Patent Publication Number: US-2023140674-A1

Title: Unified communications incorporation in a contact center

Description:
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND 
     Contact center systems are typically capable of handling large numbers of calls with the contact center. Likewise, a contact center system can be scaled to distribute calls among tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of agents staffing the contact center. Unified communications systems provide many features, such as instant messaging/chat, presence status, noise suppression, call transcription, etc., that a contact center system does not. However, a unified communication system may lack the capability to handling the call volume and number of agents supported by a contact center system to handle calls with a contact center. Thus, agents of the contact center will not be able to benefit from unified communications features when participating in calls with the contact center. 
     SUMMARY 
     The technology disclosed herein enables incorporation of feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. In a particular embodiment, a method includes, in a contact center system, in response to an agent logging into the contact center system, establishing a first connection between the contact center system and a unified communications endpoint operated by the agent. The first connection is established using a unified communications system that services the unified communications endpoint. After establishing the first connection, the method includes identifying a call on a second connection between the contact center system and a second endpoint operated by a user. In response to selecting the agent to handle the call, the method includes bridging the first connection and the second connection. 
     In some examples, after the call has ended, the method stops bridging the first connection and the second connection while the first connection remains connected between the unified communications endpoint and the contact center system. 
     In some examples, after the call has ended, the method includes identifying a second call on a third connection between the contact center system and a third endpoint operated by another user and, in response to selecting the agent to handle the second call, bridging the first connection and the third connection. 
     In some examples, the method includes disconnecting the first connection in response to the agent logging out of the contact center system. 
     In some examples, the method includes verifying the agent over the first connection. 
     In some examples, the method includes, before bridging the first connection and the second connection, transmitting audio over the first connection to the unified communications endpoint. The audio, when presented by the unified communications endpoint, provides information about the call to the agent. 
     In some examples, the method includes receiving an event notification from the unified communications endpoint over the first connection. The event notification indicates a unified communications event that occurred at the unified communications endpoint. 
     In some examples, the method includes transmitting a control message to the unified communications endpoint over the first connection. The control message directs the unified communications endpoint to perform a unified communications operation. 
     In some examples, the method includes receiving media transmitted over the first connection from the unified communications endpoint even when the first connection is not bridged to another connection. The media is used for agent monitoring, agent management, and inter-call operations. 
     In some examples, the method includes, in response to determining that the first connection has disconnected, reestablishing the first connection and bridging the second connection to the reestablished first connection. 
     In another embodiment, an apparatus for a contact center system is provided having one or more computer readable storage media and a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media. Program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to, in response to an agent logging into the contact center system, establish a first connection between the contact center system and a unified communications endpoint operated by the agent. The first connection is established using a unified communications system that services the unified communications endpoint. The program instructions further direct the processing system to, after establishing the first connection, identify a call on a second connection between the contact center system and a second endpoint operated by a user. The program instructions also direct the processing system to, in response to selecting the agent to handle the call, bridge the first connection and the second connection. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates an implementation for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an operation to incorporate feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates an implementation for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an operational scenario for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an operational scenario for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates an operational scenario for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
         FIG.  7    illustrates a computing architecture for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The contact center systems described herein connect to agent endpoints through unified communications systems so that agents can take advantage of the features provided by the unified communications systems. In particular, a contact center system establishes a unified communications connection to a unified communications endpoint operated by an agent. By virtue of the connection being a unified communications connection, the connection is established through a unified communications system with the contact center system and the agent endpoint being endpoints to that connection. The unified communications system can then provide unified communications features for the connection. A call on another connection between the contact center and another endpoint is bridged to the unified communications endpoint, which allows a user of the other endpoint and the agent to communicate with each other in real time over the bridged connections. Since the agent is communicating over a unified communications endpoint and connection, the agent is able to use all features available to them even though the unified communications connection does not extend all the way to the other user&#39;s endpoint. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates implementation  100  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. Implementation  100  includes contact center system  101 , unified communications system  102 , endpoint  103 , endpoint  104 , and endpoint  105 . The various elements in implementation  100  communicate with one another over respective communication links  111 - 114 , as shown. Communication links  111 - 114  are shown as direct links but may include intervening systems, networks, and/or devices. 
