A network of contact centres is managed by a network management server which allows contact centres (which may be independently run from one another) to register over the Internet or an intranet. Contacts received at a contact centre which is overly busy can be transferred to a different contact centre based on a determination made by the network management unit as to the most suitable agent in the network of contact centres. The network management unit receives events messages from the various contact centres as events occur which impact on the availability of individual agents. In this way, a dynamically updated database at the network management unit can determine the most suitable agent to which a contact should be transferred. The system allows independent contact centres to act as part of a larger network of contact centres without reducing the ability of a given centre to receive and handle contacts independently of one another.