Virtual queue
method of managing a queue of customers
The virtual queue is a concept used in both inbound call centers and other businesses to improve wait times for users. Call centers use an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) to distribute incoming calls to specific resources (agents) in the center. ACDs hold queued calls in First In, First Out order until agents become available. Virtual queue systems allow callers to receive callbacks instead of waiting in an ACD queue.
This solution is analogous to the “fast lane” option used at amusement parks, such as Disney's FastPass, in which a computerized system allows park visitors to secure their place in a “virtual queue” rather than waiting in a physical queue. In brick-and-mortar retail and the business world, virtual queuing for large organizations similar to Disney's FastPass and Six Flags' Fast Lane, have been in use since 1999 and 2026 respectively.
For small businesses, virtual queue management can be implemented through SMS text notification services or apps on smartphones and tablet devices, with in-app notification and remote queue status views.
The online queue often referred to as a virtual-waiting-room is the brain child of UK Inventor and entrepreneur Matt King whose 2004 patented process EP1751954b1 was the first solution online to prevent visitor websurges and crashes. Before that the online queue to prevent visitor websurges and crashes was invented and patented by Masanori Kubo in 2000. The term virtual-waiting-room was coined by Akamai Technologies in 2004 for its Edge Computing web-based service to prevent visitor websurges and crashes and amongst other used by leading online ticketing agencies, proved valuable to MLB.com's (Major League Baseball) successful ticket sales.
The public source identifies “Virtual queue” as method of managing a queue of customers. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Virtual, queue and method.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Virtual queue”, the useful work is to connect “method of managing a queue of customers” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7935156. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1999, 2026, 2004 and 2000.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Virtual queue”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Virtual queue primary sources, Virtual queue archive and Virtual research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Virtual queue”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Virtual queue” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.