     In operation, endpoint  103  and endpoint  104  are both operated by a single user, agent  124 . Endpoint  105  is operated by user  125 . Endpoints  103 - 105  may each respectively be a telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, conference room system, or some other type of user operable computing system—including combinations thereof. While shown as distinct elements, endpoint  103  and endpoint  104  may be implemented on the same physical computing system. For example, endpoint  103  and endpoint  104  may be implemented using respective soft-clients on a desktop workstation of agent  124 . Contact center system  101 , unified communications system  102 , endpoint  103 , and endpoint  104  are all associated with a contact center staffed by agents, including agent  124  (e.g., the elements may be owned, leased, or otherwise maintained on behalf of the contact center). Elements  101 - 104  may all be located at a single premises, such as a building for the contact center, or may be distributed between multiple locations. User  125  is not associated with the contact center and represents a caller to/from the contact center, such as a customer or potential customer of a business represented by agents of the contact center. 
     In implementation  100 , endpoint  104  is a contact center endpoint that communicates with contact center system  101  to avail itself to the features thereof (e.g., Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) that connects the telephony functions of contact center system  101  with business applications that may be used by agent  124 ) and enables agent  124  to exchange real-time user communications with other endpoints (e.g., have a voice conversation with a caller to the contact center). Contact center system  101  may further handle agent selection for calls with the contact center, queueing of calls, or some other call handling function between endpoints external to the contact center (e.g., endpoint  105 ) and contact center endpoints internal to the contact center (e.g., endpoint  104 ). Endpoint  103  is a unified communications endpoint that communicates with unified communications system  102  to avail itself to features thereof (e.g., voice/video calling, voicemail, text chat, call noise reduction, group calling, screen sharing, etc.). Unified communications system  102  may only enable communications with other unified communications endpoints or may enable calling to other endpoint, such as regular telephones (e.g., agent  124  may be able to place a personal call to family member&#39;s telephone). In a typical contact center, contact center system  101  and unified communications system  102  operate independently. Agent  124  would, therefore, operate endpoint  104  to access features of contact center system  101  (e.g., to handle calls with the contact center) and operate endpoint  103  to communicate using unified communications system  102  (e.g., to collaborate with other agents). Features of unified communications system  102  would not be available to contact center system  101  nor to contact center endpoints like endpoint  104 . Operation  200  is performed by contact center system  101  to enable access to the features of unified communications system  102 . 
       FIG.  2    illustrates operation  200  to incorporate feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. In operation  200 , contact center system  101  determines that agent  124  has logged into contact center system  101  via endpoint  104  ( 201 ). Logging into contact center system  101  indicates to contact center system  101  that agent  124  is present at endpoint  104 . In some examples, logging in may indicate that agent  124  is ready to handle calls with the contact center while other examples may require explicit indication of such from agent  124  (e.g., agent  124  may have some administrative work to handle before they are ready to handle calls). Agent  124  may provide a username and password, scan their badge, provide biometric information (e.g., for fingerprint or facial recognition), or provide some other type of information to authenticate themselves to contact center system  101 . In some examples, endpoint  104  may perform the authentication on behalf of contact center system  101  to log in agent  124 . 
     In response to agent  124  logging in to contact center system  101 , contact center system  101  establishes a unified communications connection between contact center system  101  and endpoint  103  using unified communications system  102  ( 202 ). Contact center system  101  may establish the unified communications connection by communicating with unified communications system  102  to initiate a connection request to endpoint  103 . Contact center system  101  may execute unified communications client software, or is otherwise able to conform to the protocols and conventions required by unified communications system  102 , that enables contact center system  101  to become a unified communications endpoint and take advantage of the features provided by unified communications system  102  just like other unified communications endpoints, such as endpoint  103 . The communication connection preferably supports any type of communication mode for user communications handled by contact center system  101  assuming the communication modes are also supported by endpoint  103 . For instance, if contact center system  101  supports video calls, then the unified communications connection with endpoint  103  will also support video calls. Contact center system  101  may maintain a list of contact information for contact center agents&#39; unified communications endpoints so that a unified communications connection can be established with the proper unified communications endpoint of an agent logged into contact center system  101 . 
