Gateways

Gateways can integrate your public IM identity on AIM or a XMPP/Jabber-based service. A gateway'd IM identity comes online and goes offline based on the presence or absence of users assigned to its queue.

Using gateways, multiple operators can monitor your public IM accounts without disconnecting each other. Guest IMs can be transferred just like regular web chats. Just like with other chats originating from a queue, if more than one operator is online for the queue, they will all receive the IM, but only the first to send a message to the guest will become connected with the guest.

Jabber/XMPP identities require a domain. Example: mylibrary@myxmppserver.org. Email us at support@libraryh3lp.com if a newly-added Jabber gateway will not come online.

If your queue was online when you added a Gateway, you will need to toggle the online/offline status of your queue in order for the IM identities to appear online. An easy way to do this is to temporarily remove any online operators from the queue and then add them back. The queue must briefly go offline and then immediately return online. This is only necessary the first time you bring up a gateway.

Do not delete gateways from a queue that is online. Take the queue offline first.

Once you have added a public IM identity using a gateway, your operators should no longer sign into the public account with native username and password. The public identity will come online when operators assigned to the IM gateway's queue come online.

Your public IM identity's appearance to your guests will not change when using gateways. Your IM service will still show up in their buddy list. However, your guests will not show up in your operator's buddy lists unless they start an IM session. This is because the buddies belong to the queue, not the individual staffing operator.

Repeat IM guests

Repeat IM guests have consistent identities. This means that you can identify them in the reporting interface.