Call hold manager system and method

A communications system, comprising:

• a communications module operable to establish a first communication channel coupling a first terminal unit and a device, in response to a first request from the device;
• the communications module operable to establish a second communication channel coupling a second terminal unit and the device, in response to a second request from the device;
• a proxy system coupled with the communications module;
• the proxy system operable to receive the first request from the device, and create a first proxy agent if the first terminal unit is unavailable;
• the first proxy agent operable to maintain a first position in a queueing system for the device until the first terminal unit becomes available;
• the proxy system operable to receive the second request from the device while the first proxy agent is maintained in the queueing system, and create a second proxy agent if the second terminal is unavailable;
• and
• the second proxy agent operable to maintain a second position in the queueing system for the device until the second terminal unit becomes available.

A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program operable to:

• receive a first request from a device for a connection to a first terminal unit;
• generate a first proxy agent if the first terminal unit is unavailable;
• queue the first proxy agent to maintain a first position in a first queue for the device, while the first terminal unit is unavailable;
• notify the device when the first terminal unit will become available;
• receive a second request from the device for a connection to a second terminal unit while the first proxy agent is maintained in the first queue;
• generate a second proxy agent if the second terminal unit is unavailable;
• queue the second proxy agent to maintain a second position in a second queue for the device while the second terminal unit is unavailable;
• and
• notify the device when the second terminal unit will become available.

A system for managing network communications, comprising:

• means for receiving at a proxy system a first request from a calling party for a connection to a first called party;
• means for generating a first proxy agent for a calling party if the first called party is unavailable;
• means for maintaining the first proxy agent in a first queue in place of the calling party to allow disconnection of the calling party;
• means for notifying the calling party when the first called party is available and the first proxy agent occupies the highest priority in the first queues;
• means for receiving at a proxy system a second request from the calling party for a connection to a second called party while the first proxy agent is maintained in the first queue;
• means for generating a second proxy agent for the calling party if the second called party is unavailable;
• means for maintaining the second proxy agent in a second queue in place of the calling party to allow disconnection of the calling party;
• means for notifying the calling party when the second called party is available and the second proxy agent occupies the highest priority in the second queue.