Can softphone triger agent pause/unpause in vicidial?

[ConnectedDialer]

Here's my example setup:

When agents log into vicidial under a blended campaign their soft phone rings, which they answer and stay connected to the phone system. Calls are connected to them via predictive dialer as well as in groups that they are assigned to. Everything works as expected, except, if a call comes in to the softphone (their extension) and they answer it, the connection they initially had with vicidial session becomes on hold, but the agent is not paused automatically in vicidial interface. Same thing happens if agent makes an outgoing call through the softphone while they are connected to a vicidial session.

Is there a way to have vicidial agent paused/unpaused based on the session call being on hold or not?

Maybe I'm approaching this wrong, how do you deal with this situation?

Thanks!

[williamconley]

1) Welcome to the Party!

2) As you are obviously new here, I have some suggestions to help us all help you:

When you post, please post your entire configuration including (but not limited to) your installation method (7.X.X?) and vicidial version with build (VERSION: 2.X-XXXx ... BUILD: #####-####).

This IS a requirement for posting along with reading the stickies (at the top of each forum) and the manager's manual (available on EFLO.net, both free and paid versions)

You should also post: Asterisk version, telephony hardware (model number is helpful here), cluster information if you have one, and whether any other software is installed in the box. If your installation method is "manual/from scratch" you must post your operating system with version (and the .iso version from which you installed your original operating system) plus a link to the installation instructions you used. If your installation is "Hosted" list the site name of the host.

If this is a "Cloud" or "Virtual" server, please note the technology involved along with the version of that techology (ie: VMware Server Version 2.0.2). If it is not, merely stating the Motherboard model # and CPU would be helpful.

Similar to This:

Vicibox X.X from .iso | Vicidial X.X.X-XXX Build XXXXXX-XXXX | Asterisk X.X.X | Single Server | No Digium/Sangoma Hardware | No Extra Software After Installation | Intel DG35EC | Core2Quad Q6600

3) ALL inbound and outbound calls should be routed through the Vicidial system to get to the agent. Then Vicidial knows when an agent is busy.

Inbound calls are routed through DIDs to Ingroups to Agents via "blended" campaigns. NOT through "their extension", but through their agent session just like an outbound call. Look up the usage for Ingroups in the Vicidial Manager's Manual.

When an agent makes an outbound manual dialed call, they should be making it from their user interface. Enable manual dial on the User, then the User will get a "Manual Dial" button on their screen.

Among other things, this gets you "Real Time" view of all calls for all agents at all times inbound and outbound. It also allows linking these call records to Leads and aligning their recordings with the leads. Most importantly: It allows agents to have the lead record on the screen for every call they are on. Otherwise that information is lost or (worse) agents can steal lead information, never record it, and take that information elsewhere (like: To the competition ... and you'll never know)

[ConnectedDialer]

Vicibox 8.0.1 from .iso | VICIDIAL: 2.14-644a BUILD: 171130-0036 | Asterisk 11.25.3-vici | Single Server | No Digium/Sangoma Hardware | No Extra Software After Installation | Custom PC | XEON E5-1607

Thank you for the reply williamconley. Just to clarify, if a client is calling in and accessing a menu to dial agent by extension because they need to rech a specific agent, should this not be handled through phone extensions? Can this be done with ingroups as well? Or is it expected to have separate phone system for agent extensions in the company there they can make/receive direct calls?

[williamconley]

Vicibox 8.0.1 from .iso | VICIDIAL: 2.14-644a BUILD: 171130-0036 | Asterisk 11.25.3-vici | Single Server | No Digium/Sangoma Hardware | No Extra Software After Installation | Custom PC | XEON E5-1607

Thank you for the reply williamconley. Just to clarify, if a client is calling in and accessing a menu to dial agent by extension because they need to rech a specific agent, should this not be handled through phone extensions? Can this be done with ingroups as well? Or is it expected to have separate phone system for agent extensions in the company there they can make/receive direct calls?

Look up the AGENTDIRECT ingroup. Special usage for sending a call directly to an agent's logged in screen session. I believe there are instructions to "fail over" to the agent's extension and/or voicemail if the agent is not presently available and logged in.

[ConnectedDialer]

Agentdirect appears to be how it's meant to be in vicidial. I still wonder, is there no way for vicidial to know when the call in session has gone on hold and pause itself and unpause when the call is no longer on hold?

[williamconley]

Agentdirect appears to be how it's meant to be in vicidial. I still wonder, is there no way for vicidial to know when the call in session has gone on hold and pause itself and unpause when the call is no longer on hold?

Sure. If you sponsor that module we'll write it. I warn you, though, that's complex. We've written all the necessary parts, but getting all that into Vicidial and "full-auto" is not going to be cheap.

1) Configuring the phones in asterisk to actually report "busy/not busy" upon request.

2) Polling the entire system every XX seconds

3) Activating/deactivating "Pause" for the agent.

Alternately, you'd have to add an agi script to every "answer" and "dial" so each call would pass through that script and perform the necessary checks to pause or release. If you wanted it to be cool, instead of "pause", the detector could transfer the call directly to the agent in the agentdirect script IF the agent is logged in, ring their phone if they are not, and push to VM if they don't answer. There is a fairly complex setup for that we've done a few times, but it's not a "feature" just some heavy configuration and some custom setup.

Not simple, but none of it outside the range of possibility.

Then you have to set up the rules and options. How will the feature be activated? Per campaign? Per user? Both? (ie: enabled per user and activated per campaign?). Of course, that could be determined at build time.

But it definitely sounds like a cool mod. You should consider having it built (like I said: we can build it) by a 3rd party or just go straight to The Vicidial Group. Call 'em up and get a quote. They are the ONLY ones who can guarantee it'll be a permanent part of Vicidial after completion. The rest of us can post the code and ask Vicidial to include it, but we can't guarantee they will accept it and make it part of Vicidial. If a 3rd party builds it, you may be paying for "updates" every time you upgrade your server unless you also pay the 3rd party to submit it for inclusion AND the Vicidial group actually accepts the inclusion.

[ConnectedDialer]

Could you give me a rough quote? I need to have some number to run by the management to decide if they would like to proceed.

[williamconley]

Could you give me a rough quote? I need to have some number to run by the management to decide if they would like to proceed.

I can. You really should ask The Vicidial Group first.

If you want a quote from PoundTeam, Incorporated, where I work, I would *prefer* that you get the quote directly. I don't really have an objection to quoting on this forum, but it's not my forum so I try not to.

To get that quote, I'd need to know your actual requirements. Or if you just want "whichever version fits the basic description and costs the least $$" (which is a very common request, lol).