Patent ID: 7570606

Claim:
A method of managing a communications system of the type wherein a plurality of participants are in communication with the system and wherein individual participants can be placed in contact with one another, said method comprising the steps of: a) assigning to each of a plurality of participants an agent profile according to which contact requests may be assigned to said participant in the capacity of an agent; b) receiving, from a first of said plurality of participants, a contact request having details according to which a match can be made with said agent profiles; c) placing said contact request in a queue of contact requests based on the content of the contact request; d) determining a match between said contact request and a second of said plurality of participants different to the first participant by assigning the contact requests in said queue among a set of participants whose agent profiles are matched with said contact requests of said queue, whereby said second participant is selected from said set; and e) offering to said second participant the opportunity to respond to said contact request.