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Phone Conference Call Blog

  • Phone Conference Call Services for Every Need and Budget

    Submitted by xpedite on Thu, 2010-12-30 21:56
    If you are looking for a high quality phone conference call service that will help you save money and improve communications at the same time, we have several plans available:

    Flat / Fixed Rate Conferencing offers you unlimited 24 hour access.  You can talk as along as you want, anytime you want, and you only pay one flat fee per month.  No long term contract and no set up fee.

    Pay As You Go Conference Calling is just that -- you only pay for what you use, no more and no less.  We offer both toll free and non-toll free service and are proud to offer some of the lowest rates in the industry.  Reliable and available on demand -- no reservations necessary.

    Toll Free Supersaver is perfect for larger users who have a good idea of how many conference minutes they use every month.  You get a discounted rate and the plan is structured like a typical cell phone where you buy a certain number of minutes every month.  Again, no long term contract and you can adjust it every month as your plans change.

    Operator Managed Conference Calls provide the highest level of professionalism.  We can call out to your conference participants and place them into the conference for you.  We can also offer you professional Q&A services and other moderator functions to enable you to focus on your message.

    Local Meet Me Conference Call Service is brand new!  This new service offers local number access in over 84 United States cities -- perfect for churches, local organizations and other firms that need a conference bridge for local callers.  Give us a call at 877-254-2424 and we'll tell you all about it.  The per-minute rates are also exceptionally low!


  • International Toll Free Conference Rates for 2012

    Submitted by lees on Wed, 2012-02-01 16:17

    Here are the 2012 conference rates for toll free service in the following countries.  Included are the actual toll free numbers people in those countries would dial to get into an international conference:

     

     

    Country

     

    Dial in Number

    		Cost Per Min./Per Person
    Austria0800102592350.15
    Australia18009978050.17
    Belgium0800506780.15
    Brazil080089221220.23
    China1080014014230.50
    Denmark0808864330.38
    France08009415010.16
    Germany080018039830.15
    Holland080026590190.16
    Ireland18009446020.15
    Italy8007897040.17
    Japan005311610740.40
    Mexico0180068195220.28
    Poland8007810330.17
    Russia880010092940.22
    South Africa08009990920.50
    Spain09008005610.17
    Sweden2001257310.15
    Switzerland08001210400.18
    Taiwan008011272420.24
    Thailand00180015620670690.26
    UK080036805900.15

     

  • Small Business Conference Call Services: Saving Time and Money

    Submitted by lees on Tue, 2012-01-10 16:31

     

    Conference calling for small businesses is rapidly growing in popularity for several reasons, not the least of which is the growing mobility of small business owners and managers.  With everyone within reach of a cell or smartphone, conferencing calling enables small business colleagues, associates and collaborators to meet wherever they are to discuss the latest business.
     
    Small business operators have several choices of audio conferencing services that are both convenient and cost effective.  Business owners and managers should choose a conferencing service based on three factors:  Reliability, Customer Service and Affordable Rates.
     
    Here are the top three (based on the number of users) programs small businesses use to conduct their conference calling:
     
    Unlimited Flat Rate Conference service:  This provides untimed service, so you can use it whenever and as long as you want, paying just a monthly fixed rate. Obviously, flat rate service has tremendous advantages regarding cost savings and that's why it is so popular.  However, the downside is that it is NOT toll free, and conference participants must dial a long distance number to access the conference service.  For many, that isn't an issue, since they get free long distance on their cell phones or bundled with their local service.
     
    Discounted Toll Free (pre-paid) Conference service:  This toll free service is modeled after cell phone plans that offer a certain number of minutes per month.  This is ideal for those who have a good idea of how many conference minutes they use every month because they can pre-pay for those minutes at a substantial discount.  But be careful, if you don't use the minutes, you still have to pay for them.  If you go over your allotment, you just pay the regular pay-as-you-so rate.
     
    Pay As You Go Conference service:  This conference service bills you for what you use when you use it -- no more or less.  It's perfect for small businesses that have sporadic and unpredictable conferencing needs and don't to commit to a certain number of minutes every month.  The rates are extremely affordable and can save small business owners a substantial sum over what they would normally pay the brand name providers.
     
    All in all, the vitality of small businesses is said to be a leading indicator of our general economy.  Most of the new jobs in the future will be created by the entrepreneurial visions that fuel small business and the naton, and world, look to small businesses to lead the recovery.  Because small business is more flexible and nimble in the marketplace, and owners can make decisions with being fettered by bureaucratic committees, the idea of adding conference calling to the small business culture is, as they say, a "slam dunk."  It's probably the easiest and most effective way to improve productivity immediately by cutting down on physical face-to-face meetings which can drain the life blood out of small organizations efforts to boost the bottom line.
     
