Posts Tagged ‘Conference Calls’
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
It is fantastic that companies are trying to go green these days and conference calls offer an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and increase your productivity. So how do you use conference calls to go green? Some areas may may seem obvious but here are a few of the ways that using conferencing can help your company go green.
- Reduce Car Travel – Naturally the use of travel to attend a meeting is one of the biggest ways to reduce your use of resources through the use of conference calls. Usually if there is a meeting there will also be a number of attendees so the reduction in car travel is compounded by the number of attendees. And not everyone drives a Eco-friendly vehicle so the amount of emissions saved can be astounding.
- Reduce Air Travel – Now take that reduction in car travel and multiply by ten. If you have to travel by plane to a meeting you are not just taking part in the emissions from the air plane but the car resources to get to the airport and then to the meeting and everything in between. Audio conferencing eliminates the need to travel to your meeting.
- Reduce Office Resource Use – Even though the office your business is in is probably open whether you show up or not you won’t be contributing to the use of resources in the office when you are there. Just your body heat requires that much more air conditioning or heating. The lights in your office if you are in a private office can be turned off and so forth.
- Reduce Use of Office Supplies – If you do more meeting remotely you will find yourself doing more electronically. When you do a presentation using web conferencing you can still have hand outs but doing them electronically saves the paper, ink and electricity to print them. In offices there are also a lot of non-renewable waste like a coffee cup you get on the way to the office for instance. If you are home you are apt to use a coffee mug that will simply be washed and reused.
The reality is that conferencing technology has gotten to where you can hold a remote meeting with all of the resources you would use in an in person meeting including a video connection for much less than than the cost of a regular meeting. So if you simply think twice about whether your meeting is necessary to be attended in person or not you can really reduce the resources you use and save money and increase productivity while you do it.
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Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
Everyone likes to save money but can you trust low cost conference calls to be high quality? The answer is yes, but you still need to be careful to choose a low cost conference call provider that has taken the steps necessary to provide high quality conference calls. So what are the things you should look for if you are looking for a conference call company? Here are a few of things to look for when you are shopping for a conference call service provider.
Direct Digital Connections – One of the most important areas to ensure a high quality conference call is where the equipment is connected to the telephone network. It may sound like a simple idea but having a direct digital connection to the long distance carrier’s network is not always available or provided depending on the location of the conferencing equipment and the carrier and other factors. Zip Conferencing maintains direct digital connections with its long distance carriers that enables us to provide the clearest connections possible.
New Equipment – Conferencing bridges are the pieces of equipment that make conference calls possible and having the latest equipment ensures that you are getting the best quality and latest features available. Zip Conferencing has the latest conference bridges available and provides its customers more features than most other conferencing companies.
Back Up Systems – A big part of providing high quality low cost conference calls is making sure the service is reliable and available when you need it. After all, no matter how good the service is if it is out of service it is no good. Zip Conferencing maintains back up conferencing equipment that is available without interruption of service in the event of an equipment failure.
Back up Power – Just like the equipment, if there is a power outage your conferencing service will be out of service unless they maintain back up power. Zip Conferencing has battery and generator back up power that ensures the equipment will remain in service indefinitely in the event of a power outage.
Support – Many low cost conference call providers have limited support for their customers which certainly helps maintain low cost but also leaves you in the dark if you need assistance. Zip Conferencing has support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and is even available to join you on your conference call if you need assistance.
Zip Conferencing shows that you can have high quality low cost conference calls. Make sure the conferencing provider you use can say the same thing.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Conference calls are used by businesses in every industry because they are still the most convenient and cost effective way to meet with people across distances large and small. And because of this conference calls are used by a variety of people. And luckily, people are different and have different tastes in things so why not conference calls too? You should not have to eat the same flavor of conferencing options as everyone else in the world and not even in the same company. So Zip Conferencing has designed a system that allows every conference moderator to customize their calls with a variety of options. Here are just some of the things you can control on your conference calls.
Entry/Exit Tones – The system will play a tone across the conference when a participant joins or exits a call. You can control if the tone plays only when someone joins or only when someone exits are not at all.
Music on Hold – Many times people will want their participants to be able to talk to each other when they join the conference call even if the moderator of the call has not yet joined. But if you would like you can make it so the participants listen to music on hold until the moderator joins the call.
Name Announce – Instead of just playing a tone when someone joins your conference call you can have the system record their names when they join the call and play it across the conference. You can even conduct a roll call when you join the call as the moderator and have all of the names played.
Post Conference Report – Ever wonder how long your conference call was and how many participants were on it? Our system allows you to receive a post conference report by email following your call that details the number of participants, the time they joined the call and even the number they dialed in from.
So why settle for the vanilla of conference calls when you can have any flavor you want? Customize your conference calls today with Zip Conferencing.
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Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Happy New Year! I hope you had a good 2011 and you have an even better 2012. It looks like the economy could be on its way for better year which means we will all be that much busier. If you are still on the side lines it is time to use conference call services to help you get the most out of your time in 2012. Let’s face it, the past couple of years have meant downsizing and ultimately more work for those that still have a job. And management expects everyone to do more with less. So if you are looking for ways to save some money and increase productivity for yourself or those around you a quality conference call service is just the ticket for you in 2012. Although there are many benefits to using conference calls for your business there are none more powerful than saving time and money.
Save Money – Conference call services have enjoyed extraordinary growth over the past 15 years partly due to all the money a conference call saves compared to an in person meeting. Even if your meeting is fairly local it still costs money to get everyone together. When you start traveling the cost really adds up. If you are traveling by car there is the gas, tolls and mileage you are going to incur when you go to the meeting. And if the meeting is across the country the costs are even greater with airline, rental car, hotels and restaurants all figured into the mix. And I am sure you have noticed that none of these costs have gone down over the past few years. But remarkably the costs of conference call services have declined over the past few years to all time lows. For a combined cost of just a few dollars a group of people can get together and hold a meeting even if the participants are spread across the country. And if you use a web conference along with the conference call you can have all the same tools at your disposal as if you were in a meeting room.
Save Time – If you are one of the many companies trying to do more with less resources you know how important your productivity is. Wasting time in traffic or airports and airplanes can really cost you. If you never had to travel to a customer again as a salesperson how many more customers could you sell? I am certainly not advocating you never see a customer again but reducing the number of in person meetings increases the time you can spend acquiring new customers or dealing with the ones you already have. A quality conference call service gives you everything you need to meet with people over great distances and be as productive as possible.
So I am sure when you look back on 2011 like me you will wonder where it went. Time flies and there really is no time to waste. So make 2012 the year you embrace conference call services and use our services to your advantage. You will be glad you did.
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Monday, December 12th, 2011
I remember when large companies that did a lot of conference calls would naturally think about getting a conference call bridge of their own because they could save a lot of money over time instead of using a service. This made a lot of sense 15 years ago when the average rate for a conference call service was 50 cents per minute. Companies that were spending literally millions of dollars a year on a conference call service could buy a conference call bridge for $100,000+ and make up the amount spent in capital dollars rather quickly. But now that the rates have come down for a conference call service does it still make any sense to look for a conference call bridge? Here are a few things to think about if you are shopping for a conference call bridge.
