Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Are Free Conference Calls Right for Your Business?

Free conference calling is quite confusing in it's name, as in today's business there is hardly anything that comes for free. However, there are certain technologies that make the service providing companies make to offer free conference calling facilities to its users and subscribers. However, it should be noticed that all the features of conference calling might not be offered for free, and companies often have to pay a fee to opt for other features, which are almost necessary for any business, and also to automate the process of communication. Most often, audio conference calling facilities are provided for free and also for limited use; however, other facilities like web conferencing, video teleconferencing, recording facilities, presentation facilities are provided only with a fee.

Different providers use different networks and technologies for offering free conference calls to their customers, including Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and dialing toll numbers. In most of the cases, users have to create a free conference call account and to make a conference call every time, one need to enter the details to log in. These calls can be made anytime and do not require any prior reservations. To connect one has to dial a toll number, and can continue the conference for as much time-period as one needs, i.e., it could be for many hours a day.

With the help of free conference calls, the host is capable of connecting maximum of around 200 to 250 people at the same time; however, there may be some provider offering more capacities also. Only one thing has to be taken into account: distance. These services are limited for short distance conference calls only, and you will have to pay some charges for making long distance calls. So, you must take care while you choose to use some free calls that your participants are located within the prescribed limit of distance; otherwise, these calls are no-more-free for you!

There is no need for a special equipment to be installed, as free conference calls works perfectly through the ordinary phone lines. One can also record the conference--either from the starting or anytime during the call.

It can be well estimated that free conference calls are pretty much beneficial for business purposes, family, relatives, or anyone else for virtual meetings. Also there is no fear or chance of passing on the information related to the users, as it is the responsibility of the service providers to ensure the secrecy and the privacy of the information. So, if you have some need that is limited to some small region and does not require ultra-modern facilities of conference calling, you can certainly go for free conference calls.

For more information about Free Conference Calling , please visit www.call-conference-services.com

Max Stephen is the author of this article and the webmaster of www.call-conference-services.com

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Cheap Conference Calls & Toll Free Numbers

Many service providers in the market introduced cheap conference calls for the users, so as to maximize the customer-base by encouraging more and more people to opt for their services. The reason behind offering cheap conference calls is that in most cases, the service providers are having their own networks for conference calling. That means the overheads or additional costs are not there, which otherwise are added in fees charged from the customers. Overall, it is a very good option for organization to use and gauge the performance of service providers, before the make final decision to choose the best fitting service provider.

The service of cheap conference calls is provided to the customers by giving a toll free number along with a dial-in number for the participants. The host is simply required to call on that toll-free number and can conduct the conference thereafter. Usually cheap conference calls are reservation-less type of conference calling, which means that there is no requirement of a reservation for the conference call and one can make a conference call anytime.

Cheap conference calls do not mean that the service providers will provide limited services to its users. There is nothing like this and service providers provide conference call management systems to ensure higher performance. However, such conference calls have an automated system, because it needs minimization of the cost factor; yet one can ask for operator assistance, if the requirement arises.

A cheap conference call can be the best option for business purposes, training institutions, and anyone interested in making a conference call. With such a conference call, one can be connected with two, three, or up to two hundred people, in general, at the same time for conversation. Also there is no need of any extra equipment to be installed except the telephone system, which is sufficient to enable the host to make a conference call.

Small businesses and other types of organizations who have just started their ventures look to cheap conference calls as beneficial, for, their budget arrangements and costs are not as big as for settled companies. To automate the system of communication, and still to avoid the cost of heavy equipments, travel, and space, conference calling facilities are best options. So, we can say that overall, cheap conference calls are beneficial, as they are nothing short in the technical aspects, but at the same time provide economical options for the users.

For more information about Cheap Conference Calling, please visit www.call-conference-services.com

Max Stephen is the author of this article and the webmaster of www.call-conference-services.com

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Business Conference Calling

 Conference calling has made the affairs of business enterprises, big or small, a lot easier. Whether it is about setting up meetings with people on multiple locations, work-at-home employees, investors, vendors and freelancers, submitting quarterly reports, or sharing a document, conference calls are there as a savior. The cost of employing the service of this multi-media high-speed communication mode is far superseded by its benefits. It is a matter of pure economics. Meetings can be organized with multiple participants in geographically disparate places, without paying for travel and accommodation, or compromising on the valuable time and energy that is expended. An organization?s time, money and human resources can be put to more constructive and productive use.

There are many online and offline conference calling service vendors offering different types and plans of conferencing calls, to cater to different needs. While shopping for conferencing call services, quality and the reputation of the call service provider are the primary concerns. Any compromise on these parameters might translate into irreparable business disasters. It is always better to consult buyer zones and guides, compare prices of different vendors, rate plan offers and special discounts by asking for free quotes before plunging into any deal. Employing the services of specialized conference call vendors instead of just opting for local regional or long distance vendors is a wise decision.

There are basically two types of conference calling, dial in and dial out, with many variations within them. In dial in, the participant uses an access code from a specific phone to get into the conference bridge. Each individual participant might pay for the call, or a host pays for the bridge, depending upon the plan chosen. In dial out there is always the added advantage of calling in another participant at a given time.

