What Is A Conference Call?

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about conference call to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from conference call experts. Truthfully, the only difference between you and conference call experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to conference call.

A conference call is a telephone call where the calling party wants to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference call may be designed to allow the called party to also talk during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party merely listens into the call but cannot speak.

Some conference calls are set up where the calling party calls the other participants and adds them to the call, and in some cases the other participants call into the conference call, either by dialing into a "conference bridge", a specialized type of telephone that answers multiple calls, or by using a special telephone number set up for that purpose.

Conference calls can be used for entertainment or for social purposes, such as the party line. People call in to a specified telephone number which allows them to talk to others, serving as a way to talk to and perhaps subsequently meet new people. Conference calls are most commonly used by businesses. If your conference call facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don't let important conference call information slip by you.

Conference calls are used by nearly all United States public corporations to report their quarterly results, usually also allowing questions from stock analysts. These are called earnings calls. 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.

Three-way calling is available as an option (usually at an extra charge) for most customers to allow them to add a second, outgoing, call to a call already connected at their number.

The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what's important about conference call. Most of this information comes straight from the conference call pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.

It is a fact that technology is fundamental to business success. With the advent of the internet, the continuing decrease in hardware and software costs, and the multitude of applications from banking to medicine, technology is forever changing the landscape when it comes to business operations.

Today’s communication technologies have made selling to a global marketplace a reality for even the smallest enterprise. Online commerce continues to grow at exponential rates. Tech-savvy consumers are opting to dive headlong into taking a more active and interested role in how they interact through technology with companies, products and services. Audio and web conferencing technologies have all but dissolved the boundaries of time and space – allowing businesses to communicate instantaneously, in real-time, and in multi-sensory formats with their audiences.

Building and developing relationships with everyone, from employees to consumers, has never been easier. Audio and web communications are being used in innovative ways to bring products and services directly to customers, significantly reducing marketing costs, while shortening critical sales cycles. They’re also being used to support internal company communications and functions, and in business-to-business applications as in the case of help desk and support operations. Whether supporting full online enterprises or an equally crucial structure for brick and mortar establishments, audio and web conferencing tools create almost seamless interfaces between people, products, and services.

Business success is rooted in effective and efficient communications. Today, keeping one step ahead of the competition means employing the latest technology tools that simplify life and business. That's where audio and web conferencing products fit in.

Some audio products utilize telephone bridge technology which allows multiple users on a single telephone line. Reaching out to customers, shareholders, and employees, alike, has never been easier. Any company can increase its visibility and credibility with ease, while effortlessly extending its reach to the global market place. The impact of savings in terms of time, travel, and other business expenses, across the dimensions of time and distance, are clearly significant.

With easy-to-use finger-tip controls, virtually every aspect of an audio conference can be managed by the moderator through either telephone controls or a web-based control panel. Calls can be scheduled in advance or created as needed. Conference calls can be recorded, archived, or downloaded with ease for future playback. A lecture mode function allows all the participants to be muted while the moderator speaks, with a Q & A feature allowing for selective un-muting and muting so participants can ask questions.

Unique, self-expiring pin numbers can be assigned to restrict access to authorized members. The lock feature allows conferences to be “closed” after they commence in order to decrease interruptions, while the truly unique “kick” function allows individuals to be removed with a key click. One of the best features is that all participants on the call can be viewed when using the web-based control panel. These features and functions create an audio environment which virtually re-creates an onsite meeting venue, but without the hassles and the expense.

Some web conferencing tool offers real-time, collaborative features suitable for online meetings. Audio, video, and web can be combined to create a real-time, multi-sensory experience for participants. Studies have shown that over 50% of the impact of a message is communicated through visuals. Imagine the impact of using this technology to communicate with customers, shareholders or employees.

Similar to the audio conferencing option, the platform is managed through a web-based control panel. It supports a variety of file types so it can be easily used for such applications as delivering a PowerPoint® presentation. Menu controls allow for sharing of documents and applications with a mere key click. In fact, through the unique application sharing feature, the moderator can allow participants to “test-drive” software or web-based products right from their desktop, without relinquishing control of the underlying product.

One powerful use of the application sharing feature is the ability of the moderator to launch their web browser and then to have all participants view it on their own desktops. This feature saves time and confusion as participants can easily see how to click through to information. By invoking the remote control feature, control over the browser can be turned over to participants.

It can also feature a whiteboard option for meetings that need the additional flexibility of creating on-the-fly, with sharing options that allow the moderator to pass along “writing” control to participants. Finally, it includes a fully-integrated, multi-video option, utilizing state-of-the-art software. With this tool, the host can control all aspects of the video including viewable or not viewable, frames per second, as well as size and quality.

Knowing enough about conference call to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. Now you can apply what you've just learned about conference call whenever you see fit.