- Cost of the Equipment – The cost of a conference call bridge has also come down just like the rates for conference calls. But as I point out, the cost of the conference call bridge is just the first cost you will need to pay. The cost of the equipment varies greatly as well depending on the type of equipment you get and whether you are going to connect it to an IP connection or regular phone circuits. But even if someone gives you a conference call bridge you may want to think again before you accept it because the cost of the equipment is a one time cost but the other costs will be with you forever.
- Telecommunications Cost- Once you have a conference call bridge you need to conenct it to the network so people can talk to each other. No matter what type of connection you have for the equipment you will need to dedicate circuits to the bridge. The cost of the circuits is a monthly constant and then you need to pay for the usage on the circuits because even with an IP type connection you still have to have telephone numbers come into the circuits and if you want a toll free connection that is another factor.
- Maintenance Cost – The equipment, like any PC or similar piece of equipment will need to be maintained. The company that sold you the equipment may discount the equipment itself but they will always get you with the maintenance. You really can’t let maintenance lapse as you will want support if somethings goes wrong.
- Personnel Cost – Even an automated type conference call bridge is going to eat up personnel resources in your company. Someone needs to maintain the equipment, add users, troubleshoot, etc. So you need to make sure you have someone in your company that is technically savvy enough to deal with all of the elements involved.
As you can see, buying and maintaining your own conference call bridge is not an easy proposition. It is easy to see why the conference call services industry continues to grow. You are generally much better concentrating on what you do best and leaving the conference calls to the experts like Zip Conferencing.
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Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
It is the time of year for holiday parties but today many businesses have remote employees scattered around the country so why not include all of your employees with a virtual holiday party using a conference call service? For most businesses it is just too costly to bring all of your employees in for a holiday party but there is no reason not to include them in the festivities. Using a conference call service you can connect all of your remote employees into the party and have them still participate and interact with the rest of your employees. Today you can host a virtual party easily using conference call services like audio conferencing and web conferencing. The technology today allows you to share the audio, any presentation materials you may use and even video of the event while it is taking place. And the cost of the event will not break your budget.
Audio Conferencing – The simplest way to connect your remote participants to your virtual holiday party using a conference call service is by using a conference call. You certainly may not keep a conference call up for the full duration of the party but usually management likes to take a minute in the beginning or end of the vent to thank and recognize employees for the past year’s accomplishments. So if you establish a conference call for the beginning of the party you can include the remote participants easily in the festivities. After announcements you can end the conference call portion and continue with the party but at least your remote employees were included at the beginning.
Web Conferencing – With Web Conferencing you can provide a visual aspect to your virtual holiday party. If you do any employee recognition you can provide a presentation that includes the names and their achievements and a picture of the recipient so all participants can be included. Most conference call services that provide web conferencing have desktop video included as well. So if you have a desktop video camera you can have the remote employees see the venue and be seen as well. If you want to get real elaborate you can have your A/V source provide a large screen to enhance this interaction. The remote participants can also interact using web conferencing tools so they feel like a part of the party.
Zip Conferencing is a conference call service provider that has all the tools you need to do virtual meetings for any event including your virtual holiday party. Speak to a representative today who can assist you in planning your next remote event.
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Thursday, November 17th, 2011
Okay, I am going to date myself a little with this post but what the heck. I spoke to someone the other day and he mentioned how he used to work for MShow and it brought back lots of fond memories. MShow was one of the first web conferencing providers and like the others at the time the way it all worked was with web conferencing software. You see back then, sounds like a long time ago but it was only the late 1990s, the Internet was still in its infancy and everyone didn’t have a broadband connection. Many of the things we now take for granted just did not exist. And in this environment someone had the brilliant idea that it would be great if people could share their computer screens across a network or do presentations and so web conferencing software was invented. And MShow was one of the leaders.
The way web conferencing software worked back then was every computer that you wanted to do a web conference with had to have the software installed prior to the conference call. And at the time downloading software on the Internet was not commonplace either. So you literally had to have the CD ahead of time and install web conferencing software. Once you had the web conferencing software installed you still needed a little help doing a web conference with more than one other computer. The company I worked for at the time actually built one of the first web conferencing bridges we had ever heard about. We rigged up a computer with a network hub attached to it because you literally needed a network connection for each participant. Pretty laughable now but we were able to get 5 computers on a web conference at a time, amazing! MShow ended up being acquired by a large conferencing service provider and Webex came along and the rest as they say is history.
Today, conferencing service providers like Zip Conferencing provide web conferencing services that accomodate over 100 participants and there is not even a need to download any web conferencing software. Zip Conferencing uses Flash which is already installed in everyone’s PC to enable the web conference. Everyone has a broadband connection to the Internet and it is easier than ever to do a web conference where you can share your computer screen, do a presentation and even share video from your desktop. Amazing. Like I said I am going to date myself a little bit but it was only 14 years ago that we were trying to figure out how to get 5 computers on a web conference at the same time. I wonder what the next 14 years will hold.
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
If you have been shopping for an audio conference calling service you may think that the only difference is price. But there are actually some big differences between audio conference calling service companies. And if you are not careful you may not get what you thought you were getting. Here are some of the things you should think about when you are looking for audio conference calling services.
- Quality – The most important aspect of a audio conference calling service is the quality. What good is a cheap conference call service if you have static on the line or can’t even get your parties on the call? The best conference call service companies have direct connections to the telecommunications network and use the latest in conference call equipment. It is difficult, however, to know what companies do this. Thankfully, there is one way to tell if the call quality is good. Do a test call. Any conference call company out there should be willing to give a trial to see if the quality is good before you hire them. Zip Conferencing uses direct digital connections and the latest equipment and also offers a free trial of its service to prove the quality of the conference calls.
- Reliability- Some of the reliability of an audio conference calling service is the telecommunications connection and quality of the equipment used. But one major area that matters is power availability. Without back up power the network and equipment will not work. So a conference call service company should have adequate back up power systems that can run indefinitely to support their systems. Another thing that can be done is having back up conference call equipment available in case of a failure. Many companies do not take this step because it is costly to have back up systems sitting around. Zip Conferencing has taken every step possible including back up systems on standby to insure our audio conference calling services are available.
- Features – If you look closely you will see that the features offered by conference call companies are not the same. If you hire a full feature service you will never miss some of the features that enhance your conference call experience. Zip Conferencing is a full feature provider that also offers some capabilities like customizable conference calls that other companies do not offer.
- Support- Another area that some conference call companies will shortcut is in the area of support. Some companies only offer support during certain times of the day or by email only. Zip Conferencing offers support 24/7/365 and will even provide support on your conference call if you like to assist with features or issues.
So look closely and you will see that all audio conference calling services are not the same.
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Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
If you are looking at getting a conference call service provider for your business and you have looked at some of the long distance carriers and other providers that still charge 10 cents or more a minute you may be a little skeptical of discounted conference calling services. But just because the service is less expensive does not necessarily mean that the service is of a lower quality or less reliable. You do still need to be careful as some of the conference call providers have not taken the same steps to ensure quality and reliability like Zip Conferencing has done. Here are some of the areas that any discounted conference calling services company needs to pay attention to in order to maintain high quality and reliability.
