Online Web Conferencing just got Easier

January 27th, 2011

Online web conferencing has been around now for a while.  And online web conferencing of any kind is a whole lot easier than what you had to do before the proliferation of the Internet.  But one of the reasons online web conferencing has not been more widely adopted is because people are reluctant to learn a new application.  Conference calls are very easy because all you need is a telephone and everyone knows how to operate a telephone and dialing into a conference call could no be any easier.  So why does online web conferencing have to be so difficult.  Well, Zip Conferencing does not believe that a web conference should be any more difficult to run than an audio conference call.  And our new web conferencing service has taken the learning curve out of online web conferencing.  It is so easy to use you will not need any instruction whatsoever to be successful with the service right from the start.  In addition to being easy to use our online web conferencing service is packed with features that will allow you to perform amazing things.  Here is a list of some of the features that separate our online web conferencing service from all the others out there.

  • No Software Download Needed – Our online web conferencing does not require you to download any software in order to participant in the web conference.  This makes it much easier for your participants to join a web conference.  You won’t be wasting time waiting for people to connect to the your conference call and you participants won’t be frustrated trying to join either.
  • Dial Me Connections – Instead of having to figure out how to dial into online web conferencing we have made it so the system can dial out to you.  That way you don’t have to figure out a conference call and a web conference they are the same.  Just put your phone number into the system and it will connect you to the web conference.
  • Application Sharing – Like other online web conferencing solutions our web conferencing service allows you to share an application or your entire desktop with your participants.  The difference is we have an easy to find button that starts the process.  You don’t have to try to figure out how to share an application it is very evident from within the tool.
  • Polling – Many online web conferencing sites have polling but it is hard to operate.  Our web conferencing service has an easy to use polling feature that lets you share the results easily with your audience.  A polling feature helps keep your participants engaged in your web conference.
  • Video Sharing- Our online web conferencing solution even allows you to share your web cam feed with your participants.  And your participants can play too.  In fact you can have an unlimited number of web cams in your web conference.
  • Outlook Integration – To make the invitation process with your participants simple our online web conferencing service is integrated with Outlook so that you can invite participants through your email and then save the meeting as a scheduled appointment in your calendar.

The trick to successful online web conferencing is making it easy to use.  Zip Conferencing makes web conferencing as easy as can be.

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Should you buy a Teleconferencing Bridge?

January 19th, 2011

As companies start to use a lot of conference call services the question will often come up as to whether they should buy a teleconferencing bridge.  And like many services that you can bring in house a large part of the argument is born from economics.  If you are spending thousands of dollars a month on a conference call service provider doesn’t it make sense to buy a teleconferencing bridge and you will save money?  Well, this argument used to hold a lot more weight when conference call services cost 50 cents per minute and you could buy the long distance connection for 5 cents or less.  But these days it is hard to build a compelling argument for a company to buy a teleconferencing bridge.  Here are some of the reasons you may want to stay with a teleconferencing services provider.

  • Capital Cost of the Teleconferencing Bridge – The first expense you will have to incur with a teleconferencing bridge is the expense of the equipment itself.  Today there are some low cost teleconferencing bridges available in the market but given the importance of the conference calls you probably won’t risk your business on a low priced teleconferencing bridge.  A high end teleconferencing bridge like the ones used by Zip Conferencing can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
  • Telecommunications Cost to connect to the Teleconferencing Bridge – The next thing you will need to do is connect the teleconferencing bridge to a telephone network so you can dial into it and conduct your conference calls.  You will need to spend a monthly fee to have a connection that can handle hundreds or thousands of callers whether you use it or not.  Depending on the type of connection it can cost thousands of dollars a month.  In addition, you will also pay the per minute charge for participants to connect to your teleconferencing bridge toll free or they will pay a long distance charge to connect to conference calls.  Zip Conferencing uses only the highest quality digital connections tied directly to the telecommunications network.
  • Maintenance Cost of the Teleconferencing Bridge – In order to keep your teleconferencing bridge up to date and within a warranty you will need to spend money on maintenence for the teleconferencing bridge and its software.  You also may want to have a back up teleconferencing bridge or at least components in case something happens to the equipment.  Zip Conferencing has hot stand by backup teleconferencing bridges and maintains all of its equipment regularly.
  • Personnel Cost to Manage your Teleconferencing Bridge - No matter how automated the teleconferencing bridge is you will still need someone in your company to be the administrator.  This person will need to access the teleconferencing bridge to configure the system and manage settings within the teleconferencing bridge regularly.

As you can see, it is difficult these days to make the argument that a teleconferencing bridge will actually save you money.  With a company like Zip Conferencing available that provides full featured conference call services for as little as 2.4 cents per minute for toll free access why would you want to take on the headache of managing a teleconferencing bridge.  Like most service provider arguments it is probably best to concentrate on what you do for a living and let the experts worry about the rest.

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A Business Conference Call can make all the Difference

January 14th, 2011

A business conference call can make all the difference in the success of your business.  Yet, today it is estimated that the market for conference calls has only been penetrated 58% which means that 42% of the businesses that should be doing business conference calls are not.  That is a pretty amazing statistic when you think of it.  And I bet many of you are thinking that there is no way people don’t know about using a business conference call to get people together on issues for their business.  But I can tell you from experience that a lot of businesses still are not using a business conference call yet.  I can tell through the conversation I have with potential customers that there are still a lot of people out there who are not using a business conference call for their business.  And it is hard to believe.  Especially in this economy and the number of new businesses being started up.  A business conference call offers so many benefits to your business without a large expenditure.  Large businesses are big users of business conference calls because they have long understood the benefits they get from conducting regular conference calls with their staff and customers.  Here are some of the benefits you can expect from incorporating a business conference call into your regular business processes.

  • A Business Conference Call Saves Time- When you are a small or medium business or better yet, a brand new business, the one thing you will never have enough of is time.  By utilizing a business conference call when you can you will find yourself saving valuable time that otherwise would have been spent travelling to an in person meeting.  Travel time is very unproductive even with all of today’s gadgets that help keep you informed and allow you to do work away from the office.  You can hardly be working on a document when you are walking through an airport or driving your car.  The more time you can find yourself at your desk the better you will be in the long run.  A business conference call can be used for the initial contact with the customer especially if you need to pull multiple people from your company into the discussion or if the customer has several contacts that need to hear your pitch.  And during the implementation process a business conference call can keep your project on time and make sure that everyone gets the same message all the time. 
  • A Business Conference Call Saves Money – The other thing you can’t get enough of is money.  Especially if you are starting out your capital is a precious commodity.  A business conference call is much less expensive than any in person meeting you can have with your staff or customers.  Many small businesses have staff scattered throughout the country or the world and the expense to travel to visit these people on a consistent basis is just too much.  A business conference call allows you to stay in touch with everyone for a fraction of the cost of travelling to them in person.  And the cost of the travel is one thing.  What about the cost of the hotel, meals, rental car and everything else that goes along with it?  A business conference call can save you thousands of dollars on one trip.
  • A Business Conference Call Increases Productivity – And usually if you own a small business or are just starting a new on you will never have as many people on the job as you would like.  So you need every person as productive as they can be in order to get the job done.  A business conference call allows you to stay at your desk for the meeting and return to work immediately following the conference call.  Aside from the time saving productivity you gain with a business conference call you also benefit by working together to accomplish the task and keep all informed along the way.  A business conference call can prevent a lot of back and forth communication between you and the other parties.

The bottom line is a business conference call can make all the difference in the world for your business.

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Audio Conference Calls should be Reliable

January 7th, 2011

With Audio Conference Calls the one thing you should not have to think about is reliability. When you go to an in person meeting in a conference room you take it for granted that the lights in the conference room will work. A conference call should be no different. Audio conference calls have been around for a long time and at this point if the conference call service company has taken the proper precautions reliability should not be an issue. Here are some of the steps that Zip Conferencing has taken to ensure that our customers can quality and reliability with every conference call.

  • Direct Digital Connections to the Public Telecommunications Network – The Public Telecommunications Network is the main network that all of us use to complete phone calls.  Audio conference calls are no different than a regular phone call except our teleconferencing equipment is what you call into and makes it possible for multiple parties to speak together.  So the better the connection to the network the better audio conference calls will sound.  Zip Conferencing employs direct digital connections to ensure a high quality reliable connection.
  • Multiple Telecommunications Carriers – What happens to audio conference calls if the telecommunications carrier has an issue?  If there is a major outage on the carrier the ability to connect to the conference call will be compromised.  Zip Conferencing uses multiple telecommunication carriers in case one has a major outage we can reroute the traffic to another carrier so that you can get to your conference call.
  • Back Up Power Systems – Audio conference calls are dependent on the equipment that makes them possible and they need consistent power in order to operate.  Zip Conferencing has a battery and generator power back up system in place that provides for uninterrupted power in case of emergency.  The generator will continue to operate as long as is necessary making sure your conference calls are there when you need them.
  • Back Up Conference Call Equipment – Audio conference calls are conducted on a piece of equipment referred to as a conference call bridge.  It is basically a computer with thousands of connections for conference call participants.  And like any computer, despite regular maintenance they sometimes fail.  Zip Conferencing has constructed a network that includes back up live equipment so that if anything happens to a conference call bridge we can switch to a working piece of equipment without any loss in traffic.

If you are looking for a conference call service provider for your audio conference calls you should be looking for quality and reliability first.  If you select Zip Conferencing you will get quality, reliability and the most affordable rates anywhere.

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A Conference Calling Service Pays for Itself

January 3rd, 2011

I think what has been lost in the sea of various rates and services you can get from all the conference calling service companies out there is the value that the conference call service brings to your business.  Even at the rates that conference calls were being sold in the early 1990′s a conference calling service easily pays for itself.  But a conference call has become so integrated into the fabric of businesses these days it has simply been expected as part of any businesses communications strategy and the benefits are often overlooked and taken for granted.  A conference calling service provides two main benefits, they save time and money.

  • A Conference Calling Service Saves Time- Think of all the time that is wasted if you have to leave your desk and travel to a meeting.  The meeting could be down the hall, around the corner or around the world.  The longer the travel the more time you waste just getting to and from the meeting.  And even with today’s communication environment there are going to be times during that travel period that you are simply unavailable and can’t work on anything because you are travelling.  And once you get to the meeting there is a lot of wasted time as people do the meet and greet process and everyone waits for the host of the meeting to get things together and so forth.  I know people who have travelled across the country to attend a one hour meeting.  And like everyone I agree with and endorse face to face meetings for certain situations but a conference calling service can save countless hours.  And the saved time naturally translates into increased productivity since you can attend a conference call without leaving your own desk.
  • A Conference Calling Service Saves Money- It really doesn’t matter what you pay per minute cost for a conference calling service because if you analyze it against an in person meeting you will see that a conference call will save you money every time.  The cost of travelling to the meeting is the first place you save.  There are also the costs of the meeting itself.  If you are meeting in person the host many times will feel compelled to provide refreshments for the participants and may even have to rent a room to stage the meeting.  And if you have travelled a great distance you have the cost of local accommodations in addition to the travel cost itself.  There just isn’t a less expensive or more convenient way to hold a meeting.  And if you choose a high quality provider like Zip Conferencing you will be able to conduct your meeting just like you were in the room together without any loss in fidelity and pay a great deal less than many other providers in the market today.

