Overview
In this world of business, people may find it
difficult to coordinate meetings with their busy schedules. Phenomenal
changes in technology have made it possible for businesses to hold a
meeting with just a phone call. This is called teleconference
technology. In a conference call, you have multiple callers on the same
line. When one person says something, it is transmitted to everyone else
participating in the call. However, there is a limit on the number of
people talking at a time.
How it Works
Conference calls can be divided into audio conferencing calls, video
conferencing calls and web conferencing calls. You can choose whatever
meets the needs of your business. Conference calls may also include a
number of individuals in the same room communicating with multiple
individuals located in another room. A speakerphone is most commonly
used for such a conference call. Conference calls also incorporate
communication between multiple individuals in multiple different
locations using a feature like "three way calling."
Most phone companies provide plans for conferencing calling. In
addition to the phone service provider, there are also companies which
provide the service over the phone. Most of these teleconferencing
companies can provide internet based services as well. The plans that
are available will not cost you until you start using the service.
Benefits
Conference calls do not require the purchase of any additional
equipment. Teleconferencing is usually handled by the phone company, and
so anyone who has a telephone can avail the benefits of this
technology. Conference calls enable the management to control personnel
located at a far distance. It saves them a lot of time and money on
business travel. They can conduct meeting through teleconferencing and
keep a tab on what is going on in different locations. When multiple
parties at different locations need to interact and meet to keep
everyone on track, teleconferencing technology is the way to go.
Costs
The costs of conference calls vary with the length of the call,
number of users, and the phone provider. Calls are usually charged by
the number of minutes spoken. A conference call lasting from 30 minutes
to an hour can cost anything from $50 to $150. The major portion of the
cost depends on the length. Calls are mostly charged by the minute and
not the number of users. It hardly makes a difference whether nine
members participate or 10. Some phone providers give monthly rates or
yearly rates which cover certain levels of usage. Services such as
online audio conferencing and using computers and voice over IP are
also, available.
Timing
Initiating a conference call is very useful when more than two
callers want to brainstorm and go over new data to assign tasks for the
company. You can perform conference calls at any time during business
hours.