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- Back Up Power - All of the equipment for conference calling services should be connected to to battery and generator back up power. This makes sure that no matter what power outages are experienced at their place of business your conference calls will not be impacted. Zip Conferencing uses back up power systems on all of its equipment and can maintain power to these systems for an indefinite amount of time.
- Back Up Systems – A key component for conference calling services is the conference call bridge. This is the equipment that creates the conference calls from independent callers into the system. It is an expensive proposition to maintain back up equipment so many discounted conference calling services companies do not take this step. But if something happens to this equipment your conference call will be affected. Zip Conferencing has designed their conference calling services with back up conference call bridges so that if there is ever an issue the traffic can be redirected to the back up system.
- Telecommunications Redundancy – What happens if the long distance carrier used by the discounted conference calling services company has an outage? If they do not have another carrier as back up you will not be able to get to your conference call. Zip Conferencing uses multiple telecommunications carriers that insures that if one of the carriers experiences a disastrous outage they can still perform your conference call.
- Support – One of the areas that discounted conference calling services will differ is with support. You may not need support very often but when you do you need it to be there for you. Zip Conferencing offers conference calling services with an award winning support team. Our operators are monitoring our conference calling services 24/7 and can even join on your conference call if you need assistance. No mater what time of day you can access support and get the help you need.
So, discounted conference calling services can be reliable but you need to investigate and make sure that discounted doesn’t mean your conference call quality or reliability will suffer.
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Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Conference call services all look very similar to one another these days. They all provide a dial in number and a pass code and allow you to access the service without a reservation. So how do you distinguish between different providers? You will find, maybe the hard way, that with a Conference Call Provider Service makes all the difference. With a conference call provider service means the quality and reliability of the conference call itself as well as the kind of support they offer their customers. Here are some of the areas where conference call provider services are different.
- Conference Call Quality – The quality of the conference call provider service is determined by a number of factors. First the connection to the worldwide telephone network should be as direct as possible. Where the conference call provider is located helps determine the kind of connection they can get to these networks. And the telecommunication providers they utilize will also determine the quality of the conference call. With Zip Conferencing we use only top tier telecommunications providers and use direct digital connections to their networks to ensure the highest quality connections possible. The second factor is the type of conference call equipment being used by the conference call provider service. If the equipment is older or of inferior quality it will impact the quality of the conference call. Zip Conferencing uses the latest conference call equipment to help ensure the highest quality of the conference calls.
- Conference Call Reliability – The reliability of the conference call provider service is determined by the steps the provider has taken to provide back ups to its conference call network. Has the provider gone to the expense necessary to back up all of their systems in the case of an outage or emergency? Zip Conferencing has battery and generator power back ups on all of its systems to ensure consistent power availability. We have also installed back up conference call equipment that can be immediately deployed in the case of an outage. We also use more than one telecommunications provider so that our services will remain available even in the event that the telecommunications provider has an outage. These steps add up to our ability to have our conference call systems available over 99.9% of the time.
- Conference Call Support- If you need support from your conference call provider will they be able to deliver? Zip Conferencing has support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We even provide support while you are on your conference call by pressing *0 on your telephone while in the call. Conference call support is not something you may need all the time but when you need it you will want it to be available.
So if you are looking for a conference call provider service is what makes all the difference.
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Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
So here you are searching for a conference call service provider and there are companies advertising a free telephone conference call service. Free is good, right? Why shouldn’t you use a free telephone conference call ervice? Let’s examine how a free telephone conference call service works and see if you are still interested in trusting your business to a free conference call service.
- A Free telephone conference call service is not really Free – The Free conference call service companies are advertising on the internet and other places so if they are truly free how are they making money? These companies make money by working out a deal with a local phone company to terminate calls within their equipment. That’s because the local phone company makes money when a long distance call terminates on their equipment. It doesn’t pay a lot but when you consider the volume of calls that can be generated it does add up to enough money to pay for the equipment over time. The problem is they don’t make enough to provide all of the services a regular conference call service provider does and they are usually a little thin in other areas of their business as well. The main problem is that you are the one paying the bill. Because you and your participants are dialing a long distance number to join the conference call. So it appears free until you get your long distance bill or cell bill and see all the minutes on it. And if the local number connection was so good why do all of the “Free” conference call companies offer toll free access?
- Quality – A Free telephone conference call service is not concerned with providing a reliable and quality service to its customers. It doesn’t have to because it is free. It is hard to argue with free so people put up with capacity issues, unavailability and noisy connections. Do you want to trust your important business calls to a free service where quality and reliability are not assured? Also you will find that many of the features you expect to have on a conference call service are not there on a free telephone conference call service. They can’t afford the best equipment with the latest features.
- Support – Lastly, probably the biggest hole in the services for a free telephone conference call service is the support you will receive. You will find that support is given to their customers that pay for the upgrade to toll free service but little is provided to the free conference call customers. Its free so who can complain.
If you will look at the free telephone conference call service companies you will see they all offer a toll free service option but at rates higher than Zip Conferencing. So why fool around with a service that will cost you anyway when you can get a toll free service that is highly reliable and high quality from the start for less money?
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Friday, October 21st, 2011
There is a reason that everyone doesn’t drive the same car and audio conference calling services are no different. Different people like different options, colors and equipment no matter what you are talking about. So why do so many people put up with the same audio conference calling service options? Even in the same company why would the President of the company want to have the same options for their audio conference calling services as everyone else in the company? With Zip Conferencing we allow you to customize the options within your audio conference calling so it is just the way you like it. Here are some of the audio conference calling options that you can control with Zip Conferencing.
- Entry and Exit Tones – One of the main things people like to alter with our audio conference calling services are the entry and exit tones in the conference call. With most conference call service providers you either get entry and exit tones, which are the tones that sound when participants enter and exit the conference call, or you do not. With Zip Conferencing you decide if you want a tone to sound when a participant joins the conference call or when they exit. You can also have their name announced when they enter the conference call.
- Music on Hold – With our audio conference calling services you can allow participants to speak to each other before the Moderator or Host of the conference call joins or you can make it so the participants listen to music on hold until the Host joins the call.
- PIN number entry – For additional security with our audio conference calling services you can require participants to enter a PIN, Personal Identification Number, when they join the conference call. This will also identify for you who has joined the call.
- Record Name/Roll Call – As Host of the conference call you can require participants to record their name when they join the conference call. As Host of the call you can then listen to a roll call of participants when you join the call or have their names announced when they enter and exit the conference call.
- End conference when Moderator exits – As a Host of our audio conference calling services you are also in control of when the conference call ends. You can let the participants keep talking, enter a command on your phone to end the call or set the call up ahead of time to end when you exit the call.
- Post Conference Report – As host of the conference call you can also get a post conference report that shows the detail of the call via email. On the report you will see the participants, the number they dialed in from and the duration they were on the call as well as the total duration of the conference call.
In addition to the options listed here, as a Host, you also have commands you can access while on a conference call. You can mute lines, control volume and even record the conference call by using touch tone commands on your telephone. So why settle for whatever the conference call provider wants to give you when flexible conference calling services are so much better.