No matter what your circumstance you will quickly realize that a conference calling service pays for itself.

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Aren’t all Conference Call Providers the Same?

December 16th, 2010

As prices have fallen for conference call services over the past 15 years, conference call providers offering a discount price were able to grab market share from price alone. Now that the prices for conference call services have reached the bottom there is a renewed need to look closer at conference call providers. Because conference call providers are not all the same. If you should line up 10 conference call providers and actually look at what is going on behind the scenes you will find some pretty big differences in the services they offer, the quality and reliability of those services and the level of support you can expect. Here are some of the things you should be looking at in conference call providers after you look at the price and before you decide.

  • Services – Not all conference call providers offer the same set of services.  Make sure that the conference call providers you are looking at have the services you are used to and also services you may need in the future.  You don’t want to select a conference call provider and then have to switch later down the road.  Capacity is an important area to consider.  Zip Conferencing enables you to have up to 300 participants on a conference call at one time.  Many conference call providers limit the number of attendees.  Do they offer web conferencing?  You may not use web conferencing today but more than likely you will want to use this services in the future.
  • Features – Did you know that not all conference call providers offer the same set of features?  Many discount conference call providers use inferior equipment that has a limited set of features.  You may not want to record your conference call every time you use the service but you may want to use this valuable feature at some point so you should make sure they offer it.  Zip Conferencing is a full feature provider and even provides you the ability to customize the features on your conference call through your online account interface.
  • Quality – Many discount conference call providers cut corners on the equipment and network they place the conference call equipment on to save money.  Zip Conferencing has used the latest equipment available and connected it directly to major telecommunications providers to ensure a high quality connection for our customers every time.
  • Reliability – Conference call providers will also cut corners on their back up systems in order to save money.  Zip Conferencing has back up conference call equipment connected to its network in order to provide seamless service in the event of an equipment failure.  In addition, we have generator and battery back ups for power insurance and redundant network connections to multiple providers for consistent network connectivity.
  • Support – Not all conference call providers have a full service and support process in place.  You will find limited support and in many cases no help from within your conference call.  Zip Conferencing has 24/7 service and will even join you on your conference call if you need assistance.  Whenever you reach out for assistance you will find us ready and eager to help with your conference call needs.

So no, all conference call providers are not the same.  If you look closely you can see the differences and you will see Zip Conferencing looking better than ever.

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Low Cost Conference Calls Provide Powerful Business Tool to All

December 9th, 2010

It wasn’t too long ago that I was with a conference call services provider and we were offering low cost conference calls for 50 cents per minute. And at that rate we were saving customers of AT&T over 40%! Well, even at that rate conference calls were easily justified to large businesses because of the savings they recognized in travel and the increased productivity. But now, with toll free conference calls priced less than 10 cents per minute, this powerful business tool is available to businesses of all sizes.

There was a time when the majority of my customers had over 50 employees. But low cost conference calls has really changed that dynamic. Now there is a much wider mix of companies utlizing low cost conference calls. I have many 1 – 3 employee companies who have realized that conference calls can help them be more productive and provide a very important communication link to their customers. Small home construction companies are using conference calls to keep their customers up to speed on their home building developments and coordinating with building supply vendors to make selections for their home. Small Accounting firms and CPAs are using low cost conference calls to keep their customers informed and to have meetings with investment firms and attorneys with their customers. Small law firms are using low cost conference calls to hold conference calls with opposing council and their customers.

And not only have low cost conference calls now opened up the advantages of conference calling to businesses of all sizes but the service itself is richer than ever. Zip Conferencing allows its customers to customize their conference calls in such a way that they have full control over all of the facets of the conference call. With Zip Conferencing you can decide whether participants are announced into the conference call with a tone, their name or not at all. Customers can have their participants listen to music or provide them the ability to speak without the moderator present and engage a number of security measures to insure their privacy on the conference calls. And much more. So now companies of all sizes have the same high quality, feature rich conference call services available to them as large companies. And with small companies the ability to save money on travel and be more productive are no less important than to large companies.

Low cost conference calls have truly leveled the playing field for companies of all sizes in many ways.

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Residential Conference Calls help bring Families Together for the Holidays

November 23rd, 2010

They are reporting that 40 million people will travel for Thanksgiving, but many families just can’t get together for a variety of reasons which makes residential conference calls important around the holidays. No doubt you have been on a business conference call at one time or another. For businesses the conference call has become an essential tool that provides savings in time and money and makes meetings possible that otherwise would not be due to the location of the participants. Residential conference calls fill the same need for families that would like to get together but just can’t physically get in the same location.

There are a number of reasons that families need to get together like a family emergency, a birth or death in the family, a wedding or around the holidays. With Thanksgiving this week many family members will make the trek to be with their family despite all of the travel hassles and expense to get there. And there is no substitute for sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner with your family. But just as many people who travel can’t make the trip for one reason or another.

Usually when a family member can’t make it we give them a call and pass the phone around the room so everyone can speak tot hem. Then when the call is over we try to piece together all that was spoken of to all the different people. Why not use a residential conference call and get everyone in the same place at the same time?

Residential conference calls can be very affordable because the number of participants is usually small since many members of the family are probably in one place and you are just trying to include the few people who couldn’t make it into your gathering. With only two or three participants total you can hold a residential conference call with Zip Conferencing for an hour for less than $10. You could even include the missing members at your table to enjoy the entire meal if you want for less than the cost of desert!

So, this holiday season if everyone can’t make it to your house why not try a residential conference call, the next best thing to being there.

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Business Conference Calling in any Economy

November 15th, 2010

I get asked all the time “How’s Business?” and since I became involved int he conference calling business in 1995 the answer has remained the same, “Business is Great!”.  That is because business conference calling makes good sense in any economy.  Certainly since 1995 I have been through growth economies and recessions and the growth of business conference calling has not really changed.  Why is that?  Well, let’s examine what is going on for businesses in a growth economy and a down economy ans see why business conference calling continues to grow in either economic condition.

Downturn in the Economy - Over the past couple of years during the recession business conference calling has continued to grow.  That is because businesses are trying to save time and money.  Saving money is easy to understand when the economy is bad.  Businesses are generally selling less and trying to conserve cash until sales pick up.  But most businesses still have to continue to sell what they can and spend less doing it.  Because business conference calling saves a lot of money compared to conducting in person meetings businesses are happy to spend money on conference calls.  When you think about the cost of getting people together, especially when they are located a great distance apart you can see why spending money on conference calls makes sense.  And in addition to saving money on travel, business conference calling save a great amount of time as well.  In a down economy businesses are trying to do with less resources because sales are off and they can’t afford to carry the same staff.  But they still have work to do and meetings to attend with customers and prospects.  Business conference calling really helps businesses to put what resources they have on the job and spread those resources over more responsibilities.  Someone can sit at their desk and through business conference calling attend meetings across the country all day.

Growing Economy – In a growing economy companies are trying everything they can think of to get the most out of the situation.  And many times the growth in the economy follows a period of downturn in the economy.  During the downturn businesses have laid people off and now they are trying to keep up with the growth with the resources they have so business conference calling can really help.  Someone can get more work done than if they attempted to attend all of the business meetings in person.  Sales can get to more prospects in a day using business conference calling than if they tried to attend all meetings in person.  And even in a growing economy saving money is always welcome.  So if your business is trying to get more done with less resources and save money doing it business conference calling makes all the sense in the world.

So it really doesn’t matter what the economy is doing.  Business conference calling continues to grow because it makes a lot of sense to businesses of all sizes.

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Conference Call Pricing Made Easy

November 8th, 2010

For something like conference calls you would not think that you could have so many way to price the service. Conference call pricing does not need to be so mysterious. There are just a few things to keep in mind when shopping for conference calls so you can be sure you are looking at an apples to apples comparison of conference call pricing.

  • Toll vs. Toll Free – The first thing to verify is whether the conference call pricing you are looking at is for toll or toll free access.  Toll access means that you and your participants have to dial a local number somewhere in the country to connect to the conference call.  You and your participants will be charged by your long distance phone company for calling that number the entire time you are on the conference call.  Depending on what kind of rate plan you may have this can be substantially more than getting a toll free plan.  These hidden charges can be costly and embarrassing.  Do you want your customer to get a bill to join your conference call?  All of the rates quoted for Zip Conferencing are for toll free access.  No hidden charges.
  • Number of Participants – One of the ways that some conference call service companies reduce their conference call pricing is by reducing the number of participants that can join a conference call at any one time.  And you may not need 300 participants at a time like Zip Conferencing offers.  But the reason that other companies limit the number of participants is that they have limited capacity and they are trying to get by with less equipment.  The real problem here is whether any capacity will be available when you need it.  Zip Conferencing maintains an abundance of capacity and is constantly adding to insure the capacity will be there when you need it.
  • Billing – Companies that offer discounts in conference call pricing will limit the choices you have for invoicing as well.  Many of these providers will require you to sign a long term contract or buy a prepaid amount of minutes.  Most will not offer corporate billing where you can pay by company check.  Zip Conferencing has no contracts and also has a pay by company check option for corporate accounts.
  • Features – One if the biggest places where conference call service providers will cut corners is with features.  Conference call pricing with these companies is low but you can’t record the conference call or access many of the features you may be used to.  With Zip Conferencing you can customize your conference call and access a myriad of features just like premium priced conference call services.
  • Customer Service – And of course, if you need customer service with many of the companies with low conference call pricing, you may be out of luck.  With Zip Conferencing we offer customer service 24/7 including operator assistance during the conference call itself.

So if you are looking for good honest conference call pricing made easy try Zip Conferencing.  You will not be disappointed in the quality, reliability or service you receive.

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International Conference Calls are More Popular

October 29th, 2010

Ever since we introduced easier ways to do international conference calls their usage has increased.  But it seems like lately more and more people are doing international conference calls.  When you look at the factors influencing the usage of international conference calls it is no wonder they are more popular.

