The Basics Of Audio Conferencing Services

By: Dwaynehall
There are two types of "free" in the audio conferencing industry. Toll-free audio conferencing means every participant in a conference call dials a toll-free number. The moderator of the conference call has to pay for every toll-free caller on his conference call at a rate depending upon whatever the conferencing company is charging. Free audio conferencing is when everyone on the conference call dials a regular long distance number. So you are not paying any per-minute rate to the conferencing company (which is great), but you are paying your long distance provider whatever they charge you for long distance. Of course, this is typically less expensive than toll-free conference calling.

Meeting participants do not need special audio conferencing equipment and may not even require the assistance of an operator. Web conferencing services use telephone lines or Internet connections to enable participants to share documents or view presentations. Applications include project management, distance learning, and financial reporting.

How Should You Decide?

Also with web conferencing every participant will need to be online, which means everyone would need a computer and access to the Internet. If the conference is audio web video conferencing, it will have to be a high-speed connection. While web conferencing is usually more expensive, the fact that infinite amounts of data can be transferred and immediately reviewed easily outweighs this factor.

Deciding between Teleconference and Web Conferencing Options Web conferencing and audio conferencing may strike fear in the hearts of the techno-phobe in you. He or she will give you the information you need to make your next Webinar or teleclass smooth and easy. They will quickly show you how you can facilitate your conference with or without operator assistance. They will help you explore the options to keep the complexities simple and your budgets in budget.

Take It To The Bridge

Web conferencing with audio provides an appropriate medium for incorporating certain visual elements into the flow of verbal communication, enabling participants to view a PowerPoint presentation, take a guided Web tour or collaborate on documents with others. In many cases, Web conferencing can even enable remote control of a participant's computer. Web conferencing differs from video or voice over Internet protocol in that it involves sharing data over a browser while the parties use a teleconference.

Some web meeting services provide just desktop sharing capability. Others give you the added capability to select and show a specific document or application only. You can also pass control to an attendee in your meeting, making that person the presenter.

The Bottom Line Results

Audio conferencing is the battlefield upon which the control for the data collaboration services market share will be won. "This opportunity is truly a single-stroke market-share maneuver for the buying company," stated Herb Levitin, the President of Powercom in Santa Barbara, California. "The buyer benefits from owning and controlling a targeted customer list, rich in usage of data and audio conferencing revenue, to integrate and market new high margin data collaboration services, while simultaneously decreasing their competition's market-share."
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