    Conference calls for retail, manufacturing, non-profit, or professional offices such as engineering, legal, consultancies, or medical offices, have proven to be the gold standard when it comes to moving projects forward.  If you aren't conferencing, you're not communicating, and if you aren't communicating, your small business is at a standstill.  Call us today at 877-254-2424 and let us know how we can help.
     

     

  • Non-Profit Conference Call Services: Low Cost Conferencing for Non-Profits and Associations

    Submitted by lees on Sun, 2012-01-08 21:25

     

    Non-profits and associations can benefit greatly by using conference call services designed to improve productivity and cut expenses.
     
    Over the years we've been able to save non-profits a considerable amount of money because they generally don't scrutinize or review their conference call expenses closely and seldom shop around for better rates.  "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is a usual refrain.  However, many non-profits have been using brand name services for years, never thinking that telecommunication costs have been cut substantially because of competition and overcapacity.  When non-profits look at the current rates offered in the conferencing world, sometimes they are shocked at how much they can save -- usually they can cut their conferencing expenses in half, or more.
     
    That's why it's always a good practice to review the conference rates you are paying now and look for bids or quotes from other providers.  Moreover, there are additional conferncing services available today that didn't exist several years ago.  For example, rather than paying more for toll free service, you may want to investigate the new "local access" conferencing which provides a local call-in number.  If most of your conferees or guests are from your own city, you can cut your rates in half by just having everyone call a local number to access the conference.  No long distance costs, and you save resources to apply to other areas of your budget.
     
    There is one more important aspect that needs to be mentioned -- the time and efforts of your volunteers.  Physical face-to-face meetings can kill a morning, afternoon, or evening for your volunteers.  Yes, the mission is important, but they donating services away from their businesses and families.  One of simple things you can do to make their lives easier is to have more conference calls that can accomplish the same results in a fraction of the time.  Your volunteers will thank you for valuing their time and make their jobs more convenient.
     
    Overall, conference call services are a key component in managing a successful non-profit organization or association.  Big or small, conferencing can achieve results with your board, volunteers, sponsors, supporters or clients.  Take a look at our varied conferencing services across the top of the page and choose the one that works best for your organization.  We're here to help you so give us a call anytime -- there is no set-up fee and you can have your first conference call today.
     

  • Conference Calling Without Entering Passcodes or PIN Codes

    Submitted by lees on Wed, 2012-01-04 14:12

     

    It's not always necessary to enter a passcode to get into a conference call.  In fact, our Direct Dial service allows you and your participants immediate access to the conference bridge without the need to enter passcodes.  Nothing can be more convenient and your conference guests don't have to remember the codes.  They just dial the number and you're in!
     
    Direct Dial conferencing is billed at our everyday-low rates, plus a $30 per month fee to provide you with your own unique dial-in number.  So for example, you can get unlimited usage with our Direct Dial flat rate service for 10 lines for $29 per month.  If you want to include Drect Dial with that, the cost would be an additional $30 per month.  In summary, for $59 per month you can get a conference bridge service that will give you unlimited usage for 10 people with no passwords or passcodes required.
     
    Want a toll free number for everyone?  No problem!  Our pay-as-you-go toll free rate is just 7.9 cents per minute, per person, and you can enjoy the same Direct Dial, no passcode required, service anytime 24/7.
     
    Give us a call and let us help you design a program that best suits your conferencing needs.  Chances are, we can not only improve the quality of your service, but save you time and money as well.

  • Best Quality Conference Calls: High Quality Service

    Submitted by lees on Sat, 2011-12-10 15:24

     

    We take pride in offering the best, and highest quality, conference call services at the most affordable rates available anywhere.  We get many inquiries every day, particularly from people who have been using the free services, asking us if they can improve the quality of their conference calls.  We use state of the art conferencing technology, and invest in the most reliable hardware and software available.  Just because something is "new" doesn't make it better, so we stick to many tried-and-true methods aimed at making sure we provide reliable and high quality services.
     
    Across the top of this page you can see a variety of different conference services that fit every need and budget.  These are outsourced services -- in other words, there is no need to go to the expense of obtaining your own conference equipment which you have to install, maintain and provide staff to handle.  It's much simpler, and much less expensive, than that!  Without any set-up fee or up front expense, you can begin having conference calls today to collaborate with colleagues, customers, prospects or partners.
     