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Monday, October 10th, 2011
Happy Columbus Day! If you are like me and don’t work for the government or a bank or one of the other establishments that has today off you are working. But your kids are off so whether your company is off or not you might be home anyway. But thanks to technology working from home is now more the norm and you can still attend those meetings with Columbus Day conference calls. A conference call service for your business allows you to continue to have meetings no matter what comes your way, including holidays that require your business to keep on going.
Columbus Day is one of the holidays where you just might find yourself working from home and you still need to attend meetings with co-workers and customers. Conference calls mean you can attend those meetings no matter where you are and when the calls take place. Conference calling is taken for granted by many businesses because it ultimately saves them time and money. But there are still a lot of companies out there that have not incorporated conference calls into there standard way of doing business. And no better time to kick off using a conference call service than on a holiday or other time when you find yourself out of the office but you still need to attend meetings with co-workers like you are still in the office.
Conference calls not only help your business save time and money but they allow you to still participate in work meetings without being at work. Time with family, vacations and commitments at home can be saved with the use of conference calls. And with Zip Conferencing you can have a conference call service with no cost until you use the service. So there is no excuse not to sign up for conference calls with Zip Conferencing because sign up is free and you will pay nothing until you use the service. That way you can have the conference call service information at your disposal for those times when you need it.
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Thursday, September 8th, 2011
If you live in the Northeast you can certainly relate to the title of my blog today. I have barely been out of the house it seems in the past two weeks as I have been on conference calls dodging the rain drops. A hurricane followed by a tropical storm have spurred people to contemplate building an Ark. My home and our conference call service offices have been spared any damage but many people have not. And to them I send my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery from what is some of the worst flooding ever. Especially my friends and customers in Vermont who really had no warning for some of the worst damage the storms could impart.
As devastating as the weather has been over the past couple of weeks, our customers have had the advantage of continuous communications throughout with our conference call service. I have suggested many times on this blog to have conference call information at the ready in case of emergency and it has certainly come in handy for our customers. We have customers in Vermont who literally could not get to their place of business if they wanted to and were ostensibly cut off. But conference calls with their employees enabled them to maintain lines of communication and continue their businesses without interruption. And with the Zip Conferencing Pay As You Go service there isn’t even any cost unless you use the service so there is no excuse not to have conference call information in case of emergency.
And the hurricane season is not over. Another named storm is brewing in the Atlantic and could once again threaten the East coast with wind and rain. We were lucky that Irene did not have the damaging winds that were possible but the rain certainly did its damage. Next time we may not be so lucky so be prepared. Also, when the hurricane season ends the next thing we get to deal with is the snow. And if last year was any indication we can’t wait for global warming to get us out of trouble any time soon. Several times in the Northeast last year we were paralyzed and could not get to office buildings. Our business was not affecting thanks to careful planning, is yours? Make sure you have a back up communication plan in place with conference calls and web conferencing just in case you need them.
So anyway, rain, rain, go away and help poor Texas anyway.
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Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
If you are like most companies you are trying to get more done with fewer resources than ever before. It is simply the nature of business these days. There is no easier more cost effective way to increase your productivity than by using conference calls as part of your company’s communications plan. Here are some ideas on how conference calls increase your productivity.
- Save Travel Time – One of the biggest wastes of time for anyone in business is travel time. Going to and from meetings can eat up a large amount of time. Even when the meeting is in your own office you still have to get to a conference room and wait for the meeting to start and then get back to your desk when the meeting is over. With conference calls you can sit at your desk and continue to be productive until the meeting starts and then get right back to the work at end when the conference call is over.
- Multi-Task – Depending on your role in the meeting you may be able to get other work done during the meeting while on a conference call. As long as you put your phone on mute you can continue to work on other things without disturbing the meeting. Many people who host meeting don’t like this about conference calls but the fact is you get more participation from attendees that don’t have the time to attend an in person meeting and all you have to do is engage people when necessary and you can have a productive meeting.
- Collaborate – Certainly one of the benefits of conference calls is the same with an in person meeting. You get people to collaborate on a project. Ultimately bringing additional participants into the process will help move the project along and improve over all communications.
And in case you aren’t sure what activities you can do with conference calls here are a few common applications that you can easily do with a conference call.
- Sales Meetings – Sales teams are famous for getting together on conference calls. Many times the sales team is spread over a great distance and it would not only cost a great deal to pull everyone together but think of all the lost productivity. It is just not practical to get together physically so a conference call is a natural.
- Company Announcements – If you need to make a company announcement you can easily do it on a conference call without having to pull everyone off their jobs to do it. Depending on your business you are also saving any travel involved and at the same time making sure everyone gets the message timely and first hand.
- Project updates – Project management would be difficult without conference calls. Keeping vendors and employees up to date on a project and making sure dates are met can only be done with regular communication and many times would be impossible without conference calls.
With the low cost of conference calls these days there is no excuse not to incorporate conference calls into your communications plan and you will find your productivity increase along the way.
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Friday, August 26th, 2011
As I sit here in New Jersey and wait for the arrival of Hurricane Irene I am inundated with news reports on how to prepare for a hurricane. You are supposed to get batteries, water, gas for your car and non-perishable food among other items. But for a business the most important thing you should make sure you get in place is a good communication plan in the event of a disaster that includes a conference call service. If you don’t have a conference call service yet now would be a great time to get a service and be ready to conduct business remotely. If you can’t travel the roads and get to the office you can still do a conference call and keep your business going. These days most businesses are national if not global in nature and your customers don’t really care if your office is in harms way. If you are supposed to have a meeting on Monday they expect you to have the meeting. A conference call service can give you the tool you need to continue to have meetings without leaving your home. Here are some of the reasons to line up a conference call service.
- Natural Disaster – Like Hurricane Irene you just don’t know when a natural disaster is going to prevent you from getting to your office or your customers as well. Having a conference call service as part of your business communications will allow you to schedule meetings and be able to attend the meetings no matter what the circumstances. In addition to being able to attend customer meetings you can also have conference calls with your employees to prepare your response to the disaster and continue to plan in its aftermath.
- Technical Issues – If your business experiences technical issues and needs to hold emergency meetings you can have a conference call at the ready and participants informed in an instant. Everyone gets the same message and your technical issues are dealt with more expeditiously.
- Company Announcements – If you need to communicate with your entire employee base all at once you can use a conference call. Our conference calls hold up to 300 participants so capacity is not an issue. You can instantly communicate with everyone at the same time to inform them of personnel changes, acquisitions and any other issues that may arise.
- Planning – And if you know that the disaster is coming , like hurricane Irene, you can plan for it with groups of people who are otherwise separated my geography.
So if you have a conference call service in your tool box you can simply pull it out and plan or respond to a disaster. With Zip Conferencing’s Pay As You Go service there are no charges unless you use the service so why not be prepared all the time?
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Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
I was on a conference call the other day and the first topic of conversation was the fact that it is the middle of August and where did the summer go. It is hard to believe it is the last two weeks of unofficial summer! Amazing. I can still vividly remember being stuck in last winter and all the bad weather and long periods of cold. I could not wait until the spring and so looked forward to the summer. And don’t get me wrong I have really enjoyed this summer. I think we have had pretty good weather here in New Jersey and I have no complaints. But where does the time go?