In reservationless or toll-free conference calls, an automated telephone adaptor (mostly free of cost) is set up with the normal telephone, or standalone video (mostly discounted) is given, and a toll-free number is assigned that can be used any time without any prior booking for the opted duration. There are not many service add-ons and features in this option. However, they are well-suited to those meetings and conferences carried on daily basis.

A monthly flat-rate subscription for reservationless conference calls is popular, especially for volume users who can get discounts on such purchases. For in house conference calls it is best to go for PBX (private branch exchange) instead of VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) technology used in other conference calls. For high profile business meetings or those which require a large number of participants, OACC (operator attended conference call), with numerous add on services like call monitoring, roll calls, faxing emailing, operator dial out and translation is the best option.
Conference Calling provides detailed information on Conference Calling, Conference Calling Services, Cheap Conference Calling, Free Conference Calling and more. Conference Calling is affliated with Audio Conference Call.

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How To Take Advantage Of A Free Conference Call

Some conference providers are bold enough to offer a full service conference call. With the entry of too many of them in the market today, the competition is getting tighter by the minute. The companies who choose to conduct free conference calling may be offering it as a lure for possible customers with the aim to make them become regular customers instead.

Take advantage of a good free web conference calling promotion. This can be a good move, especially if you are not familiar with how conference calls work. Using a free conference call can give you the opportunity to learn how everything works and how you can benefit from, without the associated charges.

A good free conference call should have the following features:

1. Allowance for a large number of callers. One free conference call provider can accommodate up to a hundred callers at the same time. This is a very large number of callers. Especially if the people you intend to talk to are prospective buyers. For a typical company meeting, a provider offering 20 to 25 participants should be sufficient.

2. Availability for the call length you want. Estimate how long your conference call would take. If less than an hour will do for you, then a free service should be adequate. However, if you expect the meeting to last a couple of hours, you should look for a free service that can cover you for a three hours time span. This allows for time for questions and feedback in addition to the main content of the call.

3. A toll-free dial-in number. Some free services are generous enough to allow you to use their toll-free number for your conference participants to use. Else, they might be giving you a local number where long-distance telephone charges apply. Check out what the free conference call number is. They might be adding other charges to the participant's telephone bill without you knowing about it.

4. The availability of access codes. The provider may indicate that you can have a hundred participants, but provide less conference pass codes than that. Read the fine print--you should be able to identify this in the planning stages.

You might wonder if there is a catch with a conference call that is being given away free? The truth is that there could really be one. Therefore, it is up to you, the customer, to find out what the catches are. While some provide truly free service, some free services have numerous conditions that must be met in order to obtain the free service. Be wary of those.

For those companies that claim to give out their service free, may only be doing so for a limited time. If you are really on the lookout for a free service, you should evaluate first the level of service you will obtain, as well as continued availability of the service. You do not want your business impacted by poor choices of free conference service provider.

The bottom line here is that audio conference calls are offered free. It is just a matter of finding and choosing the best provider with which to host your call. You want to ensure that your conference call will go as intended. Remember that if your call is important enough, you may want to go with a paid service, as the level of service and features may be more in line with your needs.

Robert Workman is the technology editor for http://ConferenceCalling.2byt.com, where you'll find information about internet, web and audio conference calls.

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Conference Calling

 Conference calls enable more than two or three individuals, located in widely disparate geographical areas, to participate in a call simultaneously. Most telephones today are touch-tone, which allow about three individuals to participate in a call, although not at the same time. A conference call is not drastically different from teleconferencing, which uses a conference bridge to connect 2 or 3 lines or circuit switches. In the case of call conferencing, a conference bridge connects many individual lines or circuit switches at the conference bridge and creates a call network with a common platform.

Conference calls can be used to carry out in-house conferences, local calls or long-distance calls to participants located almost anywhere in the world. Within the organization, a PBX (private branch exchange) is used to establish a communication nexus. A more advanced form of communication network at the macro level is established by using VOIP (voice over Internet protocol).

With advancing technology and greater leaps in the Internet, conference calls have become more common. Their price has also come down, and sometimes they are used as a private communication network by people with big families and common interests. Conference calling systems are actively exploited as effective tools by business organizations big and small, educational institutions, seminars, or training programs, as well as sales and marketing persons.

There are basically two types of conference calling, namely dial in and dial out. Within these there are variations. Another type of dial in service is reservationless or toll-free conference calling. In reservationless conferencing a permanent toll-free number is assigned and can be used any time, with the host paying for the long-distance calls. Operator-assigned conferencing requires an advance booking of one day. Various support services are provided from the beginning to the end of the conference.

This revolutionary system of communication allows one to participate in discussions and conferences while enjoying a vacation. This is a cheaper alternative to the money and time spent on travel to a designated conference place. An organization?s money, time and human resources can be put to more productive, efficient and constructive uses. Decisions can be made more expediently over conference calls, reports can be submitted and plans executed more speedily. Audio-video conferencing and web conferencing enable a user to utilize the visual elements to one?s advantage.



Conference Calling provides detailed information on Conference Calling, Conference Calling Services, Cheap Conference Calling, Free Conference Calling and more. Conference Calling is affliated with Audio Conference Call.