    Setting up an account doesn't cost anything, and once you receive your call-in number and passcode via email, you're good to go.  Most of our services, such as our popular pay-as-you-go plan, are "reservationless" so there is no need to contact us ahead of time to tell us when you plan on having a conference.  On the contrary, your conference bridge is open 24/7 and you have complete access anytime you want to have a conference.  The only thing you have to do is contact your conference guests and tell them when to dial in, and what passcode to use.  
     
    Some tips on how to improve the quality of your conference to insure the best service:
    1)  Use regular landline phones or cell phones.  VOIP connections are known to have issues.
    2)  You can use a speaker phone, but to achieve the highest quality, just have everyone on his/her own line.
    3)  Use our free "live conference viewer" to isolate a call that has interference or background noises and "mute" that particular line.
    4)  Use our free "lecture mode" option to have only the hosts speak, and have everyone else automatically muted.  That provides a great conference, especially if there is a lot of people on the call.  And yes, more than one person can call in using the host passcode.  (You get two passcodes with your account -- one for the hosts and one for the guests.)
     
    On rare occasions, conference bridges will crash, like anything else that's electronic.  That's why, to insure the highest level of service, we give you a "backup" number in the unlikely event your primary conference bridge goes down.  Again, not very likely, but we try to be redundant and it's always safer to have everything backed up -- including all your data and computer harddrives.
     
    Please give us a call at 877-254-2424 if you have any questions or want to set up a conference call.  You'll find the process is fast, easy and simple, even if you've never had a conference call before.  We excel at customer service!
     

  • How Much Does a Conference Bridge Cost?

    Submitted by lees on Mon, 2011-12-05 09:32

     

    How much does a conference bridge cost?  It's a very common question and there are two easy answers, depending on your situation:
     
    1)  You don't need to buy a conference bridge to have a conference call.  The cheapest and most effective way to conduct a conference call is to use a conference service on a pay-as-you-go basis that gives you access to our conference bridges which are already installed and operating.  It's like buying a time-share rather than the condo.  We have several plans to choose from (see the links at the top of the page for the various services.)
     
    2)  If you are looking to buy and install your own conference bridge hardware and software, you need to be a very heavy user -- at least $2000 a month in conference call expenses -- to make it worthwhile.  We buy, sell and rent dedicated conference call bridges and would be happy to provide you a quote.  However, please understand that 99% of all businesses and non-profits outsource their conferencing to services like 24Conference.com because it is much more cost effective and there is no need to install additoinal phone lines, sign long term maintenance contracts, hire staff  to monitor and organize usage, not to mention the upfront capital costs associated with purchasing conference hardware which can run into the tens, or hundreds, of thousands of dollars.
     
    Unless advancing technology changes the situation, our advice is to keep things simple and outsource to our service bureau.  Time and time again, we've seen occasions when companies get diverted from their core mission and start spending time and money trying to internalize technology because they "want to keep it inhouse."  All of a sudden, they get themselves into the conference call business, only to find out later it wasn't worth the investment.  (A perfect example of this is video conferencing:  Companies have spent hundreds of thousands trying to put in fancy hardware, only to find out that the trend is "desktop video" using a $25 webcam and an "in the cloud" service costing only pennies a minute.)
     
    If you are corporate enterprise and you've made the decision to install a new inhouse conference bridge, we stand ready to assist you with your purchase or rental.  However, if you are medium to small operation, we highly recommend that you continue to do what you do best, while letting us take care of your conference needs.  You'll find that outsourcing not only saves you money, but the convenience and the time you save, especially with reservationless conference calling, will make your dealings and collaboration projects much more pleasant and easy.
     
    We look forward to helping you set up the custom conferencing plan that best meets your needs and budget.
     

  • Operator Conference Call: Full Service Conference Operator Managed Calls

    Submitted by lees on Sun, 2011-11-20 09:47

     

    Operator conference calling provides full service management and ahead-of-time professional support for your scheduled audio conference meetings.  Unlike on-demand reservationless conferencing services, operators conference calls are set up at least 24 hours in advance.  You email us the names of each participant, along with their phone numbers, and our trained operators will call each person and place them into the conference.
     
    Here is a summary of the advantages of using operator conference calling:
     