     In some examples, contact center system  101  may verify that agent  124  is actually present over the unified communications connection. For instance, contact center system  101  may transmit audio media over the connection that requests a voice sample from agent  124  over the connection that is compared to a voice signature of agent  124  to ensure the user at endpoint  103  is agent  124 . Similarly, agent  124  may be asked to speak a passphrase. In another example, the unified communications connection may carry video media and contact center system  101  may receive video captured by endpoint  103  of agent  124  to perform facial recognition on agent  124  to verify their identity. In a further example, the unified communications connection may include a chat channel over which agent  124  can input identifying information for reference by contact center system  101  to verify agent  124 . Other manners of verifying a user&#39;s identity over a unified communications communication channel may also be used. 
     After establishing the unified communications connection, contact center system  101  identifies a call on another connection between contact center system  101  and endpoint  105  ( 203 ). The connection between contact center system  101  and endpoint  105  may have been established in response to endpoint  105  initiating an incoming call to contact center system  101 , contact center system  101  initiating a call to endpoint  105 , or may be imitated in some other manner. The call may be a voice call, such as a regular telephone call, or may include a video component as well (e.g., using Web Real-Time Communication), enabling user  125  and agent  124  to speak with one another in real time. The call may be identified as being a next call for handling by agent  124 . The call may simply be the next call received by contact center system  101  and agent  124  may be the next agent in line to handle a call. The call may be directed to agent  124  specifically. Contact center system  101  may identify the call by determining that agent  124  should handle the call based on characteristics of the call and/or agent  124  (e.g., a topic for the call or reason that user  125  is calling and agent  124 &#39;s expertise or department). The call may be identified out of a queue or may be identified immediately upon the connection being established. Other manners of identifying a call for connection to agent  124  may also be used. 
     In response to selecting agent  124  to handle the call, contact center system  101  bridges the unified communications connection with endpoint  103  and the call connection with endpoint  105  ( 204 ). Bridging the two connections enables user communications to be passed between the two connections. For example, a voice signal captured by endpoint  103  from agent  124  is transmitted over the unified communications connection through unified communications system  102  to contact center system  101 . Contact center system  101  then passes the voice signal to the call connection over which the voice signal is transmitted to endpoint  105  for presentation to user  125 . In some examples, contact center system  101  may reformat (e.g., transcode) media of the user communications (e.g., audio and/or video) to conform to the protocols/capabilities of each connection. For example, voice signals over the call connection may be in a different format than voice signals over the unified communications connection. Contact center system  101  may, therefore, reformat the voice signal from endpoint  105  for transmission over the unified communications channel to endpoint  103 , and vice versa. Once bridged, agent  124  can use both features of contact center system  101  for the call and features of the unified communications connection via respective endpoints, endpoint  103  and endpoint  104 . 
     An advantage of bridging to separate connections, as described above, is that when either one of the connections end, or are disconnected, the other can remain. As such, even when the call with user  125  has completed, contact center system  101  may stop bridging the connections (as may occur automatically when the call connection with endpoint  105  ends) and the unified communications connection with endpoint  103  may remain established. A subsequent call over a connection with contact center system  101  may then be identified by contact center system  101  and bridged by contact center system  101  to the unified communications connection with endpoint  103 . As such, agent  124  may participate in calls with contact center system  101  over the same unified communications connection. Should the unified communications connection ever get disconnected, contact center system  101  may automatically attempt to reestablish the unified communications connection with endpoint  103 . In those examples, if a call connection, such as the one from endpoint  105 , was being bridged to the unified communications connection at the time of disconnect, contact center system  101  may automatically bridge that call connection back to the reestablished unified communications connection. During the time in which contact center system  101  is attempting to reestablish the unified communications connection, contact center system  101  may play an audio message to user  125 , or otherwise inform user  125  about disconnect, over the call connection with endpoint  105 . 
     At some point, agent  124  will likely log out of contact center system  101  (e.g., their shift may end or they may go on break). For instance, endpoint  104  may present agent  124  with a button to indicate their desire to log out of contact center system  101 , although other manners for agent  124  to express their desire to log out may be used. When agent  124  logs out from contact center system  101 , contact center system  101  may automatically disconnect the unified communications connection with endpoint  103  because agent  124  will no longer be handling calls with contact center system  101 . In some examples, agent  124  may be able to indicate their desire to logout of contact center system  101  over the unified communications connection. For instance, agent  124  may be able to type a logout phrase into a chat channel of the unified communications connection, may speak a voice phrase over the unified communications connection, may intentionally end the unified communications connection, or may otherwise indicate their desire to log out. 
