See Also
Topic Last Modified: 2010-07-08
The Response Group application enables you to route and queue incoming calls to designated persons for special purposes, such as customer service, an internal help desk, or general telephone support for a department.
The following Response Group application features are new in Microsoft Communications Server 2010.
- Anonymous calls
When a response group is so configured, agents can accept incoming and make outgoing calls on behalf of the response group without revealing their identity. When a call is anonymous, callers cannot call agents directly unless the agent expressly offers a direct number. While in an anonymous call, agents can see that their calls are anonymous, put the call on hold, make both blind and consultative transfers, and park and retrieve the call. Anonymous calls cannot start with instant messaging (IM) or video, although the agent or the caller can add IM and video after the call is established.
Anonymous calls do not support conferencing, application sharing and desktop sharing, file transfer, whiteboarding and data collaboration, or call recording.
- Attendant routing method
With this new routing method, all agents who are signed into Communications Server 2010 and the Response Group application are called at the same time for every incoming call, regardless of their current presence. This routing method allows Microsoft Communications Server 2010 Attendant users who are configured as agents to see all the calls that are waiting and answer waiting calls in any order. When a call is answered, the other Microsoft Communications Server 2010 Attendant users no longer see the call.
- Integrated manageability
In Communications Server 2010, Response Group manageability is integrated with Communications Server 2010 manageability: Communications Server Management Shell cmdlets support all Response Group management tasks, and Communications Server Control Panel supports common Response Group management tasks.
- Caller experience improvements
In Communications Server 2010, Response Group supports more flexible IVR configurations and prompts, such as for invalid or no response to IVR questions and messages before music on hold or queue timeouts.
- Web service
In Communications Server 2010, Response Group provides a more robust Web service that supports customized agent consoles. You can use the Web service to retrieve information about agents, agent group membership, agent sign-in status, call status for groups, and the response groups that support anonymous calls.
