These days, some companies seek to decentralize their call centers, so that when they temporarily have to shut down one site, they don't have to shut down all other sites, too. Other companies prefer to have one site serve as the hub for all their centers.

Whatever your company's approach to routing is, Apropos Technology's (Oakbrook Terrace, IL) Apropos Version 6.5 can accommodate it.

Apropos 6.5 gives you a choice between setting up rules to route calls and on-line messages to agents, or allowing agents to select from among interactions displayed in visual queues.

That's because the latest version of Apropos' multimedia routing software gives you the choice of establishing routing rules among different locations, or setting up rules that encompass all your sites.

Better yet, the software lets you break routing rules as necessary. You can, for example, allow agents to select calls or on-line messages they answer. Apropos Version 6.5 also allows you to change the priority for calls and on-line messages, or direct communication from customers to specific agents. If you manage a service bureau, Apropos Version 6.5 enables you to partition routing rules and queues for each client.

The software presents agents with visual queues of calls and on-line correspondence that you either send to agents, or allow agents to answer as they choose. Apropos Version 6.5 lets you determine for agents and supervisors which queues and reports they have access to. In addition, the software includes an onscreen phone so that agents can handle calls with or instead of phone sets.

Pricing for Apropos 6.5 starts at $60,000 per server and $2,000 per concurrent user, whether the user is an agent or a supervisor.

877-277-6767/630-472-9600, www.apropos.com