Posts Tagged ‘Money’

Low Cost Conference Calls can be High Quality

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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Looking for a Conference Call Bridge? Really?

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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An Audio Conferencing Company First

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

I have been in the teleconferencing industry since 1995 and since then there have been technologies come along that were going to eliminate audio conferencing several times.  But every time the new technology has helped augment audio conferencing but never really threatened to eliminate what is still the most cost effective and easiest way to meet with a group of people.  That is why when I started Zip Conferencing I decided to make sure I built the best audio conferencing company first.  After that whether it is web conferencing or video conferencing or whatever the latest technology is the company would have the foundation of being a really great audio conferencing company and could easily adopt and layer other technologies on top of that.  Over the years the two technologies that were going to replace audio conferencing but instead have only helped grow audio conferencing usage are web conferencing and video conferencing.  Here are some reasons why these are complimentary services and will never eliminate the need for audio conferencing.

  • Video Conferencing – Video conferencing has been around for  along time and in my 16 years in the industry I have heard lots of reasons why this technology has not been widely adopted.  I have also seen efforts over the years to “fix” these problems with video conferencing only to see the adoption rate remain sluggish at best.  At first it was very expensive so it was not widely available.  Only very large companies had access to the technology necessary to conduct an effective video conference.  Today you can conduct a video conference from your desktop for very little money.  The technology and network bandwidth is basically universally available.  But people simply do not use video conferencing all that much except maybe for personal use to speak to loved ones from great distances.  I think the biggest hurdle to wide adoption of this technology is the aversion of the participants to being in front of the camera.  Most people I know do not like being in front of a video camera and looking at their own image on a screen.  As an audio conferencing company this is music to my ears. 
  • Web Conferencing – Web conferencing has seen tremendous growth since its introduction in the late 1990s because it has become easy to use, inexpensive and it mimics the way we meet with others.  You can literally do anything on a web conference today that you can do in a conference room.  It even has video conferencing built in if you want it but most people simply want to share their desktop or do a remote presentation.  And the audio portion of the call is still done over a conference call system through an audio conferencing company.  This means that the audio quality is just as good as a normal conference call.  And as an audio conferencing company I am happy because we can provide both services and people tend to meet longer because they can have more effective meetings.

So, first and foremost, Zip Conferencing will always be an audio conferencing company first.

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Conference Call Quality

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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Should you buy a Teleconferencing Bridge?

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

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

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

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

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Cheap Conference Calls are Great if you get Quality Too

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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I Resolve to do more Web Conferencing

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

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

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

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

www.zipconferencing.com

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The Conference Call versus Travel Argument gets Stronger

Monday, December 28th, 2009

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

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

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

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls in Agriculture

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Just to help make the point that conference calls and now more than ever, web conferencing can help any business save money and be more productive I have decided to talk about another industry who you would not think uses conference calls.  Certainly when you think of agriculture you think of a farmer who raises a crop or livestock and then sells to a market.  What use could agriculture possibly have with conference calls and web conferencing?

Well you would be surprised.  Agriculture is just another business, a big business in fact, that is always looking for ways to reduce cost and improve productivity so naturally they use conference calls.  The market that buys the crops or livestock is having conference calls with the farmers it buys from to keep them informed of prices and stock levels and other market factors.  By having one conference call with all of their suppliers they are saving time from calling each farmer individually.  The farmers are able to speak amongst themselves and share tips on how to better manage their farms.  If the farmers belong to a cooperative, the cooperative is using conference calls to better communicate between all of the farmers in the cooperative and share information.  And up the supply chain the distributors are able to talk to all of the markets and give them information on demand and pricing and so forth.  The level of communication in the entire supply chain has improved with the use of conference calls.

And all of the vendors that touch this industry have also found that conference calls and web conferencing are helping them communicate with their audience faster and more effectively.  The companies that make farming equipment are holding regular seminars on the latest equipment and its uses.  The companies that make the feed for the animals and the seed for the crops are holding conference calls with the farmers to discuss the availability of their goods, pricing and effective uses.  And all of this communication via conference call and web conferences is saving everyone a lot of time and money.  Farms by their nature are spread out over vast areas and it is very difficult and time consuming to have personal meetings with each farmer.  The use of conference calls and web conferences in agriculture is a natural fit!

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls for Small Businesses

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

According to a lot of the pundits out there, including President Obama, there is a surge in the number of new businesses that are getting started.  This is because people have been laid off from their existing jobs and are starting out on their own instead of trying to find a job which is difficult at best right now.  And with the start of all these businesses a lot of entrepreneurs are trying to figure out how to promote their businesses and stretch their precious capital.  This is just another reason why conference calls continue to grow, because they are a great way to reduce expenses but still get the job done.