     Since the unified communications connection with endpoint  103  remains established while agent  124  is logged into contact center system  101 , media can be exchanged over the connection even when no call is bridged to the unified communications connection. The media may be user communications captured by endpoint  103  from agent  124  and/or communications transmitted by contact center system  101  to agent  124 . The media may be used for agent monitoring (e.g., to ensure agent  124  stays on task or determine their current sentiment/mood), agent management (e.g., to adjust a skill level of the agent based on what is heard), inter-call operations (e.g., direct contact center system  101  to answer a call, deflect a call, go on break, logout), or for some other purpose. For example, contact center system  101  may listen in to determine whether audio transmitted over the unified communications connection is consistent with an agent performing their duties. In another example, contact center system  101  may provide information over the unified communications connection (e.g., may provide audio messages to agent  124  about a soon to be connected call, about the contact center in general, or some other type of information). 
     In some examples, contact center system  101  may exchange unified communications messages in a protocol used by unified communications system  102 . For instance, contact center system  101  may use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and contact center system  101  may exchange in-dialog SIP messages with unified communications system  102  and/or endpoint  103  in association with the unified communications connection. The messages may include messages to notify contact center system  101  about unified communications events that occur at endpoint  103 , such as hold, un-hold, ring, answer, drop, and dial. The event notification may only be related to events on the unified communications connection with contact center system  101  or may include events related to other unified communications connections with endpoint  103  (e.g., to keep contact center system  101  apprised of other communications occurring at endpoint  103 ). For example, a SIP message from endpoint  103  may indicate that endpoint  103  has put the unified communications connection portion of the call on hold. That message may trigger contact center system  101  to perform play music over the call connection with endpoint  105  or otherwise indicate to user  125  that they have been placed on hold. The messages may also be used to control the unified communications features that endpoint  103  can access. For instance, contact center system  101  may transmit a control message that controls the unified communications features of endpoint  103  on the unified communications connection. For instance, the message may direct endpoint  103  to play an agent greeting, un-hold the communications over the unified communications connection, go into restricted mode to allow use specifically for contact center operations only (e.g., no personal calls), change the display (e.g., to display certain information, hide features, etc.), or to perform some other unified communications function. Depending on the feature being controlled, contact center system  101  may send the control message(s) to unified communications system  102  and/or endpoint  103 . As such, the feature may be limited at unified communications system  102 , at endpoint  103 , or by some cooperation of the two. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates implementation  300  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. Implementation  300  includes contact center system  301 , unified communications system  302 , agent systems  304 - 307 , contact center network  308 , caller endpoints  311 - 312 , and Internet  309 . Although, contact center system  301 , unified communications system  302 , agent systems  304 - 307 , and contact center network  308  are part of contact center  316 , no element of contact center  316  need be co-located with another. As such, contact center network  308  may use Internet  309 , and possibly other local area networks, to exchange communications. While only four agent systems are shown in implementation  300 , contact center  316  may include any number of agent endpoints. 
     In this example, agent systems  304 - 307  (e.g., desktop workstations) are operated by respective agents  324 - 327  as agents of contact center  316  and caller endpoints  311 - 312  are operated by users  351 - 352  who are callers to contact center  316 . Though all of caller endpoints  311 - 312  connect over Internet  309 , it should be understood that calls to contact center  316  may be traditional telephone calls, which may be transported over Internet  309 . Contact center system  301  receives call directed to contact center  316 , determines to which of agents  324 - 327  the calls should be directed, and directs the call to the selected agents&#39; systems  304 - 307  accordingly. Unified communications system  302  provides unified communications features to agent systems  304 - 307 . In this example, each agent system executes a soft client for communicating with and accessing features of contact center system  301  and executes another soft client for communicating with and accessing features of unified communications system  302 . Agent system  304  in particular is shown to execute unified communications endpoint  341  and contact center endpoint  342 , although, it should be understood that agent systems  305 - 307  execute similar soft clients that perform similarly to that described for endpoints  341 - 342  below. In other examples, endpoints  341 - 342  may be implemented on separate systems, including dedicated endpoint hardware (e.g., a telephone device), rather than being implemented as soft clients. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates operational scenario  400  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. In operational scenario  400 , agent  324  arrives at contact center  316  and logs into contact center endpoint  342  (e.g., agent  324  may provide user credentials to contact center endpoint  342 ). Contact center endpoint  342  then transfers agent login notification  401  to contact center system  301  at step  1  to notify contact center system  301  that agent  324  has logged in so that contact center system  301  can log agent  324  into contact center system  301  accordingly. While not shown, if agent  324  is not already logged unified communications endpoint  341  into unified communications system  302 , agent  324  also logs into unified communications system  302  via unified communications endpoint  341  so that unified communications endpoint  341  can receive a unified communications call from contact center system  301 . 