  • Businesses are more Global in Nature – Over the past twenty years businesses have been expanding and looking for new markets.  So, naturally businesses have looked globally to expand their businesses.  In order to stay in touch with these remote office international conference calls have become essential to managing their global footprint.
  • Travel is more Expensive – Conference calls have always offered a way to save money on travel.  If you have offices internationally and international conference call provides a great opportunity to save even more money since travel overseas can be very expensive.
  • Time is more Valuable – Visiting your office in Europe or AsiaPac can be great but when you think about the time it takes to make the trip it can be a bit daunting.  International conference calls provide a way to stay in touch with your international business right from your desk.  No time wasted in airports and hotels.
  • Budgets are Tight – In today’s economy more than ever we are all looking for ways to save money.  International conference calls put money instantly on your bottom line that otherwise would go towards the travel expense of going to your international locations in person.  And Zip Conferencing offers ways for the international participants to connect to the conference call inexpensively as well.

So it really is no wonder that international conference calls are becoming more popular with businesses today.  And with Zip Conferencing you can provide your international participants a local number to dial into which is more convenient for them, less costly and will also save you  money on your conference call bill.  International conference calls with Zip Conferencing can be accessed through international toll free numbers as well for participants that are not located near a major city.  Whatever your application Zip Conferencing has a solution that will fit for your international conference calls.

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Cheap Conference Calls are Great if you get Quality Too

October 28th, 2010

Everyone likes to save money and conference calls are no different. There are a lot of cheap conference calls out there but make sure you get quality too or you will be disappointed. That’s right cheap conference calls are everywhere. You can even get free conference calls if you want. So what is the difference? Are all conference calls the same? If I buy cheap conference calls will the quality always be poor?

  • Free Conference Calls – As you might suspect, free conference calls are not really free.  The catch here is that you and your participants have to pay toll charges to connect to the conference call because they don’t provide a toll free number.  And do you really think that someone who gives away their service is going to provide a high level of quality?  Really?
  • Are all conference calls the same? – The short answer to this question is no, all conference calls are not the same.  The conference call service provider has everything to do with how the call sounds, how reliable the service is and what customer service they provide.  In this case what you don’t know can hurt you.  If the conference call service company cut corners setting up their network or used inferior equipment you could find yourself with an inferior connection.
  • Cheap conference calls – You can find a high quality cheap conference call but you need to know what to look for.  Zip Conferencing has taken steps to insure that the quality of the conference calls are as good as any conference call service available.  You can for yourself and experience the quality of the calls.  In addition, you should look for a service that offers as many conference call options and features as other services.  You don’t want to find yourself without being able to access features like recordings and roll call because you wanted to save some money.

The bottom line is that you want to shop quality first in a conference call service.  Cheap conference calls can be quite good but look for a reputable provider like Zip Conferencing that will give you all of the features and conference call options you need and the high quality and reliability you deserve.

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Why a Regular Telephone Conference Call still makes Sense

October 22nd, 2010

When I tell people what I do for a living I am still amazed that people don’t know that companies like Zip Conferencing exist. Most people do a telephone conference call on a regular basis or have certainly been on one recently but don’t know where they come from. I guess many of these people are in a company where the buying decision for conference call services is made by someone else and they just know how easy it is to get on a telephone conference call. And that is why a regular telephone conference call still makes the most sense.

Let’s face it, technology has come a long way in the past 15 years since I started my career in teleconferencing so why is the regular telephone conference call still growing in use? Well, in the past 15 years I have heard the prediction of the demise of the telephone conference call with the invention of every new group communication technology that has come along. But there are several reasons why the regular telephone conference call is still the easiest, most convenient and least expensive way for a group of people to get together.

  • Universal Connectivity- A telephone conference call uses a device that everyone is familiar with, the telephone.  You don’t have to teach people how to use a telephone and these days most people know how to connect to a conference call as well.  And with a telephone conference call all you need is a telephone.  And any telephone will do.  When I started in 1995 we still had to help people who had rotary phones onto conference calls that require you to enter a pass code but that is no longer the case.  And cell phones were not as reliable as they are today and would cause issues on conference calls as well.  But today any telephone can connect to a conference call with ease.
  • Easy to Use- With the invention of reservationless pass code entry telephone conference calls the usage in conference calls skyrocketed.  That’s because the industry made the service easy to use.  And over the years it has exposed just about everyone to a universal method of joining a telephone conference call.  Everyone pretty much knows that you have to dial an access number and then put in a pass code to connect to a conference call.  There is no need to get participants to learn a new technology or download something onto their computers.
  • Convenient- Today you can access a telephone conference call from anywhere in the world from any telephone.  You don’t have to worry if you can get an Internet connection or anything.  All you need to do is make a telephone call and you can connect to a telephone conference call.  So, you can be travelling, at home or in the office and connect to the conference call.  So it is convenient to the host and participants alike.

So, despite all of the predictions about its early death, telephone conference calls still make the most sense if you want to hold a group meeting with people in disparate locations.  And until they replace the telephone it will continue to be the group meeting method of choice.

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A good Conference Call Rate is just the Beginning

October 21st, 2010

I know.  The way the economy has been the last couple of years the price is very important.  And I agree.  Even with something as important as a conference call the rate is an important factor in deciding who to choose for a conference call service provider.  With Zip Conferencing the conference call rate is just the beginning.

At Zip Conferencing we believe that you should be able to get a quality conference call service and a good conference call rate.  In fact, our company was designed from the ground up to do just that.  First, we installed nothing but the latest equipment and connected it to the best phone networks available.  The quality of the conference call itself is the single most important factor in providing our customers a quality experience.  We also made sure that the equipment and network were fully backed up with hot stand by equipment and power back up to make sure the service is available 100% of the time.  Next, we designed our systems around the customer experience to provide a better way for our customers to maintain their accounts.  For this, we installed an online account interface that allows our customers to access their accounts themselves.  In addition, we gave our customers the ability to customize their own experience by giving them access to many of the popular conference options and letting them decide how their conference call should run.  For all of these features a conference call rate was not considered because we believe you need to have a quality experience above all else.

To mkae sure you get a conference call rate we did, however, design our company differently than other conference call service providers.  The main difference you will find is that we have automated all of the back office processes to keep costs down.  We also do not have expensive offices or field sales people.  Do you really need to see a salesperson in order to get your conference call service?  I think not.  We do not print paper bills which is not just environmentally friendly but saves money as well.  But none of the changes we have made to give you a good conference call rate diminish your experience.  We still provide 24/7 customer service and the highest quality conference calls and web conferences available in the market today.  But with our lower overhead we can also give you the best conference call rate available today.

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A Conference Call for a Company Announcement

October 18th, 2010

A customer recently called and needed to speak to all of their employees quickly in order to make an announcement about the acquisition of the company.  They are not a regular conference call user but thought that it may suit their needs.  Well, needless to say, this company was so impressed by the capabilities of our service they have since become a regular user of conference calls for more applications within their business.  Why are conference calls so well suited to making a company announcement?

Many times a company announcement is necessary to quickly get the word out to employees about an important milestone in your company’s history. A conference call is best suited for these types of announcements because it would otherwise be impossible in most cases to get the employees together quickly. Many times the employees are scattered around the country or around the world and just can’t physically get together that easily. Then there is the cost of getting everyone together. Even if you have the time to pull everyone together the cost of getting a group of employees together can be exorbitant. A conference call allows you to get the employees together quickly and easily for a relatively small amount of money.

Depending on the size of the group you may want to customize your conference call with some features that will make the call a success. With Zip Conferencing you can do this yourself by selecting the conference options you want on the conference call through your own interface. A couple of options I would recommend would be the Music on Hold option and silence entry and exit. Music on Hold makes it so your participants will listen to music until the moderator joins the conference call. Otherwise a large group of participants will be making noise and your audience will wonder when the conference call will begin. Entry and exit tones silenced for the conference call will also reduce distracting noises for the participants and the moderator alike. Another conference call option you may want use is muting all participants. As moderator of the call you have the ability to mute all participants on the conference call. That way your audience will not hear any distracting noises while you make your announcement. After you have made your announcement you can then open up the lines for questions or comments.

With Zip Conferencing you can host up to 300 participants on a conference call and do a company announcement without having to pull all of the employees together.

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Conference Calls Are the Best Option

September 24th, 2010

I was speaking to someone yesterday and he asked me what I do and when I said that I run a conference call business he could not say enough about what a benefit conference calls have had on his business.  I love talking to people about conference calls because it is usually a very positive conversation.  I ended up talking to this gentleman for a while about how his company uses conference calls and I thought I would share some of his thoughts with you.

One of his first reactions was to tell me how much his company spends on conference calls which is not uncommon.  But he quickly turned that part of the conversation into how much money his company was saving by doing conference calls instead of travelling.  Like  all companies, he is trying to keep his costs down and reducing the travel budget by using conference calls instead is a great way to do that.  He did some quick calculations in his head and told me that his company was literally saving millions of dollars by doing conference calls.  And then the conversation turned to  how people in his company including himself are also using conference calls to increase productivity because it was so easy to pull a meeting together.  A quick meeting with a conference call usually averted issues and kept projects moving forward that otherwise would get bogged down.  And he said that many times they would hold a conference call as an adjunct to a physical meeting in a conference room and give people the choice of joining in person or on the conference call.  And even though the physical meeting may only be down the hall many time the participants would join via conference call so that they could stay at their desk and be productive.

And finally he asked if I did video conferencing and I said no but we offer a service that allows you to share a presentation on your PC and he immediately knew what I was referring to, web conferencing.  To this he said how web conferencing has really enhanced the way his company presents its services to new customers and ultimately has increased sales.  And he said they also use web conferencing internally to collaborate and do training.  At the end of the conversation I told him I could not have found a better pitch man for the benefits of conference calls.  And he said he did not realize how much conference calls were intertwined with his business until he started talking about it but certainly did not know what he would do without it.  Without a doubt, conference calls are the best option. 

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls and Vacation

August 27th, 2010

Okay, I know its summertime and the last thing you want to do on vacation is work.  And conference calls are usually about work in some way or another.  So why would someone want to do a conference call while on vacation?  Well some people have a hard time relaxing on vacation because their mind is on their work the whole time.  Maybe you own your own business or you are in charge of a group or a large project that just happens to be in a critical phase while you are on vacation.  You certainly don’t want to cancel your vacation or go into the office do you?  A conference call is a way to stay in touch remotely and take a minimum amount of time out of your day.  

