Choosing a conference call service is not easy. Just type the phrase "conference call" into Google and you'll see dozens of providers. Fortunately, most of them differentiate themselves on a handful of factors. Understanding these elements, and thinking through their relative significance to the needs of your company, is the best way to make an informed decision. Research in the industry indicates that there are five elements which typically enable a user to make a prudent decision. To help you make that choice, this article reviews these five areas.nnn1. CostnnAll-conference calling systems cost something to use. This is true even of the the systems that brand themselves as "free." Why is that? With the exception of an entirely VOIP based system (e.g. Skype), all-conference calling services require users to dial a bridge number. In the case of services that provide toll-free bridge numbers, a per minute charge is assessed. The lowest fee you can typically arrange is several cents on a per minute basis and more likely you'll be paying 5 to 10 per minute. This charge is levied cumulatively. In other words, if there are 5 participants on a 60 minute call, a 300 minute charge will be incurred. Some services still charge legacy rates and of 20 or 25 cents a minute and these services are to be avoided! As mentioned earlier, some services are free in the sense that there is no charge levied by the provider. However, these offerings do not provide a toll-free number with their free services and therefore users will incur normal long-distance charges to participate.
2. Scheduling capabilitynnServices typically fall into one of two categories. Paid and high end corporate services often provide a scheduling interface which helps the organizer to set up the conference call. For those services that have an Outlook integration or similar type of functionality, a pin code and dial-in number can be automatically allocated to the user for situations where the user wishes to do her own call scheduling. The free conference calling systems typically provide only a pin code and dial-in number; the initiator of the conference call is responsible for sending individual e-mails and maintaining track of individual replies. At the present time, the sole
free conference calling solution in the industry which offers both capabilities (scheduling and on-the-fly conferencing) as well as response tracking is Rondee.com.
3. Recording and ArchivingnnFor many organizations, the ability to retain information associated with the call or even the call itself can be quite valuable. Some services allow recording of the conference call in WAV format, GSM or both formats. Some companies offer this capability for free but generally it is found as a bundled feature of paid teleconferencing services. The audio file is typically retrieved after the conference call is over via a link from the service provider's web site or a link e-mailed to the participants. It is generally not possible to email the audio file itself because of capacity constraints. Some services provide the conference agenda to be archived. This capability is obviously not possible with services that simply offer a pin code and dial-in number but can be offered by services that offer scheduling capability insofar as the scheduling template records information specific to call.
4. Desktop SharingnnSometimes a teleconference is not limited to audio. If your business necessitates visual sharing of information (e.g. financial spreadsheets), desktop sharing will be a critical component of a successful conference call. Some users choose a best-of-breed approach and use different services for their desktop sharing and conferencing. Increasingly, however, conference calling companies are moving aggressively to bundle desktop sharing functionality into their core product. In the case of well-known companies such as GoToMeeting, this is part of a goal to capture both segments of the market. In the case of conferencing calling companies, desktop sharing is being offered as a paid functionality to generate incremental revenue.
5. PersonalizationnnA typical complaint from users of conferencing systems is the need to remember random dial--in numbers and pin-codes. In the last year, confluence of telecom and internet technologies is solving this problem. Some
conference call companies enable users to customize their PIN codes to PIN codes more memorable. There are some systems which also offer pinless access when users call from a registered phone number. These systems, however, do necessitate user registration to enable a matching of the number.
For most users, the final choice of teleconferencing service will require weighting these (and perhaps other) factors according to your organization's needs. The good news is that the explosion of competition in this market is expanding the choices that are available to you.