Conferencing is a necessary piece in today's working world. With companies looking to save money wherever they can, using conferencing makes too much sense—no travel, which consequently means no rental car, no hotel and no headaches along the way. Conference call services are an integral part of successful business in today's global marketplace.
The use of reservationless or on-demand conference calling has increased dramatically in the past decade. As the speed of business increases, the ability to quickly share information and make immediate decisions has become a necessity.
A reservationless phone conference service allows a user to host a conference call at any time of day using any landline phone or mobile device. This type of conference call typically involves participants dialing in to a toll-free number and entering an access code.
Companies needing to communicate an important business event or critical information to a large audience often turn to operator-assisted conferencing. Investor relations earnings calls, company business updates, court depositions or media teleconferences are examples of events that require this type of service.
Operator-assisted conference calls are fully managed and begin with professional operators greeting participants and gathering host-defined attendee information from them before placing them into the conference. An operator introduces the host and other presenters, conducts interactive Q & A sessions and maintains the flow from beginning to end. Companies may opt to have printed transcriptions or audio recordings of their conferences as a permanent record.
When presentations and information sharing require strong visuals, web conferencing offers a multitude of facets for effective collaboration. This service is cloud-based allowing anyone with a reliable internet connection to host an online meeting.
A web conferencing service allow hosts and participants to engage in file sharing, live polling and PowerPoint presentation sessions which along with features like hand-raising can transform a 'distant' meeting into an up close, personal gathering. Although people are not sitting in the same room necessarily, it will certainly feel like it—provided the service provider has strong audio quality and an easy to use interface.
A point of note that is quite intuitive is that services will depend on the provider one selects. Many of the major players in the space do not offer 'ad hoc' or concierge type services. Commonly the larger providers show the baggage caused by their size—as a generalization, it is difficult to find an on-demand service coupled with great customer service and exceptional line quality.
The conference call services market is readily expanding with each new development in technology convincing people this is a better way to do business. It is not about having ‘a’ conference call services provider, it’s about having the best provider for your business.
Edited by Maurice Nagle