Cross channel identification in electronic commerce environments

A computerized method for providing context information, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from an end user computer from a web page during a web session that an end user desires to place a call, the request received at a first server;
• in response to the receiving, dynamically allocating a first PSTN telephone number from a pool of PSTN telephone numbers, the first PSTN telephone number being usable for placing a PSTN phone call;
• associating the first PSTN telephone number with a web session identifier for the web session and the web page;
• transmitting, in response to the request, the first PSTN telephone number to the end user computer for display to the end user associated with the end user computer during the web session;
• receiving an incoming PSTN phone call corresponding to the first PSTN telephone number from the end user;
• connecting the incoming PSTN phone call to an outgoing PSTN phone call to a second person, wherein the connecting comprises determining a second PSTN telephone number associated with the second person, generating an outbound call to the second PSTN telephone number, and bridging the incoming PSTN phone call to the outbound call;
• determining the web session identifier and the web page associated with the first PSTN telephone number, wherein the determining the second PSTN telephone number is based at least in part on a direct inward dialing of the incoming PSTN phone call;
• and
• transmitting context information corresponding to the end user to a second computer associated with the second person and enabling co-browsing between the end user computer and the second computer after determining the second PSTN telephone number;
• wherein the second PSTN telephone number is determined after the first PSTN telephone number is displayed to the user during the web session and after the incoming PSTN phone call is received.

A system for providing context information to a call center, the system comprising:

• a PSTN call switching device connectable to the PSTN;
• and a server connected to the PSTN call switching device;
• wherein the server is configured to perform the steps of dynamically selecting a first PSTN telephone number from among a pool of available telephone numbers in response to receiving a request from an end user computer from a web page during a web session that an end user desires to place a call;
• associating the first PSTN telephone number with a web session identifier for the web session and the web page;
• transmitting the first PSTN telephone number for display on the end user computer associated with the end user during the web session;
• receiving context information corresponding to the end user computer;
• receiving a notification of an incoming phone call corresponding to the first PSTN telephone number on the PSTN call switching device;
• directing the PSTN call switching device to connect the incoming phone call to an outgoing call to a call center, wherein the directing comprises determining a second PSTN telephone number associated with the call center, generating an outbound call to the second PSTN telephone number, and bridging the incoming PSTN phone call to the outbound call;
• and
• providing the context information to a second computer associated with the call center and enabling co-browsing between the end user computer and the second computer after determining the second PSTN telephone number;
• wherein the second PSTN telephone number is determined after the first PSTN telephone number is displayed to the user during the web session and after the incoming phone call is received.