Multiple simultaneous session support by a remote technician using preliminary queues

An apparatus for providing technical support service for a plurality of end user devices, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a storage device, operatively connected to the processor, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive, from a remote technician, input indicating a maximum number of support sessions to be simultaneously serviced by the remote technician;
• receive a service request for an end user device of the plurality of end user devices;
• classify the service request into a category of a plurality of categories;
• add the service request to a preliminary queue of a plurality of preliminary queues, the preliminary queue corresponding to the category of the service request, each preliminary queue of the plurality of preliminary queues corresponding to one of the plurality of categories;
• determine whether processing of the service request by the remote technician would cause a number of support sessions currently serviced by the remote technician to exceed the maximum number of support sessions;
• and
• when processing of the service request by the remote technician would not cause the number of support sessions currently serviced by the remote technician to exceed the maximum number of support sessions, add the service request to a work queue associated with the remote technician and remove the service request from the preliminary queue.

A system for providing technical support service for a plurality of end user devices, the system comprising:

• a remote technician workstation operable to receive, from a remote technician, input indicating a maximum number of support sessions to be simultaneously serviced by the remote technician;
• and
• a technical support controller, operatively connected to the remote technician workstation, operable to receive the input indicating the maximum number of support sessions from the remote technician workstation, to receive a service request for an end user device of the plurality of end user devices, to classify the service request into a category of a plurality of categories, to add the service request to a preliminary queue of a plurality of preliminary queues, the preliminary queue corresponding to the category of the service request and each preliminary queue of the plurality of preliminary queues corresponding to one of the plurality of categories, the technical support controller further operable to determine whether processing of the service request by the remote technician would cause a number of support sessions currently supported by the remote technician to exceed the maximum number of support sessions and, when processing of the service request by the remote technician would not cause the number of support sessions currently supported by the remote technician to exceed the maximum number of support sessions, to add the service request to a work queue associated with the remote technician and to remove the service request from the preliminary queue.