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Conference call decision - web conference calling Vs offline conference calls

Conference calls have totally revolutionized the concept of communication. Web conference has taken the concept to the next level and challenges the worthiness of existing offline conference calls.

Web conference call is in its infancy and many people are not aware of its multifarious application. Initially, web conference call was used as an audio conference call and was limited to presentation calls. Live video conferencing became possible with the arrival of broadband. The right amalgamation of several features of Internet, computers and software has transformed web conference call to the level of face-to-face meeting.

The greatest advantage that web conference calling has over offline conference calls is that it gives real time interaction with several people. When implemented properly it is just like having a discussion in your conference hall. Unlike most offline conference calls, in web conference call the people engaged in conversation can share and exchange ideas by illustrating it on the whiteboard. This becomes very handy in cases where only drawings can clearly explain the idea. Since this is done in real time with the support of audio, the effect it has is far reaching and cannot be matched by offline conference calls.

Web conference calling is an ideal conference call service for business as it gives the opportunity to discuss issues and put them to vote and fix the issue on hand. This means that by sitting in your office in Manhattan through the conference call you can talk with your subordinates in any part of the world and discuss the business plans. There is no limit to the number of people who can take part in the digital web conference. Offline conference call has the limitation of number and when there are more than three locations it throws up several difficulties. The number of location is never a problem in web conference calling.

Conference call through web has certain limitations like web cam positioning. It also requires high amount of concentration from the participants. Most of the limitations associated with web conference call can be easily solved. Several business establishments now prefer web conference call over offline conference call as it saves money, time and energy.

We offer the best web conference calling info. Check it out on the Conference call services for business guide . More precious conference calls info on http://www.leandernet.com

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Conference Calling Plan

With the astounding demand for this revolutionary communication technology and steep competition in the conference call service sector, the market is flooded with various plans to accommodate various demands. There are as many conference call plans as there are requirements. Rate plans and service plans suiting the residential and family needs, small business and other institutional and training needs, as well as large business house requirements flood the online and offline markets. Conference call service vendors design and formulate newer plans that seek to track and hook in newer markets. There are various conference call plans for the international market as well.

There are many varieties of plan: pay as you go and unlimited flat rates, to toll-free bulk minute plans and basic family plans, international call back service, international call forward, flexi plans and many other service and rate plans. Most of the vendors offer similar services specific to a particular plan, with a few variations. This is because VOIP technology has few manufacturers, so most instruments are similar to one another. There are monthly standard access number plans, as well as monthly flat rates for toll-free numbers. In most cases these are the cheapest options. Various vendors offer add on services as introductory or promotional schemes along with the various plans. International plans are suitable to those traveling or staying abroad. Usually a US number (toll-free or otherwise) is given to call so that the participant or user doesn?t have to pay exorbitant rates. In most cases there are no terms or agreements, minimum usage requirements, cancellation fees, activation or set up fees; however, there may be deviations in certain cases.

Depending upon individual needs, an appropriate plan can be chosen. However, it is necessary to check the reputation and service history of the vendor one buys the service from. While opting for any plan, one should compare rates of various vendors by asking for free quotes from the individual vendor, or consult a buyer guide or buyers zone. Apart from that, the cost of the flat fee, how the per minute call price is worked out, how many participants can dial in or out , when a call considered to have begun or finished and the various other intricate details that effect the buyers has to be carefully considered.



Conference Calling provides detailed information on Conference Calling, Conference Calling Services, Cheap Conference Calling, Free Conference Calling and more. Conference Calling is affliated with Audio Conference Call.

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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Conference calls and Corporates

Conference calls are used by almost all United States public corporations to report their quarterly results, usually also allowing questions from stock analysts. The format of the call begins with a disclaimer stating that anything said on the call may be a forward looking statement, and results may vary significantly. The CEO or CFO, or the Investor Relations officer then will read a report on how the company did that quarter. Finally the call will be usually opened up for questions from analysts. Calls frequently reference the concept called an accounting charge, where actual and predicted expenses from a certain event will be announced as one sum total, and subtracted from the bottom line, instead of continuously announcing future expenses from that same issue in later reports and calls. CEOs frequently use this as an excuse for alleged poor performance during a quarter, with a phrase like "Excluding the charge for Enron, we would have made $2.00 a share".

As anyone who's ever held an office job before knows, communication is of the utmost importance. Today's jobs revolve around the art of delegation, to which the sharing and distribution of information is key. This is true of large and small businesses alike, and those whose employees span any significant distance may benefit greatly from a regular conference calls .

Allow me to demonstrate with an example: some years ago, I worked for a webhosting firm. We were an Internet company through and through; most of the employees knew each other through the Internet alone, and I myself never even met my boss, or co-workers! The Internet, however, just didn't provide the kind of clarity and organization that the company needed. The decision was made to organize a recurring company conference call.

The call took place once a week, and throughout it each employee would be called upon and asked about various projects they'd been working on. These status reports were useful for a number of reasons. First, they were useful because everyone in the company now knew what everyone else was doing. This was highly beneficial in many ways. For example: if one of the programmers was nearing the completion of a new feature, the promotional team could prepare an announcement to send to our clients. Or the support team could relay to the programmers which features and changes had been most often requested or suggested. The call always made sure that the right hand knew what the left hand was doing.