     In response to agent  324  logging into contact center system  301 , contact center system  301  identifies unified communications contact information for unified communications endpoint  341  associated with agent  324  and transmits unified communications call request  402  at step  2 . Unified communications call request  402  is a request to open a unified communications connection in a protocol (e.g., SIP) supported by unified communications system  302 . Like any incoming unified communications call request, unified communications endpoint  341  notifies agent  324  of unified communications call request  402 . Agent  324  answers unified communications call request  402  at step  3  (e.g., selects an answer button displayed by unified communications endpoint  341  on agent system  304 , presses an answer button a communications headset, or otherwise indicated that they want to answer unified communications call request  402 ). In some examples, unified communications endpoint  341  may be configured to automatically answer unified communications call request from contact center system  301 . In response to agent  324  answering unified communications call request  402 , unified communications system  302  establishes a connection for unified communications call  403  at step  4  between unified communications endpoint  341  and contact center system  301 . 
     Once unified communications call  403  has been established, user communication media can be exchanged over unified communications call  403 . Even though no human is at contact center system  301  to exchange the user communications with agent  324 , contact center system  301  uses unified communications call  403  to verify agent  324  at step  5 . For example, contact center system  301  may play a greeting message over unified communications call  403  and request that agent  324  speak identifying information over unified communications call  403  (e.g., may request that agent  324  speak their passphrase, which will have been defined in contact center system  301  previously). Other manners of verifying agent  324 &#39;s identity over unified communications call  403  may instead be used. Before connecting agent  324  to a caller, contact center system  301  transmits an in-dialog SIP message  404  to unified communications endpoint  341  at step  6 . In this example, SIP message  404  directs unified communications endpoint  341  to not connect to other unified communications calls and directs unified communications endpoint  341  to not display notifications of incoming calls so as not to distract agent  324 . 
     After unified communications endpoint  341  has been configured as instructed by SIP message  404 , contact center system  301  may now direct incoming calls to unified communications endpoint  341  should agent  324  be selected. Contact center system  301  receives call request  405  from caller endpoint  311  at step  7  and establishes call  406  responsively at step  8 . Before connecting call  406  to an agent, contact center system  101  (or another system, such as an interactive voice response system) may query user  351  about their reason for calling. For example, user  351  may be a customer calling for tech support about a specific product. Contact center system  301  selects agent  324  as being the appropriate agent to handle call  406  at step  8  (e.g., agent  324  may have the proper expertise to address user  351 &#39;s tech support issue). Since unified communications call  403  has already been established with unified communications endpoint  341  of agent  324 , contact center system  301  simply bridges call  406  and unified communications call  403  to each other at step  9  to connect caller endpoint  311  and unified communications endpoint  341 . In some example, contact center system  301  may first transmit audio (e.g., a tone or voice message) to unified communications endpoint  341  over unified communications call  403  to notify agent  324  that a call is incoming. Once unified communications call  403  and call  406  are bridged, agent  324  and user  351  can speak with each other via user communications  407  exchanged between caller endpoint  311  and unified communications endpoint  341  over unified communications call  403  and call  406 . 
       FIG.  5    illustrates operational scenario  500  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. Operational scenario  500  occurs after operational scenario  400 . In operational scenario  500 , contact center system  301  determines at step  1  that call  406  has ended. For example, user  351  may hang up at caller endpoint  311  and close the connection for call  406 , agent  324  may instruct via unified communications endpoint  341  for call  406  (not unified communications call  403 ) to be ended by contact center system  301 , agent  324  may instruct through contact center endpoint  342  for call  406  to be ended by contact center system  301 , or contact center system  301  may recognize that call  406  has ended in some other manner. In this scenario, contact center system  301  continues to monitor call audio received over unified communications call  403  at step  2  even though unified communications call  403  is not bridged to a call with a caller. Contact center system  301  monitors the audio to improve the operation of contact center  316 . The audio may indicate what agent  324  is doing when not on a call (e.g., that they stay focused, that they are distracted with personal issues, that they play games, etc.), which may help contact center  316  with determining whether agent  324  requires additional training, intervention from a supervisor, or some other action. The audio may indicate a sentiment and/or mood of agent  324 , which may be used to determine whether agent  324  is in a state of mind to properly handle additional calls (e.g., contact center system  301  may wait for agent  324 &#39;s mood to change before routing another call to them). 