The conference calls have kept going as people try to maintain their businesses during the summer but I can already sense the conference call traffic growing in anticipation of people gearing up for after labor day. Kids get back to school and people get back to business. The fall is a time to catch up from the vacations and gear up for the end of the year. I have mentioned before that conference calls are a good economic indicator and I think the economy is definitely doing better. I have seen existing customers doing more conference calls and many new customers signing up and getting positioned to move forward in this economy. Certainly nothing like it was in the fall of 2008 when there was a lot of contraction in the economy.
Anyway, the title of this blog was Enjoy Summer While you Can and that is what I would like to end this with. There are basically two weeks left to summer before we have to really get back to business. And before you know it we are in the throes of the holidays and the year is over. So sit back and enjoy these last two weeks. I hope you have nice weather where you are located and get a chance to enjoy it. Life is short and you need to take advantage of every chance you get to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
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Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
A conference calling company takes on a role in your company’s business that you may not realize. When you think about what is discussed on conference calls in your company and who is on the calls you start to understand why the decision on which conference calling company to use is so important. Many times a company’s most important and sensitive discussions are on conference calls. And many times the top executives in a company use conference calling services extensively. So, in today’s environment where there are a lot of conference calling companies and they all seem like they offer the same services how do you choose the right conference calling company? Actually the most important attribute to look for in a conference calling company are hard if not impossible to see. But here are some of things you should look for if you are looking for a high quality, reliable conference calling company.
- Reliable Network – Since you and your participants need to call into any conference calling company to connect to your conference call you should make sure they are connected to a high quality network. Zip Conferencing, for instance, using only top tier long distance providers and has direct connections into their networks. Also, the reason we have multiple carriers is to make sure that if one of the carriers has an outage we have a back up network in place to carry our traffic. The direct connections make sure that we have the highest quality connection possible.
- Back Up Systems – For a conference calling company, back up systems are expensive. But I have been in the teleconferencing industry for over 15 years and I can tell you first hand that occasionally the technology will rear its head and you will have issues. It is inevitable. The only way to avoid an outage is to put back up systems in place that can take over when the primary systems fail. At Zip Conferencing we have back up conference call equipment that is live and ready to handle traffic in the case of an outage. We also have power back up systems to keep all of our equipment powered up in the case of a power outage. If an issue arises our customers will not be affected.
- Full Featured – Some conference calling companies will cut corners on the services that they offer. This makes it easier to manage and the equipment they use does not need to be as sophisticated. But the customer experience is not as good. At Zip Conferencing we use the latest conference calling equipment with all of the features you should expect from a conference calling company. In fact, our equipment and online account management allow you to customize your conference calls unlike most other conference calling companies.
- Support – And when you have an issue you need your partner to be able to support your needs. A conference calling company that takes their partnership in your company seriously will back it up with the kind of support you would expect from such an important service provider for your company. Zip Conferencing offer support 24/7 365 days a year and can even join you on your conference call to assist if you need assistance.
If you are looking for a true partner to provide conference calls to your company you need to look closer than the rates they offer. Once you look “under the hood” you will see that Zip Conferencing is the best value in conference calls today.
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Thursday, July 21st, 2011
I have been in the teleconferencing industry for over 15 years and audio conference calling just keeps getting easier and easier. You can’t argue with the fact that audio conference calling is the simplest way to have a meeting whether you are across the hall or around the wall. And no one makes it simpler than Zip Conferencing.
When I first started in this industry it was mostly dial out conference calls. That means that to do audio conference calling an operator would contact you at a pre-designated phone number and connect you to the conference call. Needless to say this was not a very convenient method of getting on a conference call. Especially since most people did not have cell phones back then. The biggest development in audio conference calling came with the invention of the dial in reservationless conference call. This is the type of conference call most people are familiar with at this point. You are given an access number and a pass code. At the time you choose to do audio conference calling you dial the access number and input the pass code. Everyone that does that will end up on the same conference call together. After this audio conference calling boomed. That is because the industry made it super simple to get on a conference call.
As time has gone on there have been many developments in audio conference calling. None of which have had the kind of impact that development has had but things have continued to get easier. And the proliferation of cell phones has helped as well. Now to get on a conference call you can dial in from anywhere there is a signal to your mobile phone. I am sure people have attended a conference call from some pretty bizarre places. And you can too! Because audio conference calling can be done from virtually anywhere.
When you compare audio conference calling to other ways to meet it is easy to understand why conference calling continues to grow faster than any other way to meet. At this point everyone pretty much has been on a conference call. So there is no need to train your participants on how to get on a conference call. And no one needs any special equipment. All you need is a phone and everyone has or has access to a telephone. Dial a number and input a code and you are on your conference call. No need to drive to a meeting. No need to fly to a meeting. Just pick up your telephone.
Zip Conferencing makes audio conference calling as easy as it can be. From the process before the conference call to looking at reports after the call you can not find a simpler way to meet.
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Monday, July 18th, 2011
What are the factors that make up conference call quality? After all, isn’t the ability to interact with the other participants like they are in the same room the most important factor in any conference call service? At Zip Conferencing the quality and reliability of the conference call is the top priority. Here are some of the steps we have taken to insure you have a quality conference call.
- Network Quality – The most important factor in determining the quality of a conference call is the network it is connected through. Just like any other long distance call if you have a bad connection it doesn’t matter how good the equipment is on the end of the call. To insure our conference call quality is the best we have direct digital connections to our long distance provider’s networks. Eliminating other switches eliminates additional trouble areas and pieces of equipment that can introduce noise as well. We also only use top tier long distance providers for our conference call services. We may be able to save a little money by using a smaller provider but since their networks are not as large as a top tier provider it introduces other networks to the equation further introduces trouble points. We also use multiple carriers so that our network has a back up in place in the event of a major outage with one of the carriers.
- New Equipment – Since our conference call company is fairly new, we have put the latest equipment in place to process the conference calls. The newer equipment delivers a higher quality conference call and also is less prone to outages itself. In addition, our conference call equipment has the latest features incorporated into it. We also employ back ups of our conference call equipment so that we have full back ups in the case of an outage with the equipment.
- Back Up Systems – Now that we have built out a network that delivers high quality conference calls we have also installed measures to insure the reliability of the network. We have battery and generator back up systems in place to make sure that our network has power in the event of an outage. As mentioned, we have back up long distance provider connections in the event of a major outage at the network level. And we have back up equipment in the vent of an equipment outage.
When you do a conference call you just assume it will work, but as you can see, it is up to the conference call service provider to make sure there is conference call quality.
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Monday, July 11th, 2011
I still get people who ask me about the basics of an audio conference so I thought I would spend today describing just how easy and affordable a conference call can be.
