Patent ID: 7170990

Claim:
A method for assigning agents to tasks in a contact center, comprising: determining at a first channel server associated with a first communication medium comprising a first channel a need for an agent, wherein said contact center includes at least said first channel server and a second channel server associated with a second communication medium comprising a second channel; in response to said step of determining at a first channel a need for an agent, querying by said first channel server associated with said first channel a central agent control block to determine which of said at least first and second channels a first agent is qualified for; in response to determining that said first agent is qualified for said first channel, determining whether said central agent control block contains an indication that said agent is set to transition to one of said channels; in response to determining that no transition to a channel is set for said first agent, setting in said central agent control block a transition field value of said first agent maintained in said central agent control block equal to said first channel; detecting in a first workstation associated with said first agent that said transition field value is set equal to said first channel; completing tasks pending with respect to said first workstation; and assigning work from said first channel to said first agent.