Second, the calls were useful because they increased accountability. While I cannot speak for the other employees, I know that my work definitely improved simply because I knew I would have to present it to everyone else on a weekly basis.

Third, the calls allowed those in charge to make their wishes absolutely clear. If there was a misunderstanding about a project or undertaking, it did not generally last very long.

Other potential uses include keeping in touch with clients who are located too far away to travel to, but still need ample amounts of personal attention. Or, more common, holding regular staff meetings when one or more of the employees is out of the office.
 

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Friday, January 18, 2008

Cheap Conference Calling

Today?s world survives on communication and puts immense value on time. The advantages of conference calling services far outweigh the service costs and users from various fields have thronged the market. Conference call service providers have banked on this need. Conference calling services are available for all categories of users. The conference calling industry provides many viable options for bargain hunters in this sector. Getting a discount conference call service is not difficult, especially due the intense competition in this sector.

Many service providers provide extremely low introductory prices to first-time users. Most offer free registration or sign up, and free unlimited monthly, local, long distance and regional calls. This gives sufficient time to find out if the service provides efficiency and customer support efficacy through active usage. A potential buyer seeking a discount deal should ask for free quotes from various service providers, and then compare the prices, look for various discount schemes and opt for the best. A buyer should not limit his search to a few local and long distance service providers.

It is best to look for specialized service providers with good reputations and efficient customer support to avoid any business mishaps during conferencing. Most conference call service providers do not have any contracts or agreements, and their services are employed as and when required.

One way to get a good deal is to try out the flat monthly rates, which are usually cheaper. However, there are certain restrictions, like minimum usage, and any breach is penalized. Normally, for volume users there are various discounts. It is always better to decide on the suitability of a particular conference calling service for any organization. A reservationless service is cheaper than operator attended conferencing but offers very limited add-on services. There are many online conference call service providers offering various discounts.

www.aitelephone.com offers flexible payment options, 473 minutes free on every sign up, and many more appealing offers. Many service providers offer free web conference calling along with every conference call. While purchasing a bridge is expensive, renting is the most popular and inexpensive option. Conference calls have provided immense business scope to various commercial concerns.

Conference calls allow a number of people to communicate no matter how far apart they are. This convenient communication network saves an organization?s travel time, energy and money. It enables the productive utilization of human resources without taking time out of work. It is more efficient and less constraining and expensive than traditional long-distance telephone conferencing, which doesn?t use bandwidth. Normally it is $165 for 45 minutes with six persons participating. With advances in technology, conference calling has become more convenient and less pricey.

Conference Calling Services provides detailed information on Conference Calling, Conference Calling Services, Cheap Conference Calling, Free Conference Calling and more. Conference Calling Services is affiliated with Audio Conference Call.

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How to Conference Call

Conference calling is one of the best business solutions to conduct a meeting over the telephone, in which more than three persons can participate to share some points. Or in other words, it is a means of communicating with more than one person simultaneously, without actually being physically present at a designated place. Conference calling offers mainly three modes for communication, i.e., audio, video, and web based conference calls. It is obvious that these conference calls eliminate a major cost for the companies, and therefore, are very much advantageous for the organizations. Some of the advantages offered by these conference calls are:

Cost Effective Process: Though the fee for availing the service varies with service providers, yet conference call is a much economical option to conduct a virtual meeting and to convey the message to the people concerned. Because in conducting a meeting with the conventional processes, a lot of travel expenses and hotel accommodation expenses are involved; whereas in case of conference calling, nothing of that sort is required.

Time saving process: It is as easy as thinking of talking to some persons and you can make a conference call immediately. Usually it is very good option for conferences that are called on very short notices. It also does not involve any loss of work and the message can be conveyed at a faster pace.

Helps in relation building: It is sometimes difficult for a business to conduct meetings for every segment of employees at regular intervals, which may lead to some misconceptions among employees and they may feel neglected. However, conference calling can eliminate such situations and helps in building good employer-employee relationship.

Simple and easily accessible: The service provider links the persons to be involved in a conference call and the persons do not need to have any special equipment for the same, as it simply linked with the ordinary phone or mobile phone. The person conducting a conference call is facilitated with a speaker, so that all persons involved must be heard at that point. The other persons can talk with the main conductor from their places.

Facilitate Data transfer: Audio conference calling is limited only to transfer instructions or views verbally; but via video conferencing, it is possible to transfer presentations or data to all the persons. With this service there will be no mistakes in sending and receiving instructions, as if there is any, one can clear it immediately and correct it.

Distance is not a problem: With the help of conference calling, the limitations of distance can be eliminated, as it can be used for talking to persons anywhere around the globe. That is why it is most commonly used by small as well as big business houses for communication purposes.

From the above advantages that conference calling provide, we can easily gauge the importance that they hold for any business model and organization setup--they are indispensable!

For more information on Conference Calling, please visit http://www.call-conference-services.com. This website is dedicated to providing all of your Conference Calling information.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

The internet has brought with it endless possibilities and many advantages for internet users.