- Ease of Use- An audio conference was not always as easy to use as they are today. It used to be that you had to get the names and numbers of the people you wanted on an audio conference to an operator who would schedule the conference call and when the time came call out to all the parties. There was work up front for the moderator to assemble this information and then call a conference call service and relay that information to them so the audio conference could begin. And then for the participants on the conference call you had to be at the phone number you supplied at the time of the call or you were not going to get on the audio conference. Of course this was before cell phones were real prevalent and most people had to stay at their desks a little more than today anyway but still I can tell you that many calls were missing participants because people just were not always where they were supposed to be when the audio conference began. As a conference call service provider we spent a lot of time chasing people down or putting them into the correct conference calls when they called back into our service center. Now it is much easier for everyone. Zip Conferencing provides you with a toll free dial in number that never changes and pass codes for you and your participants that never change. There is no need to schedule your audio conference now. You simply tell your participants when you want to meet and supply them with the toll free dial in number and pass code. At the time of the conference call you and your participants simply dial the access number and put in the pass code and you are joined in the conference call.
- Affordable- Over time just as the audio conference has gotten a lot easier to use it has also become more affordable. The average rate per minute of a toll free conference call in 1995 was $.50 per minute. Today Zip Conferencing has toll free conference call rates as low as $.024 per minute. The combination of ease of use and price has resulted in explosive growth for conference calls. You can meet with a large group of people for a small amount of money and it cost nothing for your participants to join.
An audio conference is the easiest and most affordable way to meet with a group of people.
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Thursday, July 7th, 2011
When I started Zip Conferencing I formed the company around a strong foundation of offering a high quality, reliable conference call service with outstanding customer service. And the idea of offering a free conference call service just did not match up well with these principals. So why doesn’t Zip Conferencing offer a free conference call service?
- Quality – The first thing to suffer when a company offers a free conference call service is the quality of the conference call. In order to be able to provide a free conference call service the conference call service provider needs to keep their costs way down. That is because they only earn money from the local phone company where their equipment is and the rate they earn is very small. That is because the conference call service provider makes money on a free conference call by getting paid to terminate long distance calls on the local provider’s network. And you and all of your participants are required to dial long distance to get to the conference call bridge. The local phone company is paid by the long distance carriers to terminate calls and they in turn pay the free conference call service company. So, typically the conference call equipment is not the best available and many times it is VOIP based and believe me you will hear the difference. Zip Conferencing uses the latest conference call service equipment directly connected to the long distance carrier networks to insure the highest quality conference calls possible.
- Reliability- Quality and reliability go hand and hand and if you are not using the best equipment you tend to have more issues than if your equipment is top of the line. In addition, to keep costs down the free conference call service companies usually do not have as extensive a back up network in place in case there is an issue. It cost money to have back up equipment on standby and to have back up generators and other systems in place to insure the conference call service is in place when you need it. Zip Conferencing has back up systems and power in place for the highest standard in reliability.
- Cost- Lastly is the cost. But it is Free right? Actually no. A free conference call service makes you call a long distance number to connect to it. So you and all of your participants are going to pay a long distance charge to connect to the conference call. Do you really want your participants to have to pay to get on your conference call? This hidden cost is the main reason to avoid using a free conference call service. With rates for toll free conference calls as low as Zip Conferencing’s why make your participants pay?
So why should Zip Conferencing offer a free confernece call service when it can provide the highest quality, most reliable conference calls at rates that beat even the free conference call service providers?
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Friday, June 24th, 2011
If you are shopping for a conference calling provider it can be pretty maddening on trying to tell the difference in the services. Some of that is created by the conference calling providers themselves. When I look at some of the ads that are used to attract new customers and then look into the actual offers it is easy to understand how people can get confused. Here are some of the things you should look for when shopping for a conference calling provider.
- Quality and Reliability – It is funny, but when I talk to customers I rarely get asked about the quality of the conference call service. Maybe conference calling has really become a commodity in customer’s eyes and they simply assume that the service will work no matter which conference calling service provider they choose. Having been in the teleconferencing industry for over 16 years I have intimate knowledge of what goes into making sure that there is quality and reliability in a conference call service. And I can tell you that not every service is the same in respect to quality and reliability. It takes a real commitment on the part of ownership to make sure you do everything to insure the service is available and ready when people need it to be. At Zip Conferencing we have done everything possible to make sure we are delivering the highest quality and reliability available. After all, isn’t this the most important aspect of the conference calling service?
- Toll Free Service- When you look at many of the advertisements of the conference calling service providers out there you will see some pretty low rates and even “free” conference calling services. The last thing you want is to have your participants paying hidden charges to attend your conference call. Imagine inviting prospects to your presentation only to have them paying to get there. It certainly takes something away from your presentation. Nothing beats the convenience and peace of mind that toll free conference call services can provide. And at the low rates they are available today why would you want to do anything else?
- Features- You may not use every conference calling feature that is out there because there are many. But there is also no reason to try to save money by signing up with a service that has only limited features available. Zip Conferencing is a conference calling provider that offers low rates with a full featured service. Many of the features simply make your life easier before and during your conference call and some are essential conference call tools. Why not have them and a great rate too?
- Support – Hopefully a conference calling provider service will not require a whole lot of support because it works and is easily understandable. But if you should need support, especially when you are in the middle of an important conference call, wouldn’t you want it to be there? Zip Conferencing is a conference calling provider that has support available 24/7 and can even join your conference call for assistance if necessary. You may never need it but isn’t it nice to know it is there if you do?
Conference calling services are an important communications piece of your business. Make sure you look closely under the hood before you buy and get a service you will be happy with for years to come.
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Friday, June 17th, 2011
Here it comes! Summertime. And we all look forward to spending time doing the things we love and spending time away from the office. So why would I want to talk about conference calls in the summertime? Well, when you thin about it getting on a conference call to stay in touch with things is sometimes a much better option than having to go into the office to meet with people. In fact, summertime conference calls can really save your summer vacation. How can a conference call be a good thing?
- Conference Calls can be attended from Anywhere- I have taken a conference call in some mighty strange places. But that is because I have not let the need to attend a conference call get in the way of a vacation day. But I will never complan if I have to leave my chair at the beach for a few minutes to go to the air conditioned car where it is not windy so I can get on a conference call. The alternative is I can’t go to the beach at all because I have to go to the office for a meeting. So take your conference call wherever you need to as they don’t care if you are at the beach, boat, camp or wherever. If your phone works so will your conference call.
- A Conference Call can happen Anytime – I have also been on a conference call at all times of the day. With people all around the world being able to join a conference call with Zip Conferencing I have been on calls all hours of the day. But wherever I am when the call happens I simply need to get on the telephone and can do that from the comfort of my home and go back to bed if necessary.
- A Web Conference is Just like being There- If you add a web conference to your conference call you can colloborate with others just like you are in the room with them. So if you really need to get some work done all you need is a PC and in internet connection and you can literally do whatever you need to do from a meeting standpoint from anywhere in the world.
So don’t think of a conference call as an interruption on your vacation but as simply a way you can do what needs to be done for work without the need to disrupt your summer. Enjoy the summer!
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Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Most people are pretty familiar with running or at least attending a conference call. But what if you have international participants? What is different about an international conference call service? How do participants join your conference call if they are out of the country. Conference call service providers offer a number of ways to connect to a conference call from outside the United States. Zip Conferencing offers a number of international conference call service options for its customers.
