System and method for establishing a plurality of collaboration connections between a customer and a seller

An apparatus for establishing a plurality of collaboration connections between a customer and a seller, wherein each of the collaboration connections uses a different media for communications between the customer and the seller, comprising:

• a web server that presents, on a web page associated with the seller, an option for the customer to initiate contact with a representative of the seller;
• wherein the web server receives a signal indicating that the customer viewing the web page has opted to initiate contact with a representative of the seller, the signal including a network address and a telephone number of the customer;
• a telephony controller, coupled to the web server, that establishes, in response to receipt of the signal at the web server, a voice connection between the representative of the seller and the customer, the voice connection being established by dialing from a telephone coupled to the web server of the seller, the telephone number of the customer;
• wherein the web server establishes, in response to receipt of the signal at the web server, an interactive connection between the representative of the seller and the customer over a computer network using an applet that has been downloaded to a computer at the network address of the customer, the applet enabling the representative of the seller and the customer to simultaneously interact with a commonly accessible web page;
• and
• wherein the web server and telephony controller maintain voice connection and the interactive connection simultaneously during a time period after the voice connection and interactive connection are established so as to permit at least two different media to be used for collaborations between the representative of the seller and the customer after the voice connection and interactive connection have been established.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for establishing a plurality of collaboration connections between a customer and a seller, wherein each of the collaboration connections uses a different media for communications between the customer and the seller, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• present, on a web page associated with the seller, an option for the customer to initiate contact with a representative of the seller;
• receive, at a web server of the seller, a signal indicating that the customer viewing the web page has opted to initiate contact with the representative of the seller, and a network address and a telephone number of the customer;
• establish, in response to receipt of the signal at the web server, a voice connection between the representative of the seller and the customer by dialing, from a telephone coupled to the web server of the seller, the telephone number of the customer;
• establish, in response to receipt of the signal at the web server, an interactive connection between the representative of the seller and the customer over a computer network using an applet that has been downloaded to a computer at the network address of the customer, wherein the applet enables the representative of the seller and the customer to simultaneously interact with a commonly accessible web page;
• maintain the voice connection and the interactive connection simultaneously during a time period after the voice connection and interactive connection are established;
• and
• wherein the representative of the seller and the customer collaborate using at least two different media after the voice connection and interactive connection are established.