Indianapolis-based Interactive Intelligence's new version of its multi-site call routing software, Interaction Director, has "generic object routing," which, according to Yankee Group's Ken Landoline, "Marks a breakthrough by extending network-based, multi-site call routing to nearly any type of work request imaginable."

Landoline continues: "This unique generic object routing across sites is yet another step in the trend we're seeing toward the increasing interest in remote agent support, the blending of internal and external workforces, and overall multi-site performance optimization."

Interactive Intelligence's Joseph A. Staples says the company's customers gave them the idea: "We already had a large number of customers using our contact center automation software's remote agent and supervisory features, so based on their feedback, the logical next step for us was to create even more effective add-on options for the virtual contact center."

The seven year-old Interaction Director system was first released as a network-based pre- and post-call routing product designed to work with the company's contact center automation software, Customer Interaction Center (CIC). Interaction Director is designed to improve operational efficiencies by distributing calls evenly across call center sites based on real-time agent availability information, skill-sets, and other pre-configured rules.