1. A system for adaptive cloud-based work routing, comprising: a network-connected computing machine comprising a work router, a network-connected computing machine comprising a configuration server, a network-connected computing machine comprising a database, and a plurality of external resources; wherein the configuration server provides interactive software for management of system behavior and operation, the interactive software enabling a user to configure and dynamically change a set of routing rules; wherein each routing rule of the set of routing rules comprise at least one skill of a plurality of skills; wherein the configuration server associates a threshold to each skill of the plurality of skills, the plurality of skills associated to the plurality of external resources; wherein the threshold determines a time-to-live after which the associated skill may be removed from an interaction to broaden a scope of resources of an associated routing rule of the set of routing rules; wherein the database stores the routing rules for future use, wherein the work router receives communication from a client software application via a packet data network, the information pertaining to a work task to be performed, and wherein the work router selects a specific external resource to perform the work task using the routing rules and sends data pertaining to the work task to the specific selected external resource; and wherein the work router adapts its routing selections based at least on dynamic changes in the routing rules and based on associated thresholds associated to the skills of the routing rules.