     Contact center system  301  receives call request  504  from caller endpoint  312  at step  3  and establishes call  505  withe caller endpoint  312  at step  4  in a similar manner to steps  7  and  8  of operational scenario  400 . In some examples, steps  3  and  4  may occur prior to call  406  ending and call  505  may be placed in a queue for an agent to come available (e.g., to wait for call  406  to end and agent  324  to be available, assuming call  505  is next in the queue). Agent  324  is selected for call  505  at step  5  in a manner similar to how contact center system  301  selected agent  324  for call  406  (e.g., agent  324  may have the expertise to handle the issue about which user  352  is calling). 
     In this example, before contact center system  301  bridges call  505  to unified communications call  403 , contact center system  301  transmits real-time audio message  501  to agent  324  as user communication media over unified communications call  403  at step  6 . Audio message  501 , when played by unified communications endpoint  341 , provides information to agent  324  about call  505 . The call information may include user  352 &#39;s name, a topic about which they are calling, helpful hints based on user  352 &#39;s history with contact center  316  (e.g., tactics that user  352  has responded well to), or any other information that may be useful to agent  324  when handling call  505 . Since unified communications system  302  provides unified communications service to contact center system  301  and unified communications endpoint  341 , a text chat channel may also be available for communicating between contact center system  301  and unified communications endpoint  341 . Call information may also, or instead, be provided to agent  324  over that channel even once call  505  has been bridged (e.g., to not interrupt a conversation between agent  324  and user  352 . 
     After audio message  501  has been completed, contact center system  301  bridges unified communications call  403  to call  505  at step  7 . Unified communications endpoint  341  and caller endpoint  312  then exchange user communications  506  over the bridged connections. Like user communications  407 , user communications  506  at least include media of user  352  and agent  324 &#39;s voices so that they can have a real-time voice conversation. Even though call  505  is a new call with contact center system  301 , since unified communications call  403  remained connected, the same unified communications call  403  is used to connect call  505  with unified communications endpoint  341  rather than contact center system  301  establishing a new unified communications connection. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates operational scenario  600  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. Operational scenario  600  occurs after operational scenario  500 . In operational scenario  600 , contact center system  301  determines that unified communications call  403  has dropped at step  1 . The dropping of unified communications call  403  may be caused by unified communications endpoint  341  having stopped executing on agent system  304  (e.g., agent  324  accidentally quits the application or the application crashes), an error on agent system  304  otherwise causes unified communications endpoint  341  to stop executing properly, software executing on contact center system  301  to support contact center system  301  operating as a unified communications endpoint may stop executing (e.g., crash), an issue may occur on the communication links between agent system  304  and unified communications system  302  or between contact center system  301  and unified communications system  302 , an issue may occur in unified communications system  302 , or some other issue may occur causing unified communications call  403  to disconnect. 
     In response to unified communications call  403  disconnecting, contact center system  301  transmits audio message  601  over call  505  at step  2  to tell caller  352  to hold. Audio message  601  may further inform caller  352  about the reason that they need to hold (i.e., that an issue occurred at contact center  316 ), may provide an estimated time for reconnect, or may provide other information that may be useful to user  352  while they wait. Also, in response to unified communications call  403  disconnecting, contact center system  301  automatically attempts to reconnect a unified communications connection to unified communications endpoint  341  by transmitting unified communications call request  602  to unified communications endpoint  341  through unified communications system  302 . Unified communications endpoint  341  notifies agent  324  about unified communications call request  602  and agent  324  answers unified communications call request  602  at step  4 . In some examples, unified communications endpoint  341  may automatically answer on behalf of agent  324 . Upon unified communications call request  602  being answered, unified communications call  603  is established through unified communications system  302  between contact center system  301  and unified communications endpoint  341 . Had agent  324  not answered unified communications call request  602 , then contact center system  301  may continue trying to reach agent  324  by periodically sending new unified communications call requests (e.g., the issue that caused unified communications call  403  to drop may still be in the process of being solved). After a given amount of time, contact center system  301  may stop trying to reestablish a unified communications call and, instead, try routing hold music  605  directly to contact center endpoint  342 , which would prevent unified communications features from being used, or may select a different agent to continue handling call  505 . 
