Call with Outbound, CTIOS, or Finesse?

[Quigath]

I have an application that needs to initiate calls to customers. Also, I need to have an agent reserved in case the customer wants to transfer to an agent from my calling IVR. They are a high-priority customer and should not have to wait in the regular agent queue.

Too accomplish this, I have looked into at least three different technologies: Outbound dialer, the CTI Client/Server, and the Finesse API.

Please help me decide which technology to use. Are there other ways of making calls I have not considered?

1. Outbound: It seems that the outbound mechanism works for what it's intended for. It has no ability to interact with agent reservation and is generally not very customizable. Can easily make an out call with an IVR, then to an agent.
2. CTIOS: An end-of-life api that requires .net code. Powerful yet detailed options since it is all customized per project.
3. Finesse: A growing API for agent information. Has a mix of simple code for common agent tasks, but does it have the depth to make a call at the level I need?

It sounds like I'm leaning towards Finesse, but is it able to do things like make a new call and connect it to an IVR? I don't have much practical experience with either of these technologies.

UCCE 11.6 system

[dekwan]

Hi,

Here is the documentation for the Finesse REST APIs: https://developer.cisco.com/docs/finesse/#!rest-api-dev-guide

With the Finesse REST APIs and the Finesse notification service, the make call API makes a call from the agent's extension. So if you want the agent to call the customer directly, you can use the make call API to do so. With Finesse, you can combine the outbound feature as well. The agents have the ability to receive outbound calls that are made by the UCCE system.

I hope that helps.

Thanx,

Denise

[Gerry O'Rourke]

1. Outbound: It seems that the outbound mechanism works for what it's intended for. It has no ability to interact with agent reservation and is generally not very customizable. Can easily make an out call with an IVR, then to an agent.

Outbound can reserve agents for agent campaigns. It seems you want to do a IVR Campaign?

If so then I would still go with Outbound Dialer - it supports IVR campaigns and then in the IVR the customer can select if they want to speak to an agent (as they would on an inbound call) - it can then queue to an "inbound" skillgroup or PQ.

You could using ICM Admin script set it so you only make outbound IVR calls when the number of agents in a specific SG are available. and this would update every 15 / 30 seconds.

You cannot reserve agents if using a IVR dialer campaign (it does not make sense to do so).

Maybe details the business requirements more?

2) Don't go near CTIOS - pointless to do so.

3) Finesse API - if you want agent calls (Finesse is an Agent Desktop) - use the Outbound Dialer - must easier and it will reserve the agents.

You can use "Direct Preview or Preview Campaigns" - which reserves the agent for each call and they get a popup in Finesse with the customer details (Account Number, Name, Campaign Name) and have to select accept / reject before the dialer (preview) or their own phone (Direct Preview) calls the contact number.

If you don't need the agent to preview the calls you can use Predictive mode - can be more efficient.

Regards,

Gerry