Conference calls are easy to do and can be done from anywhere.  These days it is hard to find a spot where your cell phone doesn’t work.  To attend that critical meeting remotely you simply need to dial a toll free number and put in your pass code when prompted and you are on the conference call.  I had a friend visiting us and needed to stay close to the implementation of a large customer he was responsible for in his business.  Just being on vacation was not relaxing to him because this customer was very important to him.  Once I explained how easy it was to set up a conference call, however, he was able to relax knowing he could still attend the meeting without missing out on too much fun.  He did have to go to his car in the parking lot at the beach to dial into the conference call so he could participate in the conference call without any interruptinion, but it was much better than the alternative.  He only missed about 45 minutes on the beach with his family and was able to truly relax once he was able to participate in the meeting.  Without conference calls he would have been uncomfortable all vacation or had to stay home to attend the meeting.

So, I know conference calls are an extension of work and work on vacation is something we all try to avoid.  But isn’t it better than having to attend the meeting in person?  And in a lot of cases it is worth attending that meeting remotely while on vacation so that you can relax.  So, relax.  Go on vacation.  And if you really need to, do a conference call.

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Conference calls because of a volcano?

May 10th, 2010

Okay, I have been in the conference call industry since 1995 and I have seen a lot of applications for conference calls.  There have also been events that have triggered the use of conference calls like 9/11, but I have to admit this is the first time I have seen an increase in conference calls because of a volcano.  But then the volcano in Iceland obviously caused a lot more interruptions than any other volcano in recent history.  And when travel is interrupted the use of conference calls goes up.  And it always seems that when people are forced to use conference calls and web conferencing because of an event they realize how easy the services are to use and how effective they can be at allowing you to have a distance meeting.

And why wait for a volcanic eruption to discover how conference calls can save you time, money and increase your productivity?  Businesses have discovered for a long time that using conference calls and web conferencing to replace some of your in person meetings is not just he practical thing to do but simply a good business decision.  Let’s face it, most meetings we have are not necessary to have in person.  You are simply communicating with people you know and sharing ideas, advancing a project or doing a presentation.  Unless you need to do something physically with the participants or desire to shake hands all of this can be done remotely.  And even as a staunch promoter of conference calls I understand that sometimes you need to get together with the other participants to build a relationship.  And doing that remotely is difficult if not impossible.  So, have your initial meeting in person, break some bread but then have the next meeting by way of a conference call or web conference.  All of the participants will be thankful of the time saved in getting together physically.

So, don’t wait for the volcano to make you try a conference call or a web conference.  It is time to incorporate distance meetings into your regular way of doing business.  And then if something happens that prevents your next inperson meeting you will not feel the impact.  You and your participants will be thankful for the conference calls!

 

Conference calls and web conferences can truly offer a reliable substitute for in person meetings.  I certainly agree that there is no substitute for sitting around a conference table together

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Conference Calls for Earth Day

April 22nd, 2010

Earth Day reminds us to do whatever we can to help save our environment because its resources are limited and fragile.  And one of the things we now understand is reducing our “carbon footprint”.  This means to reduce our emissions and use of resources and one of the easiest ways to do this is to reduce our travel whether it is by car, train or plane.  There is no easier way to reduce your business travel then to replace your in person meetings with a conference call or a web conference.

In person meetings are great.  You get to shake hands, look people in the eye and connect with others the way you can’t when you are on a remote meeting.  But every meeting doesn’t need to be in person.  If you know the people you are meeting with and have met before you don’t really need to meet in person every time.  And by doing some of your meetings by way of conference calls and web conferencing you can hold just as effective a meeting as if you were in person without the travel expense and do your part to reduce your carbon footprint.  Holding a conference call or web conference has never been easier.  Services are widely available, affordable and very easy to use.  At this point just about everyone has been on a conference call that utilizes a toll free number and a pass code.  You simply dial the access number and put in your code and you are connected to the other people that did the same.  You can meet with hundreds of people at once if you like and you can meet any time you like.  A web conference is just as easy and allows you to share your desktop or do a presentation from your PC as easily as if the people were in the same room.  You can even use a camera and send participants your own video feed if you really want to add that in person feeling.   And while you are being a good steward of the Earth you also will be saving a good amount of money and time using conference call services as an alternative.

If only a fraction of meetings today were replaced with conference calls and web conferencing we would save millions of tons of carbon emissions.  And lets face it, there are a lot of meetings that are not worth the gas to get there. 

And using a conference call instead of driving to an appointment is many times just a matter of thinking to do it.  So on Earth Day it gives us one more reason to think to do a conference call benefiting everyone concerned, even the Earth.

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Interactive Web Conferencing

April 15th, 2010

As web conferencing has become more popular chances are that you have attended an online seminar where the presentation has been done via web conferencing.  Usually you are simply sitting in the audience on a conference call listening while watching the presentation on the web conference with little or no interaction with the speaker.  Although this is the most used method of web conferencing, the people who first came up with the idea had much bigger plans for web conferencing.

When web conferencing was first invented a lot of effort was made to make the service a collaborative tool where people could work on a document together from great distance.  This ability to collaborate was seen as the the killer application.  The adoption of web conferencing services is more and more widespread but interactive web conferencing is still lagging in its use overall.  Here are some of the features that allow for interactive web conferencing.

  • Application Sharing – Application sharing provides users the ability to share their desktop with the other participants on the web conference and permits any participant to control another computer.  This means that participants can actually control a document or spreadsheet and input or edit data on it.  Much like you would pass around a piece of paper in an in person meeting for people to mark up, you can actually change the document on the fly while on the web conference.
  • Whiteboarding- This application permits participants to mark up a virtual whiteboard seen by all participants while on an interactive web conference.  Much like someone would go up to a whiteboard to discuss things while in a conference room, participants can easily do the same on the web conference.
  • Polling/Q&A – Even a presentation can be an interactive web conference through the use of polling and Q&A features.  By engaging the audience you will have a more stimulating meeting and have better retention of the material.  Polling permits you to survey your audience during an interactive web conference and the Q&A feature allows you to conduct an orderly Q&A session for the presentation.

It seems that maybe people don’t work in a collaborative manner and allowing someone to control your PC is a little scary to some people as well.  But even if you are only doing a presentation using a web conferencing service you can make it an interactive web conference by adding polling and Q&A to your web conference.  You will find that the more you can make it an interactive web conference the more your participants will stay engaged with your presentation.

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Conference Call Provider

April 6th, 2010

The simple definition of a  conference call provider is a company that owns and maintains conference call service equipment and provides access for its customers to the equipment for a fee.  But what are all of the responsibilities of a conference call provider?  Is simply providing access to the conference call equipment enough?

Conference calls have become an important piece of business services that is now used around the world to help people communicate.  A conference call provider plays a role in each of its customers’ businesses that it cannot ignore.  Vital communications are being done everyday via conference calls and the responsibility to provide a reliable, high quality conference call service cannot be taken lightly.  There are many different options for conference call equipment and the way the telecommunications network that is set up on the equipment.  The level of service provided its customers is as varied as the equipment and the pricing options available can be confusing as well.  When selecting a conference call provider you should consider the following points.

  • Conference Call Equipment – Is the equipment the latest equipment available?  Are there back up systems available in case of an outage?  How much capacity does the conference call provider have?
  • Service Availability – Does the conference call provider have personnel available 24/7 to assist you in case there is a question or issue?  Can you easily reach someone from within the conference call?
  • Features – Does the conference call provider have the features you expect?  Can you customize the way your conference call works?
  • Support – Does the conference call provider have adequate support documentation?  Do they offer personal service representatives?

A conference call provider should be considered your partner in your business and provide a service that you are proud of because the conference calls you hold for your business are a reflection on you.  You cannot afford to have an issue in the middle of an important business discussion.  The conference call service needs to be available and provide a clear reliable connection.  And if there is ever any kind of an issue you need to be able to get assistance easily from the provider.  So, taking a little time up front to investigate the provider will pay dividends for a long time to come.

Zip Conferencing provides reliable, high quality conference calls for less.  If you spend the time to compare Zip Conferencing to other conference call providers you will see that Zip Conferencing is hard to beat.  The latest conference call equipment, installed directly on carrier networks provide feature rich conference calls.  Dedicated 24/7 support insures that you will be supported regardless of your needs.

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Conference Call Bridge

March 30th, 2010

A conference call bridge is the name for the piece of telecommunications equipment that enables multiple participants from various telephone connections to be placed into the same call to create a conference call.  If you do a significant amount of conference calling you may think that buying your own conference call bridge would end up being a good investment because you could reduce your costs for conference calls.  Here are a few things that you will need to consider if you think about buying a conference call bridge yourself.

  • Equipment Cost – First thing is the cost of the equipment.  The cost of conference call bridges has come down over the years but the cost of a conference call bridge like the ones used by conference call service companies is still hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Telecommunications Connections – You will need to dedicate telecommunications connections to the conference call bridge.  There is a cost to just maintain the connections to the conference call bridge.
  • Equipment Maintenance- You will need to pay the manufacturer of the conference call bridge equipment a maintenance fee to keep the hardware and software up to date.
  • Support Cost – You will need to pay for support on the conference call bridge equipment in case there is an issue.  Typically this may be included for the first year in your maintenance cost.
  • Internal Support – You will need someone in your organization to maintain the conference call bridge.  No matter how self serving the equipment is you will need someone to play administrator for the conference call bridge.
  • Long Distance Cost – There is a variable telecommunications cost for having toll free access and you will need to pay the long distance connection per minute charges for your participants to get to the conference call bridge.

So when you add up all of the cost to run your own conference call bridge you may find that the cost per minute to operate your own equipment may be higher than if you use a conference call service.  Especially now that the conference call rates are as low as they are it really is hard to justify having your own conference call bridge.

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Residential Conference Calls

March 29th, 2010

Just about everyone has done a conference call in their business life.  Conference calls have become universally known for their convenience and ability to save people time and money compared to an in person meeting.  But can you also use a conference call service for your residential conference call needs?  Sure you can, here are some of the uses we have seen for residential conference calls.

  • Family Party Planning – Many times you may want to have a party with your family and you need to work on logistics like during the holidays.  If you have a dispersed family and you need to get everyone on the same page a conference call will allow you to get all of the family members on the same page.
  • Family Emergencies- If you have a family emergency you need to deal with such as a death or hospitalization of a family member and you need to coordinate with the other family members you can do a conference call to get together more easily.
  • Birth of a child – A new family member is a great excuse to get everyone on the phone so you can celebrate with everyone in the family.
  • Local Organization – If you have a local club or organization that you organize you can use a conference call to coordinate your efforts with the other members of the organization.

Basically, anything you can think of where you need to get multiple parties together to discuss something you can coordinate with a conference call.  Conference call rates have gotten low enough where even for residential conference calls it makes sense rather than an in person meeting if you would like to save money and time.

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Free Conference Call Services

March 17th, 2010

So, you think you want free conference call services?  Think again!  Like most things in life, nothing really comes for free.  And before you risk your reputation and business you will want to understand what free conference call services are all about. 

