Apparatus and methods for coordinating internet protocol telephone and data communications

The present invention in its several aspects presented herein is in the area of telephone communication in the broadest sense; that is, including all multimedia communication aspects of intelligent networks, call-center technology including computer-telephony integration (CTI), and Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) and related technology. A telephony call center system comprises an Internet connection adapted for receiving data from a WEB server, the data originating from the computer platform of a person browsing the Internet, including data identifying the browsing person, such as a telephone number, an IP address or the like, and indicating to the WEB server a desire of the browsing person to communicate with an agent at the call center. The communication desired may be (a) a request for an agent at the call center to receive a call from the browsing person, or (b) a request for a call to be placed to the browsing person from the call center. In both (a) and (b) the practical result is a telephone conference between the browsing person and an agent at the call center. In the first instance (a), in response to the data from the WEB server to the call center, the call center provides to the WEB server, for transfer to the browsing person via the Internet, necessary data for the browsing person to place an Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call to the browsing person, utilizing Internet Telephony software at the browsing person's PC. The call center selects an agent, and initiates a watch for an arriving IPNT call from the browsing person. On arrival of the call, the call is routed to the selected agent. In the other instance (b), in response to the data, the call center enters the browsing person's information, determines the appropriate IP address, and places an IPNT call to the browsing person. When the call placed from the center is answered, it is switched to a selected agent.