Unified channel management

Abstract

A transaction for a customer is detected and transaction details are evaluated to obtain a federated customer profile that may span multiple channel communications. Policy conditions are evaluated to track and interact with the customer in a vendor-defined manner during the transaction. According to an embodiment, the transaction details, the customer profile, the tracked information, and other recorded interactions with the customer are accessible to the vendor for analysis, via a vendor interface.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 redirecting, by a processor, details for a transaction or actions being performed by a user from a first channel to a second channel while the transaction or actions continue to be processed on the first channel;   generating, by the processor, a context associated with the user and the transaction or actions using the details;   selecting, by the processor, a backend system from a plurality of backend systems based on the context and an aggregated profile associated with the user; and   linking, by the processor, the backend system to the first channel and the user's transaction or the user's actions over the second channel.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating further includes obtaining from the details a location of the user and an activity that the user is engaged in over the first channel and generating the context based on the location and the activity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein generating further includes identifying the details as being associated with a transaction activity of the user who is engaged in the transaction on the first channel, obtaining a state of the transaction and transaction details for the transaction, and generating the context based on the state, the transaction details, the transaction activity, the location, and the first channel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein generating further includes identifying the details as being associated with a web-based activity of the user who is performing the actions over a browser-based interface, obtaining from the details a website associated with the browser-based interface and searches performed by the user on the website, and generating the context based on the website, the searches, the location, and the first channel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein generating further includes identifying the details as being associated with a call center activity of the user who is performing the actions over a voice call, obtaining from the details the call center, and generating the context based on the call center, the location, and the first channel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, maintaining, by the processor, metrics associated with a session between the backend system and the user after the linking. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein redirecting further includes transparently redirecting the details from the first channel to the second channel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein linking further includes providing a unified interface to the backend system of the second channel and the user on the first channel to interact in a session during an activity of the user associated the transaction or the actions. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein providing further includes processing an order placed by the user through the unified interface with the backend system during the session. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein processing further includes processing a payment made by the user for the order through the unified interface with the backend system during the session. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein processing further includes processing a payment made by the user for the order through the unified interface with an external payment system associated with the backend system during the session. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 maintaining, by a processor, an aggregated profile for a user for activities that the user has engaged in over a plurality of channels;   identifying, by the processor, an activity of the user is currently engaged in over a first channel;   obtaining, by the processor, activity details for the activity;   generating, by the processor, a context for the activity based on the activity details;   selecting, by the processor, a backend system based on the activity and the activity details; and   linking, by the processor, the backend system from a second channel associated with the backend system to the activity and the user on the first channel.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying further includes identifying the activity as a transaction being processed on a terminal or on a user device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying further includes identifying the activity as a website that the user is browsing through a browser of a user device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying further includes identifying the activity as a game being played by the user via a gaming device or a user device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying further includes identifying the activity as being associated with the user watching television. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying further includes identifying the activity as being associated with the user engaged with a call center. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein linking further includes proxying a session between the user on the first channel and the backend system on the second channel during the activity of the user on the first channel. 
     
     
         20 . A system, comprising:
 a first device associated with an activity of the user on a first channel;   a second device associated with a backend system on a second channel; and   a server that comprises a processor configured to perform operations comprising:
 identifying the activity of the user on the first device over the first channel; 
 generating a context for the activity of the user based on details associated with the activity on the first channel; 
 selecting the backend system from a plurality of backend systems based on the context and an aggregated profile maintained for the user for other activities of the user over the first channel and third channels; and 
 proxying a session between the backend system on the second channel and the user on the first channel during the activity of the user on the first channel. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the first device is a self-service terminal or a point-of-sale terminal and the activity is a transaction that the user is currently engaged in.