Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Right Conference Calling Company



What is a conference Call?

A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party requests to have more than one called party listen into the  call. The conference calls may be intended to allow the called party to contribute during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party only listens into the call and cannot speak.

This facility is one of the many innovations which allows small businesses to use three-way calling (another phrase for conference calling), to speak with their customers and consultants at one time.  This technology allows the small business owner to save money on state to state and international travelling for business meetings.

There are many conference calling companies currently in the market which allows for a person in Barbados to speak with and see someone in New Zealand and France without travelling to different continents to have business meetings.  With recent developments, it is now a normal practice to have not only conference calls, but also have those calls recorded and played back. 

New services include live call screen, which allows for one person to be the moderator, a facility called  conference/green room facility where  persons attending the conference call can have private discussions before starting the conference; and lecture mode which allows all participants to be muted.

Web conferencing which allows participants to share Presentations, text chat or host a poll can also be performed on these calls given that your package with your conference calling company provides for this.

Choosing a Conference Calling Company

Choosing the right conference calling company is solely dependent on your company’s requirements.  What type of conferencing you need?

Audio Conferencing?
Video Conferencing?
Web Conferencing?


You need to determine this so that you get the right package.  In addition, there are several facilities which will enhance your conference calling experience.  However, the best way to choose a conference calling company is to shop around and the find package that best suits your needs and your budget.

There are a number of questions which you will need to ask your provider so that you are provided with the right package, some of these are:

1. How prompt are your support services?
2. Can you handle every type of conference call?
3. What are your guarantees as it relates to line capacity?
4. Do you have moderator controls?
5. Are there additional fees?
6. What are the features and benefits of the service and do they cost extra?
7. Does your system use VOIP?

Of course there are many other questions which you will ask given your specific needs for the conference calling facility.

Conference calling companies save you a lot of money which would normally be spent on travel around the world; you would therefore can to choose a company which would ensure that you have the facilities to suit your needs.  If you do not remember anything else, remember that it is more important to choose the option that best meets your needs rather than choosing a solution that provides you with more than you need.