When the first free conference call service was introduced everyone in the conference call industry kind of shrugged and figured everyone would understand the deficiencies with the service and steer clear of them.  Well, free conference call services have survived because everyone likes something “free” so its attraction can not be underestimated.  But, is it truly free?  And what is the difference between free conference call services and paid conference call services?  Here are the details behind free conference call services.

  • Free Doesn’t mean No Cost- True, after the conference call is over you may not owe the free conference call service provider anything, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t cost you anything.  That is because all free conference call service providers give you a local number to access your conference call.  That “local” number is usually not local for anyone on the conference call which means you and you participants have to make a long distance call to connect to your conference.  Do you want your customer or prospect to get long distance charges on their phone bill for attending your conference call?
  • Will it be available when you dial in – The way a free conference call service company makes money is by getting the termination fee for having you call into a location where long distance providers pay the local telephone company to terminate the call.  The amount they are paid is very small so they can’t afford the best conference call equipment and have a limitation on capacity.  There is no guarantee that when you call in for your conference call that the capacity will be there for you.  Do you want to chance having the conference call available?
  • Toll Free at a Price – You can usually get a toll free access number for your conference call, but you will pay for it.  And if you find that if you shopped around the competition you could find a better toll free conference call rate from a company with better features and more reliable conference call equipment.
  • Support is Not Free – And if you need any support, how much support do you expect if the service is free? 

So, if you want to make sure your conference call is there when you need and not get hit with hidden charges you may want to examine what it means to be a free conference call service.

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Audio Conferencing Services

March 15th, 2010

A term used in the teleconferencing industry to describe telephone conference calls is audio conferencing.  We adopted this term to distinguish the normal conference call from a web conference.  And truth be told the term “audio” is used to describe something you listen to so it makes sense.  It is just not a word that people use everyday so many times people are confused when I talk about audio conferencing. 

Audio conferencing is just another way of saying conference call and specifically is describing a conference call on a telephone whose main communication method is using sound/speech over the telephone.  An audio conference today has become a fairly standard offering as far as the way it works and many of its features.  Generally, an audio conference is held by dialing an access number and then putting in a pass code when you are connected to the conference call service equipment.  The conference call service equipment then places you in the appropriate conference call based on the pass code you input.  Basically all of the participants that enter that code will be placed into the same conference call.  Most conference call services will provide a separate pass code for the Host of the call so they can access certain features within the conference call.

The most common features available to the Host on a conference call are the ability to mute all participants, raise and lower the volume and disconnect some or all of the participants.  Some conference call service companies will offer additional features like the ability to conduct a roll call and even record the conference call.  Zip Conferencing offers these features and more.

So, if you hear of someone referring to an Audio Conference you know it is just a plain old conference call.

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International Conference Calls

March 12th, 2010

As US Businesses expand into international markets and the world continues to shrink we get more and more inquiries from people who want to do international conference calls.  It used to be that we would get a company that had a participant in England or somewhere in Western Europe, but now participants are all over the world and it is only natural that companies would like to do an international conference call.  So, what are the options if you have participants for a conference call in an international location?  Well, there really are three options available from conference call service companies to do international conference calls.

  • Local US Number – Since the international participant cannot dial a US toll free number, most conference call service companies also provide a local US number to dial in order to access the conference call.  Since it is a local US number the international conference call participant can dial it from anywhere in the world and access the conference call.  The only catch with this method of access is that the international participant is going to pay long distance toll charges to dial a US number and will pay those charges to their long distance phone company for the entire time they are on the conference call.  If the participant is an employee and has a good calling plan to dial the US this may be the least expensive option.  Usually the cost to the Host of the conference call is the same or less than the toll free access for US participants.
  • Local In-Country Number – Some conference call service companies have set up local access in foreign countries where the international participant can dial in to a US conference call by dialing a local number where they are located.  So, if the participant was in London, for example, they would dial a local London phone number and the conference call service company then transports the caller to the US conference call via their network.  The international participant usually doesn’t have to pay any charges to access a local number and the Host of the conference call in the US usually pays a little more than the local US number access but less than an international toll free number.
  • International Toll Free Number – An international toll free number is by the far the most convenient, but also the most expensive option for access to an international conference call.  There is no universal toll free access available so you need to dial a specific toll free number from a particular country.  But you can dial the number anywhere in that country and the participant will pay nothing to access the US conference call.  But this type of access is the most expensive for the Host of the conference call.  If the participant for the conference call is a customer or a prospective customer and you want to make sure they do not spend anything to access your conference call then this might be the best option for you.

International conference calls are now widely used and there are a variety of ways to connect to the call from around the world.  Zip Conferencing offers all three types of access with over 40 local numbers and 40 toll free numbers around the world providing access throughout all major markets around the world.

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Conference Call Price Comparison

March 10th, 2010

It would be very easy to offer a conference call price comparison if conference calling prices were like long distance calling.  Long distance calling is all pretty much the same and priced the same.  A long distance call simply connects you to another location and every company prices that connection on a per minute basis, or used to anyway.  But the point is there is not a lot of difference in the service or price of the service.  For a conference call price comparison you need to understand the differences in the services so you can understand the pricing.  Only then can you do an apples to apples price comparison.  Here are the main areas where you need to investigate a conference call service companies offer.

  • Toll or Toll Free – One of the ways many conference call service companies  offer a low rate is by providing a low rate for Toll Access to the conference call.  The problem with this type of access is that you and your participants are incurring hidden charges in the form of long distance charges for connecting to this local or toll number which is not local to you.  Especially if you are inviting customers to the call you do not want them to incur any toll charges to connect to your conference call.
  • Flat Rate – Some conference call service companies offer a flat monthly rate for unlimited conference calls.  There are two issues with this type of conference call access.  The first is you are usually limited in the number of participants who can join the call.  The second is you are going to access the conference call via a toll or local number and incur those long distance charges.  Toll free access is like a long distance call and costs the conference call service company so you will not see it offered for a flat rate.
  • Monthly Subscription Plans – Some conference call service companies offer a discount if you subscribe to a monthly plan.  You should take advantage of these plans if you can but make sure to select a plan that fits your usage pattern and calculate the rate based on the minutes you will do for comparison purposes.
  • Volume Discounts – Some conference call service companies offer a volume discount based on reaching a certain amount of volume.  This is good, but make sure your price comparison is based on your usage pattern as many people do not generate as much conference call volume as they think.

The best way to do a conference call price comparison is to first determine what your usage is or is going to be and then boil down offers to a per minute rate.  I would recommend you only use the toll free rate for comparison purposes as this is the way that most people will use the service.  Conference call service companies offer a wide variety of features so you should also make sure they have the features you are looking for as well.

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Free Web Conferencing

March 8th, 2010

One of the surest ways to get traffic to your web site is to give something away for free.  But how is it that a service that a lot of people are willing to pay for can be offered by another company for free.  Well, I have gone through free conference calls before and explained how that can happen, but what about free web conferencing? 

A conference call service company that provides web conferencing to its customers has to pay for a number of things in order to provide the service.  Some of those cost items include the following.

  • Software development – If the conference call service company has developed the service themselves then they had to pay to have the software developed in the first place.  And like any software you develop the development doesn’t end there.  There are on going improvements, bug fixes and so forth to fund.
  • Reseller fees- Some conference call services don’t develop their own software, they simply resell someone elses technology.  In this case there is always a cost to the company who is reselling the service.
  • Hosting environment – If you are supporting your own software you need to have a server or servers depending on the number of users to host the software and make it available to your customers. 
  • Internet Connectivity- If you are hosting your own web conferencing service you need to connect it to the internet and the connection needs to allow many users fast access so you will also need a very good and potentially expensive connection.
  • Support Costs – And like any other conference call service you will need to support your web conferencing service with sales and service personnel.

So, if there are all these costs, how does anyone provide free web conferencing?  Well, some conference call service companies will offer a dumbed down version for free hoping you will upgrade because the free version doesn’t do much.  Or the web conferencing service they offer for free is an old version they no longer support and instead of retiring it they simply give it away so you will come to their site and but the other version.  Either way, if you investigate the free web conferencing versions out there you will see that they are not a full version, current representative of what web conferencing can do.  And it just may not have the reliability and capacity you would expect with a service you pay for.  After all it is free so how hard can you complain?

If you really need a good web conferencing service don’t use a free one.  For a low monthly fee you can have access to a web conferencing service that save you time and money wihtout breaking the bank.

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What is Teleconferencing?

March 4th, 2010

Like anyone else who has been in a technology business for a while you tend to develop your own language.  I am no different.  I have been in the telecommunications industry since 1981 and if any industry has its own language telecommunications certainly does.  The glossary for all the telecommunications acronyms being used would probably be 4 inches thick.  It really is its own language.  Teleconferencing as an off shoot of telecommunications is certainly guilty of this too but certainly not so bad.  But for those novices to teleconferencing, otherwise known as conference calls, I thought it might be helpful to explain a few of the main terms used in the industry to help you better understand what you are dealing with.

  • Access Code (Also known as the Pass Code) -  
    The personal access code that allows you to join a conference call. There are both Host and Guest codes used to access a conference call.
  • Access Phone Number – The telephone number used to reach the teleconferencing equipment where you input your Access Code to enter your conference call.
  • Bridge - The piece of equipment that performs the act of connecting multiple callers on a singe conference call.
  • CSP- This is the acronym for Conference Service Provider.  It refer to the companies that provide conference call services.
  • Digital Record and Playback –  A service offered by conference call service companies that allows you to record your conference call and play it back at a later time.
  • Host – The leader or Moderator of the conference call.
  • Mute- The Mute function on a conference call allows the participants to turn off the ability to be heard during the conference call.  The Host also has the abilitiy to Mute all participants.
  • Reservationless - Reservationless means that no scheduling, reservation or advanced notification is required for this type of conference call.  Once you have the Access number and Pass Code you can hold a conference call whenever you want.
  • Teleconferencing - Otherwise known as conference calling or audio conferencing, it refers to a telephone call where 3 or more people are connected and able to talk to each other at the same time.

This is by no means a complete list of terms used in the conference call service, or teleconferencing industry but this sampling should get you well on your way to being fluent in teleconferencing speak.

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Is there such a thing as too many Conference Calls?

March 2nd, 2010

Over the years the number of conference calls being held has exploded.  It is not hard to imagine why since conference calling saves a company money and time.  But can there be such a thing as too many conference calls?

