Posts Tagged ‘Telecommunications Network’

Audio Conference Calling Services are Not all the Same

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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Audio Conference Calls should be Reliable

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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Conference Call Provider

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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Conference Call Quality

Friday, August 28th, 2009

There are a  fair number of conference call service providers in the market today offering conference call services at some pretty low rates.  Among these conference call service providers are a host of different features available for conference call users to choose from.  I have touched on some of these features in previous posts, but what is really important about a conference call?  The most important aspect of any conference call is that is work flawlessly.  And even though this is taken for granted, if the conference call service provider does not design their network correctly you can have lots of problems.

The first thing that you need to have is availability.  To make sure that your conference call is available when you go to use it, the conference call service provider needs to build redundancy and capacity into their network.  Conference call equipment is very complicated and like any piece of high tech equipment can have issues from time to time.  If you use a conference call service provider that does not have provisions for redundant equipment and the conference call equipment hosting your conference call has a problem you will have a problem.  The capacity of the conference call service provider network can also be a problem if they get unexpected traffic on their network.

The telecommunications network that your conference call service provider connects to is an important factor as well.  If the conference call service provider chooses a telecommunications provider solely on price, they may be playing with fire if their provider does not have a network with sufficient back up and networking options.  If a back hoe cuts a fiber link do they have a way to route around it and continue service without interruption?  If the telecommunications provider that connects to your conference call service provider has an issue and can’t get your call around the issue your conference call can’t happen.

The conference call is like the light in the conference room.  You just assume it will work, but if it doesn’t you cannot hold your meeting.  The network and equipment used by Zip Conferencing has been designed with one priority in mind, the quality of the service.  Because no matter what the price is for the service, if the service is not available and of high quality then customers will not be satisfied.   After 15 years of providing conference call services I understand that the quality of the service is the foundation of success in being a conference call service provider.  www.zipconferencing.com

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