Conference calling is no exception. This method of calling means that conversations can be held between more than just two people which makes conference calling very attractive for businesses.

Conference calling isn't only beneficial to businesses though, but also to those that would like to speak to family and friends.

There are so many conference call service providers that it is essential to take the opportunity of free trials before you go ahead and sign up with any particular provider. The internet has made this possibility easier than ever. One very important point to remember though is that many free trial registrations will require you to place a credit card on record with them, so remember to cancel the subscription if you do intend on staying with the provider before the trial period ends.

Conference calling possesses the opportunity to save both time and money, especially for business customers. A huge saving can be made solely on travel and accommodation expenses. Instead, meetings can be held online instantaneously, which also saves a lot of time usually taken up when traveling. Communicating with a company's offices in many locations for regular staff meetings can be carried out with ease thanks to conference calling.

Conference calls allow the message to be much more professional than other methods that could be used over the internet. Message boards is an example of one technique that could be used, however they lack the personal touch that conference calls can give. With conference calls, we can hear what employees, employers or business associates have to say in real time. We can also provide or listen to the emphasis on different parts of the call, which can convey the importance of a point for a example or the enthusiasm or disappointment of another point. It is sometimes difficult to get a point across using purely text, so a conference call is certainly beneficial in this way.

As mentioned earlier, taking the opportunity of a trial with conference call service providers is very important if you are to find a service that will suit what you are after. Ensure that the service has high sound quality so that the call can take place uninterrupted, and also research into which provider can offer what you need within your budget.

We highly recommend you visit http://www.conference-callservices.net for information on many conference call services related topics.

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Save Time & Money with a Web Conference Call

Technical developments in the field of communication facilitate users with multi-functional options, and among them, web based techniques are quite unique in their features. These techniques are used in almost every field including big corporate houses, distance learning programs, and medical field, etc. Web conference calls play a significant role in today's computer age, as they offer crunch solution to many problems that organizations face. The process of web conference calling involves creation of a link between the computers of participants, and thus, a virtual meeting is organized. Web conference calling offer great benefits to companies and corporate world, and these can't be ignored due to their salient features. Some of the benefits of web conference calls are discussed below:

The most significant benefit of web conference calls is that the participants can share their screens with each other for sharing various applications. By this, they are able to use the similar application as the conductor of the conference is using, and are able to transfer files and data through this. There is no extra hardware required to make web conference calls, as it just involves connectivity through Internet, and is simple to operate in using on the computer. Participants of web conference calling are connected via Internet, which enables them to transfer information, files, and conduct discussions.

Conducting a meeting or conference imparts a burden on the business as it involves a lot of expenditures including travel, infrastructure, and hotel, etc. While via web conference calls, all these expenses can be eliminated and a virtual meeting can be conducted without any travel or loss of work. It involves costs even lesser than audio conferencing, as in that case, service provider is generally charging per minute. The web conference calls provide an opportunity to each and every participant to present his or her views, slides, information, etc., while others can listen and see the presentation through their own computers. It is not limited to only one presenter; rather, multiple presenters can participate in the presentation at the same time.

The process is highly quality oriented, as there is no chances of misrepresentation of facts, for, screens are shared through the presentation. The results are very good as participants can see, listen, and share the presentation simultaneously, i.e., it can also be considered equivalent to a meeting or presentation in person. With the help of broadband services, the conference can be conducted without any interruption. Presentations, most commonly using PowerPoint, can be conducted while staying on one's own place. It is the fastest option for doing so, as the feedback can also be made immediately so that if any change is required, it could be made and the report can be finalized.

We can easily gauge that web conference calling provides the opportunity to do what the business needs in minimal time, involving minimal cost, and engaging minimal of work-force.

For more information on Conference Calling, please visit http://www.call-conference-services.com

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SumTotal? Systems Announces Third Quarter 2006 Earnings Release Date and Conference Call

SumTotal? Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the largest provider of talent, learning and business performance solutions, will host its third quarter 2006 earnings conference call on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. A news release outlining SumTotal's third quarter financial results will be released after the market closes on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. The conference call will take place at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Hosting the call will be SumTotal's CEO Don Fowler, COO Dave Crussell and CFO Neil Laird.

SumTotal plans to make a live, audio webcast available to investors and the public at www.sumtotalsystems.com/company/investors. Along with the webcast, SumTotal plans to make available a telephone replay of the call on Tuesday, October 31, 2006, beginning at approximately 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time through the close of business on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Interested parties can access the replay by dialing 877-519-4471 within the US or 973-341-3080 outside the US and entering the access code 7930097.

SumTotal Systems (NASDAQ: SUMT) is the largest provider of talent, learning and business performance technologies and services. For more information about SumTotal's products and services, visit www.sumtotalsystems.com

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Friday, January 11, 2008

International Conference Calling

When you are in business, you realize that keeping the lines of communication open are critical. When you conduct your business worldwide, it is even more important. Your business relies on sales people, clients, and colleagues, and if that are scattered all over the world, holding weekly meetings can be difficult.

This is where international conference calling can be critical to your business. It is imperative that you keep in contact with your staff and clients. With international conference calling, you can hold meetings anytime, and with anyone even if they are on opposite sides of the world. If you have a client in another country, by using international conference calling, you can still give a presentation as if they were sitting right next to you in the conference room.