New small businesses need to get their ideas to new customers, investors and prospects without breaking the bank.  One of the ways to do this is with a conference call instead of the expense of traveling.  It has been well documented in this blog how companies are saving thousands of dollars by choosing to conduct a conference call or a web conference instead of travelling to an in-person meeting.  Nowhere is it more important to save money than in a new small business.  Most small businesses just don’t have the money to be travelling around the country.  But with a conference call and a web conference a small business owner can present their product or service to potential customers around the country without leaving their office.  And the cost of doing a conference call or web conference these days is very affordable to even the small business owner.  In fact, with the advent of the Internet which has allowed small businesses to sell their products and services globally, the need to present to customers in remote locations has increased even more.  The ability to present to people from great distances using conference calls has expanded the marketplace for small businesses.  No longer are their goods and services limited to a local area.  The technology now available has literally helped some small businesses survive where they otherwise would not.  A conference call and web conferencing can also make a small business look bigger in the eyes of the customer by allowing them to present to anyone, anywhere.  And their office is simply a PC and a telephone.

If you have a small business and you are not taking advantage of conference calls and web conferencing in your business I urge you to examine your processes and try using the technology available to help expand your business and reduce your costs.  It may just make the difference in the life or death of your business.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Web Conferencing Saves a Company Thousands of Dollars

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

I know I have blogged about conference calls and web conferencing and how it can save you money.  But I thought it would be useful to use a real life example to illustrate just how dramatic the savings can be when you choose to conduct a meeting using a web conference instead of an in person meeting. 

A customer had an instance where they really needed to go to Hong Kong from New Jersey to have a meeting with a new customer to discuss the implementation of their services.  And under normal conditions this type of meeting in person is very typical for this customer and they would not use a web conference for the implementation phase of their service.  But in this case the customer had an issue where they wanted to have a pre-m eeting with this vendor and discuss how the implementation would work with one of their contacts before they had the actual meeting.  So, the customer requested that the vendor come out and have a meeting and then return to have the actual implementation meeting.  This meant that two employees would need to fly from New Jersey to Hong Kong which is a 16 hour flight for a four hour meeting and then return to New Jersey only to go back to Hong Kong the following week.   And for those of you who have not had to do this flight it is not only long, it is expensive.  It costs $1,800 for a coach seat and almost $9,000 for a business class seat each.  The bottom line for the vendor was that the four hour meeting was going to cost about $5,000 and several days of productivity from two employees.

In steps Web Conferencing to save the day.  The vendor convinced the customer that they could do a web conference for the pre-meeting at least and spend as much time as is necessary to go through the implementation planning.  The customer agreed and the web conference went off without a hitch and made the customer feel comfortable about the upcoming meeting.  The customer and the vendor were able to interact on the web conference just like they were in the same conference room and accomplish everything that needed to be done.  The meeting ended up lasting about 3 hours and cost the vendor $29 using Zip Conferencing’s web conference service.  Using web conferencing saved the vendor $5,000 and allowed them to conduct the meeting without any sacrifice in results and also saved a lot of time for the employees increasing the company’s productivity.

These kind of events happen all the time and is the reason that web conferencing is growing so fast.  Customers immediately experience the real life benefits of conducting a web conference instead of an in-person meeting.

www.zipconferencing.com

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The Difference in Conference Call Services is Service

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Since I have been in the conference call service industry for over 14 years, I have tried to share some of my knowledge of what is behind the curtain at a conference call service company.  And there are a number of differences that you can and cannot see when you look at different conference call service companies.  But many times you will never feel the difference unless you have an issue with a conference call service company you may not notice if they have a back up system, etc.  What you can feel and should feel right from the start is service.

With the declining rates for conference calls many conference call companies are looking for ways to cut costs just like any other industry.  And in the conference call industry the two biggest expenses are the telecommunication costs and the cost of personnel.  Since the telecommunications costs are near the bottom, the only place to really save any money is on personnel.  The problem is that customers want a low rate but they also want to be able to talk to a person if they have questions or problems.  So, when a conference call company takes away a customers ability to talk to a person there is a definite drop in the level of service the customer receives.  That is why at Zip Conferencing I have refused to reduce the number of personnel that interface with the customer.  In fact, I continue to grow that staff in relationship to the number of customers because I am a customer myself and I know how much I value the availability of a human being when I have a question or problem.

Here at Zip Conferencing, there is a person available to speak to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  And every account is assigned an Account Manager to help them with their conference calls.  That way each customer will have a positive experience and I believe the best way to build a business is through referrals.  How does the saying go?  Have a good customer experience and you will tell 3 people, but have a bad customer experience and you will tell 10 people.  So, the long term benefits of providing exceptional customer service in a conference call service company easily outweigh the short term economics of slashing personnel to attempt to improve profitability.

www.zipconferencing.com

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