Importance

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Abstract

This invention relates to an automatic call distributor (ACD) arrangement for economically providing ACD service from remote ACD agents. A remote ACD agent position is located near a local switching system which connects to an ACD host switch via a telecommunication network comprising a common channel signaling facility. The remote ACD agent position and an ACD process at the host switch communicate with each other by sending data messages via the common channel signaling facility and the local switching system. A front-end process at the host switch acts as a data message interface between the remote ACD agent position and the ACD process by performing protocol conversion between the common channel signalling facility message format and the ACD process message format. The front-end process also establishes a voice connection between the host switch and the remote ACD agent position. The ACD process connects incoming customer to the remote ACD agent position for servicing of the call by the remote ACD agent. Advantageously, this arrangement permits the complex ACD software to treat remote and local agent positions alike and uses an economic communication arrangement for connecting the remote agent position to the host switch.

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First Claim