Let’s face it.  If you work for a company that has integrated conference calls into their culture then you have had those days.  Days where you are jumping from one conference call to another with little break in between.  Such is the nature of conference calling.  You can simply sit at your desk and attend meeting after meeting without leaving your desk.  A conference call saves you the travel time, even if it is down the hall to a conference room, so you can schedule an audio conference back to back with another audio conference and stay on schedule.  One of the reasons companies have adopted conference calls is because they are increasing your productivity without you realizing it.  You can attend more meetings in a day if they are via a conference call and you are saving any travel expenses as well.  But for you the increase in productivity translates into more work.  Not only can’t you get anything done while you are in a meeting whether it is a conference call or in person meeting, but inevitably you get more work to do while in the meeting as well.

So maybe conference calls are too convenient and too easy to use and too inexpensive because if you are on too many conference calls you can’t get anything done.  So even though you have saved all this travel time you now are so loaded with work to do and no time to do it you are struggling and tomorrow there is another slate of conference calls to attend.  Even as a conference call service provider I have to admit that you can have too many conference calls.  But let’s face it.  A conference call is easier to deal with than an in person meeting and after all you just need to say no.  Time management is something everyone can improve on and using your time wisely is all about using all your time as effectively as possible.  And without conference calls time spent travelling to meetings would be completely wasted.  Conference calls are great, just try to tone it down a bit.

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Discounted Conference Calling Services

February 25th, 2010

What goes into the cost of a conference call service?  How good are discounted conference calling services?  Does cheaper conference calls mean bad quality conference calls?  Not necessarily.  If you understand the cost model of a conference call service company you will understand how you can get discounted conference calling services without sacrificing quality and reliability.

  • Sales Cost – A conference call service company that has been in existence for a while probably grew using typical Sales and Marketing efforts with salespeople doing cold calls to produce sales.  That means the conference call service company had to pay salespeople and probably has sales offices around the country or a telemarketing center which has fixed costs that must pay.  A newer conference call service company offering discounted conference calling services can take advantage of internet marketing without the need for a large sales force or remote offices.
  • Operations Cost – The older conference call service equipment requires more personnel to operate than newer equipment.  Operators needed to man the switch and baby site the equipment more than today’s equipment.  A larger group of operators and office space adds costs to the conference call service company.  A newer conference call service company offering discounted conference calling services can avoid some of these costs through more modern, automated equipment that requires less space and maintenance. 
  • Customer Service Cost – An older conference call service company has existing procedures and probably has not automated their operation too much over time.  A newer conference call service company offering discounted conference calling services can automate just about everything and provide the customer the ability to service their own account which reduces the number of customer service people required to service their customers thus reducing cost.
  • Back Office Cost – The older conference call service companies have not automated their billing, collections and other activities and have a higher cost to operate.  A newer conference call service company offering discounted conference calling services can automate billing, collections and virtually all back office operations which greatly reduces the cost to the company.

All of the efforts to reduce cost in a conference call service company do not take away from the quality of the conference call service itself if you do it right.  At Zip Conferencing, you get all of the same services at a discounted rate because we have designed and built a company to provide a high quality service but eliminated a lot of the cost associated with an older conference call service company.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Call Service or the Phone System?

February 23rd, 2010

When I tell people what I do for a living they are surprised that there is an industry that exists to provide conference call services to businesses.  Many people think that the phone company is who provides the service.  Which has always been true.  But private companies have been providing a higher level of service for lower costs since the divestiture of AT&T in the early 1990s.  The other thing that people want to know is why people don’t just use their phone system which usually has the capacity to run a conference call.  Well, there are a number of reasons to use a conference call service instead of a phone system conference button to hold a conference call.

  • Phone systems have capacity issues – Most phone systems can only handle a limited number of participants on a conference call.  And you are also limited by the overall number of phone lines on the system.  If the people in the office are using a number of lines to make calls you may be limited with the number of people you can get on a conference call.
  • Phone systems require you to connect the participants – In order to connect people to a conference call using your phone system you will need to dial out to the participants through the phone system.  You have to get the people on the phone and sometimes they may be on the phone or out of their office and you can reach them by dialing out to them.
  • Call quality on a phone system degrades as you add participants – Phone systems are not made to hold conference calls and as you add participants the voice quality in the conference call degrades.  The more people you add the worse the overall quality of the conference call. 
  • Most people have difficulty operating the conference call function on a phone system – Since there is no standard on how the phone systems assemble a conference call you will need to learn how to assemble a conference call using the phone system.  Most people do not use this function often enough to be proficient at it and are not able to smoothly carry out the procedure.

The bottom line is a phone system does not provide a high quality conference call experience compared to a conference call service.  A good conference call service company provides a service that is easy to use and gives you an experience that is equal in quality to meeting in person.  And at the rates that conference call services are currently available it is no wonder that most people opt to do a conference call using a conference call service instead of a phone system.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Don’t get burned by a Conference Call Service company

February 22nd, 2010

I speak to many customers who come to Zip Conferencing after being “burned” by another Conference Call Service company.  I guess it is a factor of the competitiveness of this business, but I can’t see how tricking your customers is going to help you in the long run.  Here are a few ways you can be misled by a conference call service company.

  • Access is not Toll Free – Many conference call companies including the Free Conference Call companies offer an attractive rate that may look good but actually have hidden charges.  Any conference call service company that pushes a local or toll connection is making you pay long distance charges to connect to your conference calls.  It doesn’t appear on your conference call bill but it will add to your bottom line cost for you and your participants.
  • Long Term Contracts – Some conference call companies will make you sign a long term contract in order to get a good rate for the conference calls.  If your business needs change or your conference call needs change you can find yourself paying a penalty to get out of a contract for services you no longer need.
  • Hidden Charges – Make sure that all of the charges you will get for the service are spelled out ahead of time.  Some conference call companies will fail to tell you about connection charges or set up charges that you did not expect when you signed up for the service.
  • Per Moderator Charges – Some companies will charge you to add users to your account who can hold conference calls.

The bottom line is you need to ask lots of questions when you are investigating which conference call company to choose.  Make sure your are doing an apples to apples comparison so that you can sort through all of the offers to determine who will provide the best conference call service at the best rates for your needs.  Be sure to check out Zip Conferencing and you will find that the rates for the conference call services are straight forward.  There are no set up fees, no contracts and you can cancel at any time.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls during Weather Emergencies

February 9th, 2010

Washington, DC has received a record amount of snowfall this winter and there is more on the way.  Places like Boston and Chicago are used to getting lots of snow and dealing with it.  Washington, DC not so much.  The government and private businesses in the area have been forced to shut down their offices while they try to clean up after the storm.  For most businesses, taking days off for a weather emergency is just not that practical.  Conference calls provide the means to continue to conduct business during a weather emergency.

The benefits of conference calls are evident when the weather is good and people can travel to work and attend face to face meetings.  You get the benefits of saving time, money and increasing your productivity whenever you do a conference call.  But when you have no choice to do an in person meeting, a conference call can really save the day.  I have no doubt that all conference call service companies have seen a rise in usage over the past week due to the weather emergencies experienced from the recent winter storms.  Zip Conferencing certainly has seen more conference calls being conducted.  Conference calls provide the much needed link for companies to continue to conduct regular business during these types of situations.

The best thing to do for your company is to be ready for a weather emergency by enlisting a conference call service and having conference call capability in case of emergency.  Most conference call service companies like Zip Conferencing offer their services on a Pay As You Go basis which means that you will not pay for the service unless you use it.  That way you can have the conference call information on hand and when the emergency happens you are ready.  Certainly using conference calls in your every day business helps at all times and would help you be even more ready if an emergency happens, but even if you only use the conference call service during an emergency it is worth doing.

So, don’t worry about the weather.  You can do a conference call even during the worst weather emergency mother nature has to offer.  Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

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How to Participate on a Conference Call

February 3rd, 2010

I have spent a lot of time talking about how to host an effective conference call.  But what should you do if you are a participant?  In order to have a godd conference call it takes a well prepared host and it also takes participants who know how to behave on a conference call.  Here are a few tips if you are a participant on a conference call that will help you get the most out of the conference call.

  • Be On Time – The first thing you can do as a participant is show up for the conference call on time.  When you don’t show up on time you are showing a lack of consideration for the Host and the other participants alike.  Because even if the Host starts the conference call on time wihtout you or not you are causing a delay and/or an interruption to the meeting.  And you have to assume you were invited to the conference call because you are recognized as a valuable contributor to the conference call.  Given that assumption you need to be on time to the meeting and ready to participate.
  • Be Prepared – Hopefully the Host sent out an agenda for the conference call ahead of time.  At the very least you should have an idea of what the conference call is meant to address and you have a responsibility to be prepared for the meeting.  That could mean reviewing related documents or actually being prepared to present during the conference call.
  • Mute Your Phone – This is not always necessary, but all participants should be aware that even if you are being quiet the other people on the conference call can hear you.  Our conference call service equipment produces a very clear audio connection so even just the typing on your computer is easily picked up by the microphone on your phone and is transmitted across the conference call to all participants.  It is always the best idea to simply mute your phone unless you are speaking.  Most phones these days have a mute button and if not the conference call service should have a way to enter a command through the phone to mute your line.
  • Identify Yourself – On a conference call there is no way for the Host or other participants to identify you unless you do it.  The best practice is to state your name when you are going to speak so people know who is spoeaking.
  • Participate – It is easy to get distracted on a conference cll because you are usually at your desk and still have access to computers, papers, etc.  But you were invited to the meeting because your participation was deemed important and if you were in a face to face meeting you would not even consider answering emails while in the meeting.  So on a conference call participate just like you would in a face to face meeting.

If you treat your participation on a conference call just like you would an in person meeting then your conference call participation will be a success.

www.zipconferencing.com

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A Web Conference is Not that hard to do

February 2nd, 2010

I think that everyone is intimidated by new technology a little bit, but depending on the technology and the known benefits we will tolerate the learning curve.  Web Conferencing is no different.  Web conferencing has been around as a service for about 15 years now and even though its use is now pretty widespread, many people are still afraid to take the plunge.  But if you try a web conference once you will see that it is just not that hard to do.

Basically, anyone who can use a PC can do a web conference.  When the web conferencing services first came out there were downloads and PC settings to worry about just to get the web conference off the ground.  Today, however, starting a web conference is just a few clicks away.  Many of the services, including Zip Conferencing’s, do not require any download as they simply use the software that is already on your computer.  And the web conferencing service is usually integrated with an audio conferencing service, like Zip Conferencing does.  This makes it very simple to hold a remote meeting with a web conference and a audio conference call. 

To conduct a web conference as the Moderator all you have to do is open a browser, log into your web conferencing account, start a meeting by clicking on a start button and then click on Share your Desktop.  The participants on the web conference now see whatever is on your PC.  So to do a web conference presentation you simply need to be able to pull up your PowerPoint presentation, spreadsheet or whatever is part of your presentation and the audience will see it while you speak to them on the conference call.  It really is that easy.

