CosmoCom’s CosmoCall is completely different from the other help-desk solutions in this review because it incorporates Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) into its Windows NT Server service. The ACD support does not handle calls coming in through a PBX. Instead, it handles calls coming in over the Internet or an intranet from clients equipped with either Microsoft NetMeeting or Netscape’s Conference application.

CosmoCom also offers a 289K support application, which can be downloaded from its Web site. This only needs to be installed once and works with the conferencing support to provide coordinated audio- and data-conferencing through the CosmoCall server.

CosmoCall’s audio works as well as third-party Internet-telephone software. Calls are initiated through a Web server which in turn directs the requests to the CosmoCall server.

The CosmoCall server then locates an active help-desk person running the CosmoCall agent software and a session begins. Tracking is automatic and calls can be handed off from one agent to another.

The architecture lends itself to a distributed help desk. If the server is on the Internet, then help-desk agents can be located anywhere in the world. The system is ideal for telecommuters. It can also be used as a sales tool or in any environment that needs interaction over the Internet or an intranet.

CosmoCom gives away CosmoCall Lite, which is a fully functional, three-active-agent system. There is no tech support for the Lite version, although updates and documentation are available on their Web site. The Lite version can be downloaded from the same site. Tech support is provided when you buy the product, and you get additional agents.