Audio conference calls are simply telephone calls but with a cool extra feature. With a conference call many can take part in the conversation or listen in. This explain the conference part. All depending on what service or set-up you have, it’s optional who like to take part in the conference or who listens in on the conversation. If you own a franchise and needed to update all branches at the same time without getting unnecessarily interrupted. This is an example of the advantages of such a control.
The main trade term for these services is ATC or Audio Tele-Conference. Businesses who trade on an national or international level are the main customers of such services. A conference call service makes it simpler to run multiple divisions efficiently by offering great communication. You are also able to remain in touch with all required colleagues without having to phone everybody separately. Ultimately you will have more time for the other matters at hand and you will also save money for your businesses.
Now I’m going to go through the 3 main types of audio conference call services available. Lets begin with Conference Bridges. A conference bridge is simply a private telephone network installed on-site.
Every department is linked to the network and so everyone is able to keep in constant contact via telephone, for no extra cost whatsoever. However though it will cost to make outside calls. And of course, you can host conference calls too. With conference bridges set-up you can host meetings with people all over the world, which will minimise travel expenses. One thing with a conference bridge is it will need supervision in the form of professional operators. Operators want paying and they will be required full time. And adding to the cost is the equipment, the installation and any maintenance. Conference bridges can save a lot of money in the long run but you will need a considerable amount of money to buy them. Hence why it’s normally large businesses that use these services.
With smaller businesses who don’t have quite as much need audio conference call services will use a land-line telephone for their conferences. This comes for an extra cost when compared to a typical land-line call but it requires zero maintenance or operation etc. The cost of the call covers everything. So long as you have a decent telephone provider you should never experience any problems.
These days the internet is rapidly evolving and more and more people rely on Instant Messengers such as Windows Live or Skype. With most messengers it’s 100% free to contact other users of the same messenger. It seems that nowadays Skype is the favoured messenger. It’s very simple to use and very effective. Video calls and even land-line telephone and cellphone calls are some of the features. You can buy calling credit just like a cellphone to make calls around the world. The call costs are not particularly special though. I have a Post Office land-line in England and the call costs to other countries are pretty similar to Skype. All Skype users can talk for free though by typing, by phone and even video calls.
So lets have a quick recap. A conference bridge is the favoured option for big businesses. A conference bridge will help save money if you look at the overall picture but are not cheap. You can make conference calls from any land-line telephone. They cost more compared to typical telephone calls but there are no other costs involved. Then there’s the new age of online instant messengers which cost absolutely nothing to make one to one or conferences between users of the same software. If you use this option, then get everybody involved to use the same software.