A presentation that has visual elements is more impactful than just a conference call where you only listen to the presenter.  And in some cases you may need to share materials where without a web conference the only way to hold the meeting would be via a face to face meeting.  A web conference saves time, money and increases your productivity.  And it is REALLY easy to do!  So what are you waiting for?  Try a web conference today!

www.zipconferencing.com

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Managing Large Conference Calls

January 22nd, 2010

There was a time when you would not even think about running an automated conference call for 20 or more participants.  If you were going to run a conference call of that size you would run the conference call with the assistance of an operator.  And even today, an Operator Assisted call might be the right conference call solution depending on your application, but the conference call technology has gotten to where running a large automated conference call is manageable if you know a few tricks.

The main problem with running a large conference call is the noise the audience can introduce during the call.  It is bad enough when there are just 4 or 5 participants and one of them introduces noise because they are on a cell phone, rustling papers on their desk, talking to people in their room, etc.  Just imagine having 100 people on the call.  The odds that someone is going to make noise during the conference call are pretty good.  In fact, virtually certain.  So, what can you do to hold an orderly conference call with a large audience?  Here are a few tips to make for a successful large conference call.

  • Turn Off any Tones –  Most conference call service companies provide tones on the conference clal so you know when a participant joins the call.  This is fine when you have 5 people on the conference call, but can be more than a distraction when there are 20 or more.
  • Mute All – The conference calling service should provide  a way to mute all participants as the Moderator of the conference call. 
  • Use an online interface if offered – Some conference call service companies offer an online conference call interface that allows you to see the callers and control the audio portion of the conference call.  This can be very helpful, especially if you intend to open up to questions from the audience.  That way you can see the callers and manage the call easier.
  • Use Web Conferencing – In addition to enhancing your conference call with visual presentations, a web conference can allow you to manage a Q&A session better than just using an audio conference.  With a Web Conference you are giving your participants a way to raise their hand for questions and a way for you to open up an individual line to allow them to ask their question.
  • Practice – The best thing you can do to insure your success with a large conference call is to run a practice session to make sure you are familiiar with all of the conference call controls and how to use them.

If you follow these tips you can run a large conference call successfully without the need to use an expensive Operator Assisted Conference Call.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Call Hosting – Take Control of your Meetings

January 19th, 2010

If you are the organizer of a meeting, you are responsible for the meeting’s success.  When the meeting is a conference call there are a few things you can do to make sure you have an effective meeting.  Just like in a face to face meeting you need to establish control of the meeting right up front so that everyone knows you are in charge and what the ground rules are going to be.  Here are some ways to take control of the conference call if you are the host.

  • Be on Time – Especially as the Host of the conference call it is important that you are on time and that the participants know that the meeting will start on time.  This is respectful of the time of your participants and you will find that over time you will get better participation if they know the conference call will start and end on time.
  • Have an Agenda – Even if it is a skeletal outline of what is to be discussed, an agenda distributed ahead of the conference call will give the participants an opportunity to prepare for the meeting.  Participants are much more likely to participate if they are comfortable with the material being discussed and are ready for the topics.
  • Establish and Hold to a time frame – Make sure that you end the conference call on time.  Many times participants have back to back meetings and ending on time or ahead of schedule will encourage ongoing participation on the conference call. 
  • Eliminate or reduce any noise – With so many conference call participants joining the conference call by using a cell phone these days it is almost impossible for someone to not introduce noise into the conference call.  As a conference call Host you can mute all of the participants if there is no need for active participation in the beginning of your conference call and then open up all of the lines for discussion later in the conference call.  This will eliminate the introduction of any noise into the conference call.  Or you should make sure that participants know to mute themselves unless they are speaking in order to eliminate any introduction of noise into the conference call.
  • Encourage orderly participation – Ask your participants to introduce themselves when they are speaking so that all of the participants on the conference call know who is speaking.  And, as Host it is your job to act as gate keeper for who is speaking as well.
  • Review the Action Items and Next Steps – At the end of the call you should review what was discussed, review any actions items and who is responsible for them and then make sure everyone knows when the next conference call is if necessary.

As Host of the conference call you can ensure your success by taking charge of your meetings.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls for Emergencies

January 14th, 2010

First of all, let me offer my most sincere condolences to all in Haiti who have lost loved ones in this terrible earthquake.  I know that the US and the rest of the world is working as fast as they can speed help to that country and I wish them all the best in this difficult time.  Certainly in a disaster like this many resources have to be pulled together to muster the kind of support necessary to attack the problem.  And a great deal of coordination needs to happen to have all of the resources work effectively together to speed the recovery process.  Conference calls are an excellent way to pull together the various people and agencies to coordinate their efforts.

A major disaster like the one in Haiti does not happen every day, thankfully, but it is easy to see how communication is important to help provide the kind of coordination necessary between the various agencies.  Conference calls allow people to connect without the need to be in person and in this case across the world.  Since conference calls are accessible from around the world there is no limit to the where the people are located on the conference calls.  Participants from various countries can even get together to help coordinate their efforts.

As a small business owner the ability to coordinate global efforts using conference calls probably won’t apply to you.  But having a conference call service ready in case of a disaster for your company is a really good idea.  Emergencies in your business could happen at any time and being able to communicate with the rest of your staff and do it quickly can sometimes mean the difference between a small inconvenience and a total disaster. 

Take for example the case of the wrong price being put into a flyer for your business.  You just figured out that the price that is about to be distributed says $9.99 when it should be $99.99.  Pulling together the Marketing department, the printer and distributor on a conference call may give you an opportunity to head off the distribution before it goes out and determine a good course of action to rectify the situation.  If you had to make separate phone calls instead of pulling together all the parties on a conference call you will lose valuable time.  And in that time you might miss the window of opportunity to head off the distribution of the ad.  This is but one example of an issue that could be dealt with more easily with a conference call.

Whatever business you are in you may at one point experience an emergency that you need to deal with.  Being prepared for that emergency is key because time is short and dealing with the emergency expeditiously can mean the difference between a small issue and a huge emergency.  It costs nothing to get a set of conference call information and keep it at hand for just such an emergency.  Because when time is critical, a conference call can help reduce the time it takes to respond in an emergency situation.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Web Conferencing for Remote Support

January 12th, 2010

Web conferencing has been adopted by sales organizations around the world as a way to do a presentation for a prospect from your desktop,  greatly reducing travel expenses and increasing productivity.  It is also widely recognized for its remote training abilities which allows participants to take a training class without the costly need to travel to a central location.  But another application for web conferencing that is being used, but maybe not as widely known is for the support of customers and employees remotely to troubleshoot software on their desktops.

Since web conferencing allows participants to see each other’s computer screens regardless of the application that is running.  It allows a technical support person to view the PC of a customer or employee which assists them in more easily diagnosing an issue.  A remote participant does not need to try to describe the issue they are having because the technician will be able to see exactly what they are talking about on the web conference.  And if the participant allows it, the technician can even take control of the remote user’s PC and fix the problem while the participant sits back and watches them do the work.

Needless to say, this application for web conferencing is a win-win for the company supporting the product and the customer, since the problem is fixed easily and quickly and any interpretation errors on exactly what the issue is are avoided because the technician is actually viewing the PC themselves.  Like all of the conference call services, the web conferencing in this application saves any travel costs that may have been associated with the service and makes the technician that much more productive since they can handle many of these types of service calls using web conferencing instead of travelling to customer locations.  In many cases, if you are selling your product across the country or around the world, travelling to customer locations to support your product is not even practical.  Especially for a small business that is trying to support their product, web conferencing offers a way to provide their customers an excellent level of service without spending a lot of money.  Supporting your customers using web conferencing just makes good business sense.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Are Conference Calls Too Convenient?

January 8th, 2010

We are more connected than ever before.  Between the email, voice mail and BlackBerry or other PDA it is difficult to escape the endless stream of information from your work and personal life.  It just seems to me we are heading to where there is no escaping work and like many of the other modern day work convenience maybe conference calls are getting too convenient.

Let’s face it, you can do a conference call from anywhere.  Just like you can talk to people from anywhere, I don’t even want to know all the places that calls are done from, conference calls are as convenient as your next cell phone call.  When cell phones first came out the conference call service industry would discourage people from using them on a cell phone because they introduced a lot of noise and the networks were such that a dropped call during the conference call was pretty much a certainty.  So, naturally our customers would call us and complain about the conference call service because they were losing participants during the call of there was a lot of noise on the call.  And inevitably when our operators would join the conference call we would identify the culprit and most times it was a participant on the conference call on a cell phone.  Well that has certainly changed.  Now most of the participants on a conference call are probably on a cell phone.  With the cell phone networks improvement and better equipment you can join and participate on a conference call from anywhere you can get a cell phone signal.  And that is just about anywhere.

And now that people can get you just about anywhere they can also get you just about anytime.  People seem to expect that since you have a cell phone than I should be able to reach anytime, anywhere.  So, before when you would schedule a conference call with Asia, for instance, the participants would schedule the conference call for a time that was good for all concerned, knowing that people needed to be in the office during normal work hours to conduct the call.  But know it seems that people just assume you can get on a call anytime.  My wife, for instance, is regularly asked to attend conference calls with other parts of the world at all hours of the night.  The other night she had three conference calls from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at night with Australia and Asia.  They just don’t seem to think that there are any boundaries since you are always accessible.

So, what do you think?  Are conference calls too convenient?

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Call Security

January 7th, 2010

The big buzz word these days in the news is security, so I thought it might be appropriate to spend a little time to discuss conference call security.  In general conference calls are pretty secure.  It israther difficult to tap into a conference call from the conference call service provider side of things.  The conference call equipment is located in a secure environment, its directly connected to carrier networks and each piece of conference call service equipment has thousands of participants on hundreds of calls.  It would be pretty difficult to tap into a piece of conference call service equipment unless you are an operator for the conference call service company and listen in on a particular conference call.  That having been said, there are some people who want to make sure that their conference call is secure so here are some options on making a conference call even more secure.