With international conference calling, you can provide training to new employees that reside in different countries just as efficiently as if they were right in front of you. The world today offers new and innovation methods of conducting business. Conference calling has been around for years. But with the Internet came global trade, making it necessary for business and website owners to make themselves available virtually twenty-four hours a day.

In the past, weekly meeting meant the staff would have to go through the process of booking airline tickets, securing a hotel room, travel thousands of miles to attend the meeting and then return to their country, just to do it over again the next month. With technology developing everyday, there is no need to travel. International conference calling eliminates all that, giving the employees more time to be productive.

Even if your company is not on the Forbes 500 list, international conference calling is an affordable option for saving time and money. Setting up a time and date for the international conference call is fast and easy. Create an email with the time and date of the conference call and send. That?s it. The Internet is evolving everyday, and with it, new business tools are being developed. An alternative to international conference calling is one of these tools.

Internet conference calling is a service where a company acquires a ?conference room? by telephone. They then dial into the conference room using a telephone number and a special pin number. The company is considered the ?host?. Those who are involved in the conference call are also given a telephone number and a special pin number. All numbers are pre-assigned and can be used again. A special recording notifies the host when all parties are present on the phone line. There is also an option to record the conference for those who require a transcript.

Although international conference calling has been around since the 1950?s, many businesses of that era did not take advantage of it because of the time and expense it took to set up the call. Email was not available, and neither was fax machines. In order to set up a call, the notifications would have to go out by mail. The operators had to connect the calls, one in each country; there was also the dilemma of time zone differences.

International conference calling started to become popular and more versatile in the late 1980?s and with the rise of the Internet, International conference calling was taken to a whole new level. Today, the Internet contains many tools that can assist you to succeed in business; it is necessary to avail yourself of all of them.

Depending on the service that you use, the basic rate for international conference calling is anywhere for 1.2 cents to 12 cents per minute. If there are multiple people on the line, certain companies will charge an additional per person fee. Nevertheless, the use of International conference calling has become a vital part of communication worldwide and has evolved into something that even the average person can afford to use.

John Furnem is a dot com veteran, specializing in human resources and work psychology he has written articles about stress management and business themes. John currently writes Conference Calling tips and advice articles.

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Web conference call

Web conference call, as obvious from the name, is a process of holding meetings or live presentations using Internet as the platform. It should be noted that web conference calling is different from the discussion boards, as it involves the idea of real-time and live presentations; whereas, in discussion groups, only text messages are allowed.
Though very recently, with the use of video cameras and other techniques, web conferencing calling is adopting almost whole of the video teleconferencing process, and sometimes experts refer to them as the same thing Any web conference calling requires some initial setup for each of the participants involved in it-each one must have a computer, and every computer should be connected to other participants through a reliable Internet connection. Web conference call involves the feature of audio and video-the presenter or the calling party shares the screen of its computer with other participants so as to enable them to see what is on its screen.
The audio part is accompanied to this screen through telephone equipments or VOIP. Though it is not mandatory to use audio part in web conferencing, and some parties do like to use text versions to convey their messages. Sometimes conventional corporate professionals and people who are not versed in the advanced technologies find it very difficult to adapt to the new system of conferencing, which is gaining firm hold in the business world.
The use of web conferencing is breaking the boundaries of corporate sector and entering new arenas also. Web conference calling provides economic arrangement of meetings, and eliminates the need of travelling for conventional face-to-face meetings.
Web conference calling is quick in its operation and saves a lot of time, apart from the fact that web conference calls can be recorded for playback option at later times.
Web conference calls are also helpful in business sectors that are more dependent of IT tools and computers. Application and file sharing features of web conference calls make it a must for all IT-based businesses.
So, we can well-judge that web conference calling offers new vistas for the technology-based business, and at the same time, saves a lot of time and money for the other types of business.
For more information about Web conference call, please visit www.call-conference-services.com

Max Stephen is the author and webmaster of http://www.call-conference-services.com

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Cheap Conference Calls for Beginners

Conference calls have become one of the easiest ways to communicate with your business clients or partners. Nowadays there are several companies offering conference call facilities to all those who need to perform an audio or video conferencing at a short notice. Though conference call services are considered as an efficient and money saving option when compared with business travel and hotel accommodations, small business will find conference calls as a costly option. This is where cheap conference call services lend a helping hand. Majority of the companies offering cheap conference calls for beginners do not need reservations. Let us look of how cheap conference calls work.

Most of the conference calling is done in a fully automated fashion. The customer will be provided with a toll free call-in number which the customer can give to their clients of participants. What the customer need is to pay for the minutes he had used the facility. All the transactions will be provided in detail in an easy to read bill at the end of each month. There are certain cheap conference call providers who even waive the setup fees and also don't ask for any minimum usage fee.

With the advent of cheap conference calls, a customer can also take the advantage of buying minutes in bulk. Most cheap conference call providers also provide large volume discounts. That is, if the customer purchases more monthly minutes, then the service will be provided with a cheaper or discounted per minute rate. For cheap conference calling the customers need not have to purchase any additional equipment other than a telephone system. With cheap conference calling, a customer can arrange conferences for two to 200 people. Cheap conference calling does not mean that it lacks many options of the ordinary conference calling. Cheap conference calling come with call management over the web, always on conferencing, and free instant activation.

