Business Conference Call

You can’t underestimate the value of a business conference call. In the past, people who had to attend a meeting had to personally travel to communicate with each other. Modern conference calling has eliminated this need, thereby reducing money and time costs. As technology evolves, more and more options for this convenient business tool for both large and small companies have emerged.

Telephone Conferencing

The most traditional of all methods involves the use of special phones. One party can be put in charge of calling all the other parties involved. An alternative would be for the other parties to call in so they can join the conference. Each party may be assigned a special number or PIN which puts them on a bridge so they can connect with the others.

Telephone conferencing is also known as audio conferencing. This is obviously because people can only hear each other over the line. This may already be enough for some businesses when conferencing is required only to make report inquiries, follow up on report submissions, make initial business analysis and the like. Actual copies of formal reports may have to be submitted through other means such as courier or e-mail.

Video Conferencing

Traditional video conferencing is a step above phone conferencing. In its basic form, this type of business conference call involves the use of cameras and television sets or monitors. What makes this different from phone conferencing is that the parties involved are able to see each other. The same limitations apply though. There is no way to exchange important documents on the spot.

Web Conferencing

Do date, this is the newest and most advanced of all methods. This involves simply using your computer and internet connection to contact business associates. Basic equipment needed are microphones and speakers. Depending on your service provider, you can also incorporate video conferencing with audio conferencing using the internet as your call platform. The best part about this type of communication is that you can instantly send documents through e-mail after a call.

There are many different business conference call service providers. Depending on the method of conference call you would want to adopt, they may charge flat or prepaid fees. Some providers such as Skype offer free conference calling under certain conditions.