[asterisk-users] Asterisk in the call center - how do you do it?

[Ade Vickers]

Hi folks,

If you are running a call centre (large or small) using Asterisk, I'd be
interested to know how you log your agents in & out:

E.g.

 - Do you use AgentLogin (to force calls onto the agents, perhaps)?
 - Do you still use AgentCallbackLogin?
 - If you use AddQueueMember, are you 
    - running it through the agent's phones (i.e. in the dialplan)?
    - through a manager interface & some software (homebrew or otherwise)?
 - Do you allow agent hot-desking?
    - if so, how do you determine which agent is logged in at which desk at
what time?
    - how do you deal with authentication, or don't you bother?

It'd also be useful if you could tell me what version of Asterisk you're
using.

And, finally, a pure fishing expedition:

 - What kind of reporting (if any) do you currently get out of the Asterisk,
and are you happy with it?

The reason I'm asking this stuff is because since 2003 I've been working on
an ACD reporting product for Nortel Meridians (and, more recently, Avaya and
Cisco systems, although that's all early days); and I'm thinking that as
Asterisk gains a toe-hold in the call centre market, there maybe a market
for this reporting tool for Asterisk users too. The only downside is I just
know that my client (who owns the IPR) will never allow the s/w to be
opensourced, or even available for free :( But I guess I shouldn't be too
unhappy, as it puts the bread & butter on my table too...

All the above said - I should add that I'm a complete convert to Asterisk, &
use it daily (albeit at a fairly low & simplistic level), e.g. I've only
just got around to using a queue on my main POTS line, so I can login at any
of the 4 Asterisk boxes I use around Europe, without having horridly
complicated dialplans...

Many thanks in advance for any responses,
Ade.

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