     In this case, since unified communications call  603  was established, contact center system  301  bridges call  505  at step  6  to the newly established unified communications call  603 . User communications  506  then continue to be exchanged at step  7  over the newly bridged calls  505  and  603 . In this example, agent  324  determines that they need to place user  352  on hold. Agent  324 , therefore, selects a hold call option provided by unified communications endpoint  341  (e.g., a button in an interface displayed by unified communications endpoint  341 ). Unified communications endpoint  341  transfers hold call message  604  to unified communications system  302  at step  8  indicating that unified communications call  603  should be placed on hold and unified communications system  302  passes that information onto contact center system  301  to inform it that hold call message  604  has been placed on hold. If unified communications system  302  uses SIP, then hold call message  604  may be an in-dialog SIP message. Upon receiving hold call message  604 , contact center system  301  plays hold music  605  at step  9  to user  352  over call  505 . In some examples, hold music  605  may be triggered by contact center system  301  placing call  505  on hold to mirror the fact that unified communications call  603  is on hold. A second message may be transferred from unified communications endpoint  341  to indicate when agent  324  wishes to take the call off hold, which triggers contact center system  301  to stop hold music  605  and continue exchanging user communications  506 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates computing architecture  700  for incorporating feature sets of a unified communications system and a contact center system. Computing architecture  700  is an example computing architecture for contact center systems  101  and  301 , although systems  101  and  301  may use alternative configurations. Computing architecture  700  may also be used for other computing systems described herein, such as the described unified communications systems and endpoints. Computing architecture  700  comprises communication interface  701 , user interface  702 , and processing system  703 . Processing system  703  is linked to communication interface  701  and user interface  702 . Processing system  703  includes processing circuitry  705  and memory device  706  that stores operating software  707 . 
     Communication interface  701  comprises components that communicate over communication links, such as network cards, ports, RF transceivers, processing circuitry and software, or some other communication devices. Communication interface  701  may be configured to communicate over metallic, wireless, or optical links. Communication interface  701  may be configured to use TDM, IP, Ethernet, optical networking, wireless protocols, communication signaling, or some other communication format—including combinations thereof. 
     User interface  702  comprises components that interact with a user. User interface  702  may include a keyboard, display screen, mouse, touch pad, or some other user input/output apparatus. User interface  702  may be omitted in some examples. 
     Processing circuitry  705  comprises microprocessor and other circuitry that retrieves and executes operating software  707  from memory device  706 . Memory device  706  comprises a computer readable storage medium, such as a disk drive, flash drive, data storage circuitry, or some other memory apparatus. In no examples would a computer readable storage medium of memory device  706 , or any other computer readable storage medium herein, be considered a transitory form of signal transmission (often referred to as “signals per se”), such as a propagating electrical or electromagnetic signal or carrier wave. Operating software  707  comprises computer programs, firmware, or some other form of machine-readable processing instructions. Operating software  707  includes incorporation module  708 . Operating software  707  may further include an operating system, utilities, drivers, network interfaces, applications, or some other type of software. When executed by processing circuitry  705 , operating software  707  directs processing system  703  to operate computing architecture  700  as described herein. 
     In particular, incorporation module  708  directs processing system  703  to, in response to an agent logging into the contact center system, establish a first connection between the contact center system and a unified communications endpoint operated by the agent. The first connection is established using a unified communications system that services the unified communications endpoint. After establishing the first connection, incorporation module  708  directs processing system  703  to identify a call on a second connection between the contact center system and a second endpoint operated by a user. In response to selecting the agent to handle the call, incorporation module  708  directs processing system  703  to bridge the first connection and the second connection. 
     The descriptions and figures included herein depict specific implementations of the claimed invention(s). For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. In addition, some variations from these implementations may be appreciated that fall within the scope of the invention. It may also be appreciated that the features described above can be combined in various ways to form multiple implementations. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific implementations described above, but only by the claims and their equivalents.