Call Queueing

I have a Cisco 2911 w/ CUCM 7.1 that I’m using as an internal PBX right now. I use Exchange 2007 as my voicemail server.

I want to utilize FreePBX for call queueing on one group. Is it possible? Of course, I have no knowledge of this configuration at all. I see the paid support options and am willing to go that route, but I want to know the feasibility of doing this first.

Right now the calls for member support (the group I want to queue) go like this:

PRI > 2911 > Exchange AutoAttendant > Cisco Broadcast Group in CUCM 7.1 (all handsets in group) > either answer (or) no answer then > Exchange VM box for that group

what I’d like is:

PRI > 2911 > Exchange AutoAttendant > FreePBX Call Queue > either answer (or) wait in queue with on hold message (or) optionally go to Exchange VM box for that group if they do not want to wait on hold any longer.

What is the complexity of what I’m trying to do? Are there better suggestions (please not UCCE/X)? I have the FPBX Distro up and running on a virtual box. Thanks for the input.

The problem with your design is FreePBX won’t have agent status. It won’t know when to send a call to the agents or how to weight the calls.

That’s just what I’d like, not how it has to be. How could I make it work. I’m open to suggestions.

That said, why not? I’m creating the queue in FPBX. The only time there’s handoff back is if they opt to leave a message. Can’t I have the agents log in through the web portal?

I would be keen on letting FBPX control this queue of phones, however they are all Cisco 79xx phones, which from reading other threads aren’t easily provisioned using FPBX.

The Asterisk queue modules needs to have tight extension status. You could setup a bunch of “forward” custom extensions to send the calls to CUCM or CME (not sure the one you have).

The 79xx series phones are not hard to provision, the endpoint manager supports them.

I think you can be alright with this with a couple of different options.

  • You will need to build a SIP trunk from Call Manager to Asterisk.

  • From the Call Manager IVR route the call to Asterisk for that option.

  • On Asterisk set up your context and Inbound Routes to drop the calls to the Queue(s).

  • Then if the 79xx phones are only for Agents, I would register them to Asterisk and have then Dynamically join the queue(s) they are supposed to handle calls for.

  • If there is a reason to have Call Manager handle the 79XX phones then have then Dial a SIP extension / route to the Asterisk box to Dynamically log in the Queue(s).

If the Call drops out of the Queue(s) route it out the SIP trunk to the Voice Mail on Call Manager.

NOTE: Very important that regardless of who has the Phones that they not have call handling features like CF/FWB/DND active while in a Queue so that the queue maintains the active state of the call.

Here is a Search to help –
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Asterisk+External+Call+Queueu+Agents+site%3Avoip-info.org