  • Change the conference call passcode frequently – Many people use the same conference call pass code for all of their conference calls.  Like any password you have it is good practice to regularly change the passcode so that it cannot be compromised.
  • Add a PIN number to the conference call passcode – With some conference call service companies you can add an additional PIN number for each participant that requires them to input in order to join the conference call.  This adds a layer of security and identifies them on the conference call.
  • Lock the conference call – Most conference call service companies allow you to lock the conference call so that additional participants cannot enter the conference call after it is locked.  This feature usually locks out any operators from the conference call service company as well.
  • Monitor the conference call from your PC – Some conference call service companies provide a feature that allows you to monitor and control your conference call through a web interface on your PC.  That way you can see the participants and make sure that only the participants you have invited are on the conference call.
  • Roll Call – Whether using a PC interface or through the telephone you can usually automate a roll call with the participants on a conference call so that you know who is on the call.
  • Music on Hold – If you are concerned about the participants being able to speak before the Moderator joins or use the conference call information without the Moderator you can make it so that the conference call will not start without the Moderator and keeps the participants on hold with music.
  • End Conference when Moderator Exits – You can also configure a conference call so that when the Moderator exits the conference call ends and hangs up on the remaining participants.  This will also prevent the participants from being able to hold a conference call without the Moderator.

Even with all of these options there is no guarantee of security as someone could tap into an individual phone line like any phone conversation, but these conference call security measures will prevent the majority of any security concerns on a conference call.  All of these features are available with Zip Conferencing.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls and the Entrepreneur

January 6th, 2010

The US Government is doing everything it can to help small businesses as they realize that this is the best way to grow the economy and create jobs.  And even though the funding has loosened up a little, the biggest issue still is getting money from investors to the entrepreneurs so that they can get the businesses off the ground.  But luckily, things have come back to where private investors are getting back into the market and businesses are finding funding sources.  But one of the things I have heard is that the investors are still a little gun shy and want to get involved in their investments and get as much information as they can get.  Conference calls are once again the best way to provide this much needed communication line for the investors and the most cost effective way for the entrepreneur to keep them informed.

Conference calls allow the small business owner to keep their investors informed without the need to hold a costly in person meeting.  Everyone wins in this situation.  The investors are able to stay informed regarding the business matters, the entrepreneur is able to communicate effectively and important to both, the business is able to conserve much needed capital.  Without conference calls, the amount of information flow would be reduced and expenses would go up not helping anyone.

In addition, conference calls are an excellent way for the employees of the business to communicate regularly at a low cost.  Many times a small business is spread out with few resources and simply can’t afford face to face meetings every time they need to communicate the many changes that their business inevitably goes through when it is young.

So, if you are thinking about starting a business these days and wondering what you may need to get started, you should definitely consider getting a conference call service account.  Because conference calls and the entrepreneur are a perfect match.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Building the Best Conference Call Service in the World

January 5th, 2010

I have been in the conference call service industry since 1995 and in that time I have seen a number of conference call service companies from the inside out.  That is how I have been able to set out on my own and go about building the best conference call service company in the world.

When I first started to put ideas to paper on starting Zip Conferencing I began to put down all the ideas that have worked well for me over the years.  Naturally I would like to have a successful business.  But I also wanted to put into practice some of the ideas that may not be the most profitable ideas if you only look on the balance sheet, but provide a great amount of satisfaction for the customers.  Because I believe if you satisfy your customers you will be successful.  No one can sell your service better than a satisfied customer and it is always easier to retain a customer than gain a new one.  Some of the features of Zip Conferencing are simply there to make the conference call service experience better for our customers.

  • High Quality – You don’t have to worry about whether the call is going to work.
  • Feature Rich – The features available for our conference call and web conferencing services are hard to beat.
  • Self Service – I believe that customers would much rather service themselves, if you make it easy, than call into a call center, wait on hold, only to speak to an anonymous voice who may or may not do what you want them to do.  And will probably not tell you what the options are in the first place.  Zip Conferencing has an easy to use self service online account center that enables you to control just about every aspect of your account.
  • Dedicated Support – Every Zip Conferencing customer gets a name of a representative they can contact for assistance.  And out support is available 24/7 365 days a year.
  • Low Cost – I want our services to be available to businesses of all sizes.

The combination of these conference call service features are a culmination of my years of experience and desire to satisfy customer wants and desires for a conference call service company.  I think if you compare to other conference call service companies you will see that Zip Conferencing is built to be the best conference call service company in the world.

www.zipconferencing.com

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I Resolve to do more Web Conferencing

December 29th, 2009

Its that time of year again.  Everyone sets expectations for themselves in the new year.  Many of the resolutions we commit to we do not stick with and some we don’t even attempt.  Maybe this is the year to set some realistic goals for ourselves that will benefit us personally and also help in our own little way the world around us.  Why not resolve to do more web conferencing?  I am going to add it to my list.  Because I am as guilty as the next person.  It is easier to stick with the familiar than to try something new and if you have never conducted a web conference before it can be a little intimidating.  But the benefits to you and the world are real!

  • Save Time – A web conference can save you time on the front end by simply eliminating the need to travel to a meeting.  Even if the meeting is in the same building with people you work with you still have to get up off your seat and go to a meeting room.  You have to remember to bring all the materials you will need or you may need to return to your desk to get additional materials or reschedule another meeting so you can bring other things, etc.  You can instantly attend your meeting right from your desk and have all of your materials at your fingertips to share with everyone at the meeting if you do a web conference.
  • Save Money – The cost to travel to your meeting locally or at a great distance is saved if you do it from your desk using a web conference.  If you have to travel across the country all of the travel costs will be saved which can add up to thousands of dollars.
  • Increase Productivity – You will find that by doing a web conference you are better prepared for your meeting and can extend the discussion since you have access to everything you need.  You also will be able to work during the time you would otherwise have to travel.
  • Save the Environment – By using a web conference instead of travelling to a meeting you are being very eco-friendly.  Think of all the carbon emissions you are avoiding during the travel you have avoided.  And all of the participants in the web conference also have avoided all of the travel and associated emissions.

So, for your benefits and in a small part, all of mankind, it is time to resolve to do more web conferencing.  And unlike the resolutions you are unlikely to stick to you will find this one is easy to keep once you feel the benefits.

www.zipconferencing.com

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The Conference Call versus Travel Argument gets Stronger

December 28th, 2009

Certainly all meetings can’t be virtual.  Sometimes you just have to get face to face with your customer, prospect or employee.  A conference call does offer, however, a compelling alternative under any circumstances.  It is easy to see where you can save money and increase your productivity using a conference call or web conference instead of travelling to the location and having a meeting.  But now more than ever the conference call versus travelling argument is getting even stronger.

With the recent attempted terrorist attack on the flight landing in Detroit, the security at the airports has gotten tighter and the experience during the flight more uncomfortable.  Now you have to arrive at the airport three or four hours before your flight because the line at security will be that much worse.  And once you get on the plane the new regulations require you to remain in your seat in the final hour of the flight and even some of the entertainment options on the flights have been curtailed.  You have to REALLY need to get where you are going and be ready to put up with the added inconveniences the new regulations will bring.  And again, for some meetings there is no choice.  You just have to be there in person no matter what.  But I think this latest round of travel inconveniences will make more and more people look into alternatives like the conference call or a web conference because it is not just about the money anymore.

A conference call and a web conference can provide you all the tools you would have in a regular conference room setting without having to travel to the location.  You can freely speak together on the conference call and share any documents, presentations and even a video feed with the people at the other end.  All for a fraction of the cost of getting there in person and without any of the hassle.  So the next time you are requested to attend a meeting in another city or country think of the alternatives and ask yourself if it is REALLY necessary to be there in person or will a conference call do the same thing.

www.zipconferencing.com

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A Conference Call Service is a basic business need

December 21st, 2009

If you were to start a new business today you would put some thought into all the things you will need to outfit your business.  No matter what business you are in there are some basic things you will probably want like a copier, some envelopes, paper, business cards and so forth.  One thing you should definitely consider for outfitting your company is a conference call service.  Zip Conferencing, like many providers of conference call services does not charge you anything to sign up for their service and you are not charged anything unless you use the service.  It is just like putting a stapler in your drawer so you can pull it out when you need it.

A conference call service provides you a high quality, low cost way to communicate effectively with your prospects and employees.  Let’s face it, as a new business you have to be careful of cash flow.  You can’t really afford to fly around the country to meet with prospects and clients.  But you do need to meet with prospects if you want to sell anything, so what do you do?  A conference call service will allow you to meet with parties around the country without leaving your desk.  It is easy to see that you will save a lot of money if some of your meetings are done using a conference call service.  And from the prospective customer’s perspective, people are very used to being on a conference call or a web conference and it is more than acceptable to hold a meeting using a conference call service.  It is now standard business practice to hold a preliminary sale s call using a web conference.  And you can share everything you would share in an in person meeting using a very affordable platform that eliminates the need to travel.  In addition to the cost you will save by reducing the travel expeses you will also get a whole lot extra time to do things other than travel.  And with a new business time is a commodity you simply can’t get enough of.

So, if you are just starting out in business, a conference call service is an essential business tool you should hire for your company.  It is a basic tool that will definitely come in handy and you don’t want to have to find one when you do need it.  Hire one now and then it will be there when you need it.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Design your own Conference Call

December 17th, 2009

Why settle with the way things are with your conference call?  Maybe you really don’t like the fact that there is a tone that plays every time someone joins or leaves your conference call.  Or maybe you don’t want the participants to be able to join the call unless the Moderator is present.  With most conference call service companies  you don’t really have a choice.  You get your conference call the way they are giving it to you and you either like it or you don’t.  Most conference call service companies set the features on the conference call one way and that is the way that all of their customer’s call are configured.  Well, that is not the way it has to be or should be.  With Zip Conferencing you can log into your own account and design the conference call the way you want it.

There are a number of features that can be set on a conference call.  Here is a run down of all of the conference call options that you can control with Zip Conferencing.

  • Entry/Exit tones – You have three options for tones when a participant joins the conference call.  You can have silence, a tone or their name announced.  Each of these options can be enabled for entry, exit or both.  So you can have a tone when they enter but silence when they leave and so forth.
  • Music on Hold – You can have participants listen to music until the Moderator joins the conference call.
  • Prompt Moderator for ID/code – The Moderator is prompted for their Client ID and pass code.  This is an additional layer of security on the conference call.
  • Prompt Moderator for Billing Code – This will enable you to track by billing code the activity of each Moderator.
  • Prompt participants for PIN – This is an additional code for entry into the conference call for additional security.
  • Abort Conference if no Moderaotr Joins – The conference call will be disconnected if the Moderaotr does not join the conference call.
  • End Conference when Moderator Exits – The conference call will be disconnected when the Moderator leaves the conference call.
  • Record Participants Name for Roll-Call – When a participant joins the conference call they will be prompted to record their name and then the names will be played for the Moderator as a Roll-Call.
  • Post Conference Report – At the end of each conference call an email with the usage detail from the conference call will be delivered.
  • Client Matter number – The system will record a Client Matter number to help with charge back billing clients at the end of the month.

As you can see, there are a variety of features that you can control with Zip Conferencing conference calls to enable you to design and customize your conference call the way that you like it.

www.zipconferencing.com

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