- Local Number Dial In Access – This international conference call service option is available from most every conference call provider. Basically when you get a dial in reservation from the conference call service provider they give you a local number here in the United States. And like any other local number you can dial into this number from anywhere in the world. The cost to the Host of the call is usually the same as if someone dialed in from somewhere in the United States. For the participant, however, they will pay whatever toll charges they would normally pay to dial into a local number in the United States. Depending on where in the world they are this can get quite expensive for the participant.
- International Local Access – A few conference call service providers, like Zip Conferencing, have local numbers in countries outside the United States that participants can dial into. The international conference call service company transports the call back to the conference call system in the United States. That way someone in another country can dial a local number but actually conenct to a call int eh United States. They only pay for the call in their country and since it is a local call the cost is usuall minimal for free. The cost to the Host of the call is more than if the participant used the local number in the United States but still less than an international toll free number.
- International Toll Free Access – The most expensive, but certainly most convenient method for international conference call services is the international toll free number. Zip Conferencing has toll free numbers in over 40 countries that terminate into their systems in teh United States. That way the participant dials a toll free number in their country and connect to the conference call in the United States.
The main thing to consider when looking at international conference call service options is whether you want your participant to pay for any portion of the conference call. The next deciding factor is whether they are near one of the local access point around the world. And then depending on your relationship with your participant you may want to make sure they get the most convenient no cost option which is toll free.
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Thursday, May 26th, 2011
They say that nothing in life is free and I usually agree. But here at Zip Conferencing we truly let you try our conference calls and web conferencing for free. There is no better way to convince you about the quality, service and features we offer for our conference call service than to let you try it yourself. Let me explain how the free trials work and what is included.
Conference Call Free Trial – The conference call free trial provides of 60 minutes of conferencing free to people who sign up for our monthly minute plans. That way since you are making a commitment to use the service regularly you can first try it for free to make sure it suits your needs. When you sign up for the free trial you will have access to the full set of features and options as any regular customer of Zip Conferencing. You can log into your online account and explore the conference options, see how easy it is to add Moderators and conferences and explore the reporting options available online. Then you can conduct a conference call and test out the quality of the service and the see what Host controls are available during the conference call. If you are not completely satisfied with the service you can simply cancel your account and you will not be charged anything.
Web Conferencing Free Trial – The web conferencing free trial is available to all subscribers to the Zip Conferencing service and lets you use the web conferencing service for 30 days for free. When you sign up for the web conferencing free trial you will have access to all of the features we offer including desktop video, chat and application sharing. The web conferencing service is so easy to use you will be amazed at what you can do during a meeting. At the end of the 30 days if you are not completely satisfied you can simply cancel the service and you will not be charged.
Zip Conferencing lets you try our services for free and has no contracts because we are confident that if you try our services you will become a customer like the thousands of loyal customers who already enjoy all of the features, service and value that Zip Conferencing offers.
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Thursday, April 14th, 2011
Since I have been in the conference call business for over 15 years I regularly forget that most people don't understand the conference call service business. Conference calls have become such an integral part of businesses these days it is difficult to find someone who has not been on a conference call. But the fact is that there are a lot of people who have not been on a conference call and an even larger number who have never hosted one. So, for these people I would like to offer some basics about how a conference call works.
- Automated Dial In - The type of conference call that most people are familiar with these days is the automated dial in call. With this type of call you connect to the call by dialing an access number and then entering a passcode on your telephone to enter the conference. Basically anyone who dials the access number and passcode at the same time will be put into the same conference call.
- Reservationless - Another popular feature of conference calls today is called a reservationless conference call because once the conference call company provides you with the information for the call you can use it at any time without having to make a reservation. This feature made conference calls much easier to use and is in big part the reason for the growth of conference calls over the past 15 years.
- Hosting a Conference Call - So, maybe you have been on a reservationless automated dial in conference call but you have never hosted a call. To host a conference call is not much more difficult than joining one as a participant. As Host of the call you simply need to inform your participants when the conference call is going to take place and distribute the information. Usually the Host will simply email their participants with the date, time and dial in information. As Host you also simply need to dial in at the same time and enter a passcode to join the conference call. That's it.
- Host Controls - With Zip Conferencing, the Host is supplied with a different passcode than the participants. The Host passcode enables the Host to access special features that the participants cannot access. Host controls include the ability to mute/unmute all participants, control volume and record the conference call. The Host is also able to control a number of aspects of the conference call through their online account management system. Those options will be discussed in other posts here.
If you have never hosted a conference call have no fear as it is just as easy as joining one hosted by someone else.
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Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
The worldwide marketplace has really opened up with the Internet and many small businesses are finding themselves with the prospect of being able to sell their goods and services internationally. But many of these businesses hesitate because of the expense of trying to sell to companies overseas. With an International Conference Call you begin to forge relationships with companies overseas without ever leaving your office. An international conference call can bring you together with customers and prospects around the world at a minimal cost. Zip Conferencing offers several ways to have your international participants connect to your international conference call. You can choose the method based on where your participants are located and the cost of the connection.
- US Local Number - The least costly way for you to have participants connect to your international conference call is to have them dial the local number here in the United States that comes with your conference call reservation. The local number is reachable from anywhere in the world. The only drawback to this method is that your participants will have to pay for the long distance call to reach the number here in the United States.
- International Local Number- The next best option from a price perspective for your international conference call is to give your participants a phone number located in their country. Zip Conferencing has local access numbers in over 40 countries around the world. Participants in Paris, France, fro instance, would dial a number in Paris and be connected to your international conference call here in the United States. Your participant will only pay whatever it costs them to dial a local number in their country.
- International Toll Free Number – The most convenient way for international participants to connect to your international conference call is to dial a toll free number in their country. That way they do not incur any charges associated with your conference call. This is also the most expensive way to connect to your international conference call. Zip Conferencing has toll free access numbers in over 40 countries around the world.
With Zip Conferencing’s International Conference Call service you can take your company global without much expense to you or your customers. So what are you waiting for? Go global with an international conference call.
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Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Conference calls have gone the way of long distance with ever decreasing prices and a seemingly endless list of providers. But there is a lot more to a conference call than you think and the right conference call company can make a big difference in the quality of the call and the features available that can greatly enhance your experience. Zip Conferencing has taken great care in creating a network that can deliver the highest quality conference calls to its customers and built a platform that provides an extraordinary amount of features that make our conference call service easy to use but feature rich. Here are a few of the things we have done to ensure that we are the best conference call company in the industry.
- Reliable Network – Like the foundation of a building, a conference call company needs to build their business on a network that can support the traffic they generate and be able to avoid outages at all costs. But not all conference call companies have taken all of the steps that Zip Conferencing has because a solid network can be expensive. Zip Conferencing has multiple telecommunications carriers installed in cae one of the companies has an outage. We only will accept companies that can provide a direct digital connection to their network so we can have the clearest connections possible. Our equipment is powered by a back up battery and generator supported power grid to avoid any power outages.
- State of the Art Equipment – Our conference call company uses the latest conference call equipment that is more reliable than older equipment. It also offers features many conference call companies don’t have because their equipment is out of date. We also have spare conference call equipment that is powered up and connected to the network available to take the place of any piece of equipment that experiences any issues. Most conference call companies don’t do this because it is expensive.
