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Session Communications Server Components

Session communications refers to using Communications Server components to enable contact center agents or other users to handle interactive communications work items. For example, Siebel CTI supports this capability, enabling agents to handle voice calls using the communications toolbar.

Siebel Communications Server provides an application environment to support several kinds of communications activities for Siebel application users, including session communications (such as voice calls) and inbound and outbound communications (such as email).

Key Siebel Server Components

Session communications are supported in the Siebel Server environment primarily by the following components:

• Communications Session Manager (CommSessionMgr). This server component manages interactive communications work items such as voice calls.
• Application Object Manager (AOM). This server component manages application sessions for end users who use the Siebel Web Client, including users who handle communications work items (agents). Interactive communication requests from agents typically go through AOM.
• Server Request Broker (SRBroker). This server component handles communications between the AOM and certain other Siebel Server components, including CommSessionMgr.

  For example, when a Siebel CTI agent makes a call through the communications toolbar, the request goes from AOM to CommSessionMgr by way of SRBroker.

  SRBroker is used whether CommSessionMgr runs on the same machine as the AOM, or on a different machine.

Additional Siebel Server Components

You may also be using the following Siebel Server components to manage session communications:

• Communications Configuration Manager (CommConfigMgr). Optionally, you may use this server component to cache communications configuration data.
• Communications Inbound Receiver (CommInboundRcvr). This server component receives and queues inbound work items, and queues them for processing by Communications Inbound Processor. Work items may include email messages (for Siebel Email Response), voice work items that are to be routed using Siebel Universal Queuing (for Siebel CTI), or inbound wireless messages for Siebel Wireless Messaging.
  • For nonreal-time work items, such as email messages for most deployments of Siebel Email Response, Communications Inbound Receiver queues work items it has received for further processing by Communications Inbound Processor.
  • For real-time work items, such as phone calls for Siebel CTI or email messages for some deployments of Siebel Email Response, Communications Inbound Receiver processes work items it has received. Communications Inbound Processor is not used.
• Communications Inbound Processor (CommInboundProcessor). This server component processes inbound work items that were queued by Communications Inbound Receiver.
• Communications Outbound Manager (CommOutboundMgr). This server component sends outbound email or other types of messages.

Siebel Product Module

In addition to Siebel CTI or Siebel Email Response, you may be using the following Siebel product modules for session communications:

• Siebel CTI Connect. This module consists of CTI middleware, a communications driver, and sample communications configuration data. Siebel CTI Connect is based on third-party CTI middleware—Intel NetMerge, formerly Dialogic CT Connect. For Siebel CTI Connect, consult Intel documentation provided on the Siebel Business Third-Party Bookshelf.
• Siebel Universal Queuing. This module routes communications work items to agents.
• Siebel Smart Answer. This module analyzes the content of email and search requests and returns an automatic response or suggests one or more responses to the user for approval.

Siebel Smart Answer is based on third-party products from Banter. See Siebel Smart Answer Administration Guide and consult Banter documentation provided on the Siebel Business Third-Party Bookshelf.