Majority of the companies maintain their own conference call bridges and other telephone infrastructure. This helps them to provide cheap conference calls to their subscribers without having to increase the markup prices to cover overheads.

Our experts have executed a research to find the best conference call providers. Find the results only on the Cheap conference calling guide . More precious conference calls info on http://www.leandernet.com

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About Conference Call Basics

The demand for companies to hold a conference call is on the rise. This increase in demand is largely due to the large number of employees who telecommute or work form home. Many companies also have staff at different locations and scheduling a regular meeting where everyone can be present is almost impossible. Holding a conferencing call is the perfect solution to this issue.

There are many different methods used for holding a conference call. Of course, you could just have all of the people involved dial the number of the person chairing the meeting, but this can prove extremely expensive ? especially if attendees are in different areas of the country or even the world. The answer is to use a conferencing call service.

Conference call services are extremely simple to use. You do not need a special phone to participate, although one with a speaker facility is far more comfortable for the arm! The organizer of the meeting contacts one of the conferencing call service providers and schedules the date and time of the meeting. All participants are then sent an invitation with a unique number that they can use to dial in to the meeting. It really is as simple as that. The hosting company is responsible for all of the technical work involved in bridging all of the attendees into one conference call flawlessly.

The cost of this type of basic conferencing call has been reduced significantly and you may expect to pay $100 for a 5-person conference that lasts 30 minutes. If your company is going to hold a regular conference call, for weekly progress reports for example, then there are monthly flat rate services available. These can be as low as $30 per month. The added benefit of this service is that you are often allocated a toll-free number for your regular conferencing call ? reducing the cost further.

The cheapest type of conferencing call is one that has been booked in advance. This gives the hosting company more time to set up the bridging service. However, the fluid nature of business today means that a conference call may be required at the last minute. There are a number of services that provide this immediate conferencing call service. The prices vary greatly, depending on the timing and number of attendees required.

Most conferencing call requests are simply to have a number of participants able to connect into a meeting. There is usually no need for any operator assistance as the attendees dial in to the conference call and the rest is left to them. This works very well for the majority of audio conferencing, but there are certain occasions where additional services are required. This type of operator assisted conferencing call requires much higher fees. If a company is holding an important conference call with potential clients, for example, it may be in their best interests to have this additional help to ensure that the call goes smoothly, leaving the participants free to negotiate rather than worry about the phone call itself.

John Furnem is a dot com veteran, specializing in human resources and work psychology he has written articles about stress management and business themes. John currently writes Conference Calls tips and advice articles.

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Monday, January 7, 2008

How To Make a Conference Call

 It is so easy to make a conference call that many companies are now using this method to bring clients and team members together. In addition to simply using the telephone to talk to four or five people at once, you can also use web conferencing online to deliver presentations to large groups of people without having to pay for expensive travel. To make a conference call, you can, of course use the telephone and a toll free number to be able to speak and listen to several participants. What many people do not know is that you can also use the services of your Internet provider to achieve the same goal.

You do need the names and email addresses of the participants you need for the conference call and you do have to notify them of the time and date of the call. Choose ?Tools? from your message browser and then the names of those whom you want to conference with. Then you click ?create conference? from the drop down menu and type in the subject of this call. Then you simply click start to make the conference call. When you want to end the conference, you click on the telephone icon. You will be asked whether or not you really do want to end the conference, just to make sure that you didn?t accidentally click the wrong button.

Making a conference call involves just as much planning as calling a regular meeting. You still have to set an agenda for the meeting, which you can email to all participants beforehand. You should also create a time frame for the length of the meeting because as with all meetings discussions among the participants can take up a longer period of time than you intended. When participants know the time frame and the topic of the conference call, they come prepared and will know which pertinent questions they want to ask. It will also allow for feedback, just in case there is something you may have forgotten.

You can place conference calls within your local area or all over the globe. When you have an international conference, it is very important that you remind the participants of the country codes. For your first conferencing session or for all of them, you might want to have an operator to help you out. This person will preside over the conference and remind participants to abide by time constraints. The operator can also handle such services as recording and polling, if you need them. The first time you make a conference call may be a little tricky, but this will only show you how easy it is and you will come to rely on this feature as part of your business practices.
Visit Peter's Website Conference Calling Explained and find out about Web Conferencing at http://www.conferencecallingexplained.com/whatisconferencing.php and more about phone conferencing and conferencing resources.

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Conference Call Services

A number of rapid advances are being made in communications technology. While the invention of the telephone allowed people to rapidly communicate for a low price, conference call services are allowing multiple people to communicate at once. While the transmission of voices has existed for years, video chatting is now allowing people to see each other while they communicate. Conference call services will allow you to communicate will people that may reside long distances away from your location. The advent of the internet has greatly contributed to communications technology.