- Feature Rich Services – Our conference call company has built features that enable our customers and make it easier to do business with us. As a customer of Zip Conferencing you have access to your account online that enables you to access your account and see usage, add/edit moderators and conferences and order additional services. But we also give you the ability to customize your conference call experience by being able to control many aspects of the conference call. For instance, you can decide whether a tone should play when a participant joins or exits the conference call.
- Superior Customer Support – If there is one area many conference call companies will try to save money it is in the area of customer service. Our conference call company still provides personal service to its customers 24/7 and you can even get support while on a conference call by hitting *0 on your telephone.
A conference call is not just a telephone call and many times the conference calls your company does are some of the most important communications you will have. So, shouldn’t you deal with a conference call company that takes their role in your business communications seriously?
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Thursday, March 24th, 2011
For anyone who has done a conference call you probably just think that there is nothing much to it. You dial an access number to get tot he conference call and then put in a passcode and you are in the meeting. Don’t get me wrong, a conference call doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the reason conference calls are so popular is the fact that they are affordable and easy to use. But that doesn’t mean that having conference call features needs to be complicated or cumbersome either. Once you try some of the conference call features out there you may not know how you lived without them. Here is a list of just some of the conference call features available with Zip Conferencing.
- Mute/UnMute Lines – If you are the moderator of the conference call you can mute all of the participants in the meeting. This is especially helpful if you are having a large conference call. If you have 50 people in the conference call there would be too much noise if all their lines were open. You and your participants can also mute and unmute their own line which helps if you are on a cell phone in your car for instance and you would impart noise into the conference call.
- Volume Control – You and you participants can control the volume of the conference call coming into your phone and also the volume of your line into the conference call. So if you find yourself in a situation where participants are having a hard time hearing you then you can turn up the volume of your line.
- Roll Call – You can have participants record their name when they enter the conference call and then if you are the moderator you can play back a roll call when you join the conference call and hear everyone who is on the call. That way you know exactly who is on the conference call without having to take a live conference call after you join the meeting.
- SubConferencing - If you have something you want to discuss with some of the people on the conference call but not all then you can have a subconference with those participants and then rejoin the conference call. This is used extensively by the legal community when they need to have a discussion with a client during a conference call between both sides of a case.
- Conference Call Introduction – You can personalize your conference call by recording an introduction. That way participants will hear your personal greeting when they join the conference call.
- Post Conference Call Report – Would you like to know how many people were on your conference call? When did they join the call? How many minutes did the conference call generate? You can receive an email containing all of the essential information of the conference call when it has ended.
All of these conference call features are free and part of the service at Zip Conferencing. So why just have a conference call when you can have a fabulous conference call?
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Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Toll free conference calling has been around for a long time and hands down the most popular method of conference calling. The reason has always been pretty simple. No one hosting a conference call wants to subject their participants to having to pay to get on to their conference call. Toll free conference calling means there are no charges to dial into the conference call from your long distance provider. The only person that incurs any cost is the host of the conference call. So, the participants can dial into the conference call from anywhere and not worry about how much it costs. Who wants to think about where people are dialing in from? Here are the alternatives to toll free conference calling and their disadvantages explained.
- Free Conference Calls – Free conference calls are not really free like toll free conference calling to the participants. If you do a free conference call you will be given an access number somewhere in the country where you have to dial a long distance number to get to it. That is you and your participants. Depending on your calling plan the free conference call could easily end up costing you more than toll free conference calling. The reason that companies can offer you a free conference call is because they get paid by the local phone company to terminate your long distance call in their facility. And that is because you and your participants are paying someone for the ability to make that long distance phone call to connect to the conference call. With toll free conference calling you are paying the conference call service provider to transport you and your participants to the conference call. There is no mystery to who is paying for the call and the charges are not hidden somewhere.
- Toll Conference Calls - Toll conference calls are similar to free conference calls only on top of paying to get to the conference call you are also paying the conference call service company. If you are going to pay for the conference call why not pay for toll free conference calling? A toll conference call means you are going to get a phone number somewhere in the country to dial into to access the conference call and you will have to pay long distance charges to get to the call and for the duration of the call. Toll free conference calling means no one pays any long distance charges to participate in your conference call. And you might think that since some people use a cell phone to dial into the conference call that they are not paying for long distance anyway. But they are paying for long distance. It is figured in their monthly plan which also has a certain number of minutes included. Do you want your participants to have to use up their airtime minutes on your conference call? With toll free conference calling the participants can dial in from a land line and not worry about long distance charges.
Toll free conference calling is still better for everyone because there are no hidden charges for people. I am sure you would not want your participants to have to pay to get on your conference call and since toll free conference calling is so inexpensive why not give them an easy, toll free way to access the call?
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Monday, January 31st, 2011
Not sure where you are, but here in the frozen Northeast having an audio conferencing service is saving an otherwise dreadful winter. We just can’t seem to catch a break with the winter weather and getting to work has become downright impossible on at least one day a week. But with an audio conferencing service, businesses are able to continue to hold meetings and remain productive throughout the winter. An audio conferencing service can really save the day in case of an emergency or like we have seen lately, a snow day.
The Zip Conferencing audio conferencing service is easy to use, reliable and offers features you will not find everywhere. And within a few minutes after signing up for the service you can be holding your first conference call. Here are some of the features that the Zip Conferencing audio conferencing service offers.
- Up to 300 Participants- Our audio conferencing service allows you to have up to 300 participants on a conference call at any time. Many other audio conferencing service providers limit the number of participants you can have on the conference call to a just a few. And you may think you will never need 300 participants on a call but isn’t it nice that it is there if yoiu need it?
- No Reservations Needed – Our audio conferencing service does not require any reservations. Whenever you need to hold a conference call you simply provide your participants with the dial in access number and pass code. There is no need to reserve time for your call.
- Host Controls- As host or moderator you will have access to a number of controls within the conference call with our audio conferencing service. You can mute and unmute all participants, adjust the volume of the conference call and your line into the call, record the conference call, conduct a subconference and lock the conference to new participants. In order to personalize your conference call you can also record your own conference introduction that will be heard by your participants when they join the conference call.
- Customized Options – Our audio conferencing service also provides the administrator the ability to change a number of options for the conference call so that you can truly customize the way the conference call works. You can decide whether you would like to have tones in the conference call when participants enter and exit. You can also control whether the participants can speak to each other before you join the conference call and after you leave. You can have them listen to music on hold and wait for you to join the conference call and then have the call breakdown when you leave the call. You can even make it so that the participants on the conference call are required to record their name in order to join the call. This recording can be used to announce their entry into the conference call and to provide you with a roll call of participants after you join.
So don’t let a snow day slow you down. Our audio conferencing service can turn an otherwise unproductive day into a productive one quickly and easily.
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Thursday, 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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Friday, 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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Thursday, 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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Tuesday, 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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Monday, 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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Monday, 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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Friday, 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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Thursday, 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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Friday, 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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Monday, 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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Friday, 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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Friday, 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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Monday, 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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Thursday, 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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Tuesday, 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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Tuesday, 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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Monday, 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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Wednesday, 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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