Multicast media notification for queued calls

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface unit configured to enable network communications with a plurality of endpoints;
• a plurality of unicast media encoders each configured to output media to an endpoint;
• a multicast media encoder configured to output a multicast media notification to one or more endpoints;
• a controller coupled to the network interface unit, the plurality of unicast media encoders and the multicast media encoder, wherein the controller is configured to:
• determine whether any one of the plurality of unicast media encoders is available upon receiving a communication session request from a particular endpoint;
• when it is determined that none of the plurality of unicast media encoders is available, connect the particular endpoint to the multicast media encoder to present the multicast media notification to the particular endpoint;
• and
• control the multicast media encoder to output a video keyframe associated with the multicast media notification and synchronized to a starting point of an audio portion of the multicast media notification.

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

• determine whether any one of a plurality of unicast media encoders is available for a communication session request received at a call control device from an endpoint;
• when it is determined that none of the plurality of unicast media encoders is available, connect the endpoint to a multicast media encoder in the call control device, the multicast media encoder being configured to generate a multicast media notification for presentation to the endpoint;
• and
• output from the multicast media encoder a video keyframe associated with the multicast media notification synchronized with a starting point of an audio portion of the multicast media notification.