    1) Your conferees don't have to remember to call into the conference at a certain time.  In other words, they don't call us -- we call them.
    2) Your conferees are not required to pay long distance costs to call into the conference.  Since we call them, they pay nothing.
    3) An operator can be available to service your call at anytime to manage all aspects of the call, including muting, lecture mode, and organizing Question & Answer (Q&A) sessions.  This is ideal, particularly with Investor Relations calls and other conference calls that include the press.
    4) Having a third-party operator call your participants provides the highest level of professional communications and enhances your organization's image and reputation.  It conveys the priority and demonstrates the elevated importance you place on the call for your collaboration and presentation.
    5) There are no set-up fees to organize a call and no minimum usage is required.  There are also no long term contracts and you are under no obligation to continue the services.  You are only charged 19 cents per minute, per user, when and if you use the service.
    6) Operators can, at your command, control the conference features and options, such as muting individual callers, muting all callers except the presenters, preparing for lecture mode, introducing participants as they enter the conference, compile individual contact data such as names, organizations and email addresses, arrange for recording, transcription and translation services, and provide full reporting for call.
    7) Operator managed calls (also known as operator assisted calls) can be conducted at anytime as long as they are scheduled 48 hours in advance.  Calls during normal business hours can usually be arranged within 24 hours, and in some instances, can be set up with only 2 hours notice.
     
    Overall, outsourcing operator conference calls can provide your business or organization with a convenient and professional solution to improve communications, collaboration and efficiencies.  Give us a call at 877-254-2424.  Setting up an account is free, easy and fast.
     
    Click here for more detailed information:  Operator Conference Call

  • Conference Call, Conference Services, Audio Conference

    Submitted by lees on Sat, 2011-11-19 19:19

     

    Professional conference call services for corporations, businesses and non-profits.  Our high-quality conferencing plans are affordable and are designed to meet most every business need -- including toll free 800 conference calling, flat and fixed rate unlimited conferencing, full service operator managed calls, and conferencing with local access numbers.
     
    Across the top of this webpage, you'll see our primary offerings.  On each service page, you'll see the various conference rates including a number of free options that come with each service.  These options, such as music on hold, can be changed at any time.
     
    Setting up a conference call is easy and can be done in less than an hour.  There are no set-up or cancellation fees and no long term contracts.  Once you set up your account, you can start a conference call at anytime since our services are "reservationless."  There is no need to schedule a conference call with us, since you have your unique passcodes and can access the conference bridge anytime, 24/7.   (The only exception is our operator managed conference calls which will require you to give us a list of names and numbers and the time you want us to call each participant and patch them into the conference call for you.)
     
    It has been determined that outsourcing your conference call services and having access to a conference bridge that operated and maintained by a company that focuses on providing excellent service is much more cost effective and efficient than buying your own hardware, phone lines and software.  In effect, having a piece of a larger conference bridge is much less expensive than owning an entire conference bridge which will require maintenance contracts, additoinal personal, fixed overhead costs such as phone lines, and may be underutilized much of the time.
     
    That's why most companies and non-profits prefer to retain conference services on a pay-as-you-go basis to compensate for the ebbs and flows of usage.  There may be some months when usage is high, and other months when very little phone conferencing is needed.  Per use conferencing is accurate, convenient and a very effective way to increase productivity and collaboration among working colleagues, board members, prospects, customers, investors and even the general public for reputational management.
     
    If you are searching for a conference call service that can provide you reliable and dependable access along with full and responsive customer service, we can assist you today.  Just give us a call at 877-254-2424 and let us know your particular needs.  We'll help you design a program that best meets your requirements and your budget.

  • Conference Call Service Without a Contract

    Submitted by lees on Thu, 2011-11-17 14:37

     

    You don't need a long term contract to obtain conference calling services.  In fact, you can get the best conferencing services on a pay-as-you-go basis, or just month to month.
     
    For some strange reason we've never been able to figure out why large corporations in particular prefer to have contracts with their vendors.  They say one reason is to lock in prices and to avoid increases.  Another reason is to hold the vendor's feet to the fire when it comes to service standards.
     
    However, there is another whole side to the equation.  Vendors love contracts because it locks out the competition and provides the vendors the ability to forecast revenue.
     
    Overall, contracts benefit the vendors much more than they will ever benefit you, the customer.  Fact is, rates usuallly go down during the term of normal contract and customers are locking themselves into higher rates, not lower rates.  And if you have to get an agreement to receive expected levels of service from a vendor, you may want to think about getting a new vendor.  Suppliers who strive for excellence don't have to be held accountable.  Rather, they take pride in exceeding their customers' expectations.  They underpromise and overdeliver.
     
    There are government agencies that prefer annual contracts because it is something they can budget for and can pay once.  Our unlimited usage flat rate conferencing plans are an ideal way to achieve that objective without worrying about sporadic conference call usage.  Since there is no timing of conference calls, and users can talk and use the system as much as they like, this is very condusive to an annual contract.
     
    However, annual contracts are more the exception than rule.  Yes, they can be easily achieved, but are far from necessary.  If you are looking for a conference service without tying yourself into a long term contract, give us a call, or take a look at each of our services across the top of the page and let us know how we can best accommodate your conferencing needs.  We stand ready to custom make a program that serves your needs and budget.