asterisk users - May 2006 - Running applications when a queued call is answered

Hello,

I'm experimenting with Asterisk for possible use in a call center.
I'm trying to figure out how to run applications when an agent answers
a call in the queue.  I see that the queue itself supports a very
limited range of applications; for example, I can give a URL to the
Queue() application to SendURL(), or an announcement to read to the
agent.  I'd like to do some slightly more sophisticated things, like
run an external application with System().

When I was using normal extensions and routing the call to one person,
I could do something like this:

    exten => 3772,1,Ringing()
    exten => 3772,2,System(/home/sgifford/ircsay sgifford "Call for
${EXTEN} at ${DATETIME}")
    exten => 3772,3,Wait(2)
    exten => 3772,4,Dial(SIP/sgifford)

to run an external application and wait 2 seconds while the caller
still heard ringing.  Is there a way to do something similar when a
queued call is delivered?  Maybe with AGI?

I've seen some recommendations to tail the logfile, but that seems
kludgey...

I'm currently using the "1.0.7-BRIstuffed-0.2.0-RC7k" Asterisk
package
included with Debian 3.1 (Sarge), but I'd be happy to upgrade to a
newer version if that would help.

Thanks for any tips or ideas!

----Scott.

Use the Local channel and add the agents using that IE:

Member Local/3772@extensions-context

Snip
> Hello,
> 
> I'm experimenting with Asterisk for possible use in a call center.
> I'm trying to figure out how to run applications when an agent answers
> a call in the queue.  I see that the queue itself supports a very
> limited range of applications; for example, I can give a URL to the
> Queue() application to SendURL(), or an announcement to read to the
> agent.  I'd like to do some slightly more sophisticated things, like
> run an external application with System().
> 
> When I was using normal extensions and routing the call to one person,
> I could do something like this:
> 
>     exten => 3772,1,Ringing()
>     exten => 3772,2,System(/home/sgifford/ircsay sgifford "Call for
> ${EXTEN} at ${DATETIME}")
>     exten => 3772,3,Wait(2)
>     exten => 3772,4,Dial(SIP/sgifford)
> 
> to run an external application and wait 2 seconds while the caller
> still heard ringing.  Is there a way to do something similar when a
> queued call is delivered?  Maybe with AGI?
> 
> I've seen some recommendations to tail the logfile, but that seems
> kludgey...
> 
> I'm currently using the "1.0.7-BRIstuffed-0.2.0-RC7k"
Asterisk package
> included with Debian 3.1 (Sarge), but I'd be happy to upgrade to a
> newer version if that would help.
> 
Snip