Multi-protocol agent telephone system

A method for providing communication paths for an incoming call from an external switch to an agent telephone system through an automatic call distributor, the automatic call distributor coupled to the external switch and the agent telephone system, the automatic call distributor configured to route the incoming telephone call from the external switch to the agent telephone system over one of a plurality of communication networks connected between the automatic call distributor and the agent telephone system, each communication network having a corresponding network interface and utilizing different communication protocols, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the agent telephone system with a microprocessor, and operatively coupling the microprocessor to a memory;
• providing the agent telephone system with at least one transducer configured to transmit and receive audio information, and operatively coupling the at least one transducer to the microprocessor through a conversion device;
• providing the agent telephone system with a switch multiplexer and operatively coupling the switch multiplexer to the microprocessor, the switch multiplexer having a plurality of input lines and the plurality of input lines having a plurality of network interfaces, each of the plurality of network interfaces also connects to one of the plurality of communication networks;
• controlling, by the microprocessor, selection of one of the plurality of input lines of the switch multiplexer, so as to establish communication between a caller of the incoming telephone call from the external switch and an agent of the agent telephone system through the automatic call distributor over one of the plurality of communication networks;
• establishing, by the agent telephone system, communication between the caller and the agent over a first communication network of the plurality of communication networks;
• and
• detecting. by the agent telephone system, a failure of the first communication network, said failure causing disconnection of the incoming telephone call between the agent telephone system and the automatic call distributor resulting in a partially disconnected call, and
• issuing, by the microprocessor. a control signal, in response to the disconnection, to the switch multiplexer to route the partially disconnected call through a second communication network of the plurality of communication networks so as to reestablish communication between the caller and the agent, the first and second communication network utilizing different communication protocol.