In the past, conference call services could only be afforded by multinational corporations or government agencies. The rapid usage of the internet has allowd the costs involved with conference call services to decrease, and they are now being used by small businesses and individuals. Most people today have a three way calling system on their telephone. With the advent of conference call service, people are now able to conduct meetings with multiple individuals over long distances. The addition to video allows people to be seen. Much of this technology does not require users to download any software Much of the information can be streamed in real time.

Many online conference call services are now being offered which allow you to communicate via video windows that will be displayed on your computer. Both the sound and video quality of these services is spectacular. When you are looking for a reputable conference call surface, it is important to make sure their equipment and software is easy to use. You may need to have a computer that can meet specific processing requirements in order to use their programs. It is essential to make sure you meet these requirements before you begin using their services.

The best conference call service in the world is useless if you don't have a computer that is powerful enough to utilize it. Some of the features that these companies may offer is multi-user video and text chatting. While conference call services are typically used by businesses and organizations, they are also useful communication tools for friends and family. You could use video email, and enhance the message that you are sending to the recipient. In addition to this, you can also stream video on demand. A number of recent studies have shown that visitors to your website will remain their longer if you have video content. While written content is an indispensable tool, video content will increase the amount of time that visitors spend at your website. The rock bottom cost of digital content means you can either create your own videos or retain them from others for low prices.

The internet has changed the face of communications technology. It is no longer simply the realm of large companies and organizations. Small companies and even individuals are now able to create interactive websites. Not only can they create interactive websites, they can also harness the power of conference call services to facilitate better communication with people in distant locations. Conference call services are an indispensable tool that you won't want to be without.
Michael Colucci is a writer on Conference Calls which is part of the Knowledge Search network

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Friday, January 4, 2008

Do I Need to Plan Telephone Conference Calls?

There is nothing complicated about learning how to plan telephone conference calls. However, you do need to plan for these meetings for several reasons. The main reason is that a conference call is basically a short meeting, so you need to have an agenda in order to get all your work done in a short period of time. A typical conference call runs about an hour in length and depending on the topics raised and the discussion of the participants, you may have to put some issues to another time for more discussion. Since conference calls are shorter in duration, they tend to be more task oriented than a day long meeting where you gather all the participants in a physical location.

You do not have to be a computer expert in order to plan a telephone conference. You can simply use the conference calling plan that your telephone service provides or you can plan the conference through your computer. When planning this meeting, you should have an agenda, which you email to all participants a day or two in advance of the conference. This allows the participants to come to the meeting prepared, which is often not the case with face-to-face meetings.

When you plan a telephone conference, you are giving people that are quite a distance away to participate in the meeting. It is also easier for them to take part in the meeting using their own telephone or computer and with some people, they find it easier to talk this way. This is because they do not have to plan to speak in front of a large group of people.

Planning a conference by telephone is similar to planning for a meeting, except you plan for a shorter period of time. Each conference has to have a main focus. Start your planning with the overall objectives of the meeting. These can be very general such as:
? What action do we need the participants to take after this conference?
? What information do we need from the participants during the meeting?
? Will this be just a general sharing of information or do we want input from each person?

If you want to speak to the participants as a group, plan what you want to say and how you will say it. The key factor in planning a conference call is to be as brief as possible while still getting your message across. If you want to ask questions, make sure you have them written down so that you won?t miss any important ones. Write an outline of the script you want to follow for the conference and allow time for participant interaction. Planning for the first conference is usually the most difficult. Once you get through that, the rest should be smooth sailing.

Visit Peter's Website Conference Calling Explained and find out about Web Conferencing at http://www.conferencecallingexplained.com/phoneconferencecalling.php and more about phone conferencing and conferencing resources.

 

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Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Conference Call Services - Easy, Cheap, Effective

Conference call services are service providers facilitating conference call facilities to all those who want to perform an audio or web conference at a short notice. The clients can avail their services for a definite fee - that may vary from service provider to provider - and the users in turn are offered the best of services and support all through the session. The costs of a session are generally affordable, especially when compared with the expenses of a business travel and hotel accommodations, but may vary from one provider to the other. But, irrespective of the service provider, at the end of the day, the user may find that conference call services are the most cost effective way to arrange a trans-continental business meeting.

The conference call services - as offered by the conference call service providers - vary from simple audio conferencing to web conferencing, and each comes with different schemes and special offers. Audio conference call services or audio conference calls are for those who want to communicate things verbally, the same way as one does in a round table meeting, without any visual data exchange. On the other hand, web conference calling involves not only talking, but the participants can also see each other and share a document or parts of a document online if wished so. Audio conference call services are usually charged on a per minute basis while online conference calls levies a fee on a per seat per month basis. It may be $100-150 for a web conference session on an average and $60 for audio conferencing. Concessional rates may be offered to those who are using these conference call services quite frequently.

The communication domain is a fast changing one and hence it is only a matter of time before newer and better technologies emerge and replace the existing ones. In other words, web and audio conferencing, as it exists now, may be substituted by newer technologies in the near future. But until that happens, business will continue to rely on conference call services for their mass business communication, as a cheaper alternative for the costlier business travels, since conference call services are easy, cheap, and effective.

Our experts have executed a research to find the best conference call services. Find the results only on http://www.leandernet.com/Conference_call/Conference_call.php . More valuable conference call info on http://www.leandernet.com

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