System for providing remote expertise

Abstract

Expertise, such as foreign language interpretation, is delivered to requestors by an expertise-provisioning system that brokers requests between the requestors and experts affiliated with virtual call centers.

1 . A method for use in a expertise-provisioning system, the method comprising
 enabling a requestor who has accessed the expertise-provisioning system to be put in electronic communication with an expert who has a particular expertise specified by the requestor and who also meets at least one other criterion specified by, or specified on behalf of, the requestor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one other criterion is that the expert is to have a second particular expertise. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one other criterion is that the expert is to have a particular professional certification or licensure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one other criterion is that the expert is to have a particular personal characteristic. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the particular personal characteristic is the gender of the expert. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the requestor is authorized to access the expertise-provisioning system by a particular system client of the expertise-provisioning system,
 and wherein the at least one other criterion is a criterion that was previously specified to the expertise-provisioning system by the system client. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the expertise-provisioning system enables the requestor to access the expertise-provisioning system in response to the requestor presenting to the expertise-provisioning system credentials identifying the requestor as being affiliated with the particular system client. 
     
     
         8 . A method for use in a expertise-provisioning system, the method comprising
 receiving a request made by a requestor who has accessed the system, to be in electronic communication with an expert having a particular expertise, and   responding to the request by enabling the requestor to communicate with a particular expert from among a plurality of experts having said particular expertise,   wherein the particular expert is affiliated with at least one of two or more sources of expertise previously specified by, or previously specified on behalf of, the requestor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein at least two of the sources of expertise are under separate governance from one another. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the sources of expertise is a virtual call center. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9   wherein the requestor is authorized to access the expertise-provisioning system by a particular system client of the expertise-provisioning system,   and wherein at least one of the sources of expertise is an expertise vendor that has arranged with the system client to have experts of the expertise vendor included in the plurality of experts.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9   wherein the requestor is authorized to access the expertise-provisioning system by a particular system client of the expertise-provisioning system,   and wherein at least one of the sources of expertise is an in-house virtual call center comprising one or more experts employed by, or affiliated with, the particular system client.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the sources of expertise is a third-party call center that communicates with the expertise-provisioning system on behalf of the third-party call center's experts. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9   wherein the expertise-provisioning system enables available ones the experts communicate directly with the expertise-provisioning system to indicate a present availability to accept requests for their expertise from the expertise-provisioning system, and   wherein the expertise-provisioning system communicates directly with available ones of the experts to notify them of a pending request for which they have been identified as potential suppliers of the particular expertise.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14   wherein the expertise-provisioning system enables the notified experts to indicate acceptance of the pending request,   and wherein the expertise-provisioning system enables the requestor to communicate with an individual one of the experts who has accepted the request.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said communicating directly with available ones of the experts comprises notifying available experts who are affiliated with particular ones of the sources of expertise of the pending request, the particular sources of expertise being identified in accordance with one or more predefined criteria. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16   wherein the requestor is authorized to access the expertise-provisioning system by a particular system client of the expertise-provisioning system, and   wherein at least one of the predefined criteria is a matching rule specified by the system client.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said communicating directly with available ones of the experts includes the steps of
 notifying available experts affiliated with a first source of expertise of the pending request, and 
 notifying available experts affiliated with a second source of expertise of the pending request if the expertise-provisioning system has not received an acceptance of the request from an expert of said first source of expertise within a predetermined time. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9  wherein
 a proprietor of the expertise-provisioning system enables each of a plurality of system clients of the expertise-provisioning system to authorize particular individuals to access the expertise-provisioning system in exchange for financial consideration from said each system client, and 
 an expertise vendor enables at least ones of its experts to be available to accept requests from said particular individuals in exchange for financial consideration from said particular system client. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein
 the proprietor of the expertise-provisioning system enables each of a plurality of system clients of the expertise-provisioning system to authorize particular individuals to access the expertise-provisioning system without receiving financial consideration from said expertise vendor, and 
 said expertise vendor enables at least ones of its experts to be available to accept requests from said particular individuals without receiving financial consideration from the proprietor of the expertise-provisioning system. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 9  wherein
 the requestor is authorized to access the expertise-provisioning system by a particular system client of the expertise-provisioning system, 
 and wherein the two or more sources of expertise are specified by the system client. 
 
     
     
         22 . A method for use in a expertise-provisioning system, the method comprising
 receiving a request from a requestor to establish an electronic communication session with an expert having a particular expertise specified by the requestor,   causing the requester to be presented with a) at least two options for the electronic communication session, and b) for each option, a respective estimated wait time for the electronic communication session to begin,   receiving from the requestor an indication of one of the options, and   enabling the electronic communication session to be established in accordance with the indicated option.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein one of the options for the electronic communication session is a video session and another one of the options for the electronic communication session is an audio session.