to the agent based on the at least one indicator.

18. A system for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent, comprising:

a customer center communication system having a communication component, the communication component being operative to be configured to enable recording of media streams associated with a communication session, the communication component being further operative to transmit the media streams over a network based on the configuration of the communication component,

a proxy server operative to;

determine whether to record the media streams based on the configuration of the communication component; and

determine one or more recorders from a plurality of recorders to record the media streams based on call control protocols, the proxy server being further operative to transmit instructions to the customer center communication system to duplicate the media streams and transmit the duplicated media streams over the network to the determined one or more recorders;

a recording system being operative to receive and record the duplicated media streams over the network; and

an archival system being operable to stitch the recorded duplicated media streams together to form a single media stream.