Author Archives: Lee Simonson

How On-Demand Conferencing is Boosting Small Business Profits

Conference Call Service for Lawyers / Attorneys

Lawyers can access secured conference call services quickly and easily while enjoying the latest call technology that provides the highest quality conference discussions. Better yet, there is no need to buy any expensive hardware or software and there are no up-front costs.

After years of providing conferencing services for attorneys, we can easily attest that the most popular conferencing format is the Operator Dial-Out service. Quite simply, the lawyer or law firm provides us a list of the names and phone numbers of each of the parties they would like us to call, along with the time of the call, and our operators “dial-out” to each party and places them into the conference call.
It’s easy, convenient, and the participants — particularly the judges — don’t have to do anything except answer the phone. It’s highest level of professional conferencing service available and is the overwhelmingly preferred way to conduct legal business and matters.

Lawyers prefer operator staffed “dial-out” conference calls

Why do lawyers prefer operator dial-out conference calls? There are a variety of reasons, not the least of which involves the reassurance that regardless of what else is happening in the office at any given moment, the conference operators will make sure that everything is kept on schedule and the conference will take place on time to accomplish its intended purpose. Lawyers, admins and their para-legals don’t have to keep reminding themselves of the time of the conference. More importantly, the other parties who would otherwise be calling into the conference don’t have to keep reminding themselves of the time either. Needless to say, a large percentage of conference participants simple forget about calling into to conference calls because they get sidetracked with other issues.

Having a conference operator call everyone and place them into the conference easily solves the problem of continuous emails and reminders to the parties that the conference call will be at certain time and to keep the conference passcodes handy. Yes, people do lose conference passcodes.

Retaining a professional service to get the conference executed on time, at the right time, and with the designated participants, is highly valued among attorneys who appreciate the fact that they can concentrate on the subject matter of the conference, rather than the logistics and set-up.

Operators on stand-by at all times in case help is needed

Once the call has started, the operator excuses him/herself and is on stand-by in the event help is needed. The conference host only needs to dial Star-0 (*0) and the operator will come back into the conference call. There are situations when the operator might be called back into the conference. For example, let’s say one of the parties is on a cell phone and they are in an out-of-range location and get disconnected from the call. The operator can come back into the conference and be requested to re-dial the lost participant. Or a participant has to switch offices and need to talk from another phone. There are circumstances when an operator’s assistance is needed and can be called upon at a moment’s notice. That is another big advantage of having an operator staff a legal conference call.

Ideal for depositions and judge conferences

As more and more legal work is done over a wide ranging geographic area — sometimes from coast to coast — legal conference calls, including depositions and conferences with judges, have become quite common and an integral part of law practices. Having a reliable, high quality, conference service on a pay-as-you-go basis (no long term contracts) is an important staple in any law firm’s technological operation.

Give us at call at 877-254-2424 and we can help you set-up your account so you can start saving time and resources at your law firm and enjoy the convenience of conducting business over the phone.

Conference Call Questions & Answers

What is 800 conferencing?
A conference service that provides a toll-free dial-in number for conference participants, usually with an 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888 prefix.

What is an audio conference?
A meeting over the phone that accommodates three or more people.

What is auto hang-up?
An optional feature that disconnects everyone from the conference call when the last moderator (host) hangs up the phone.

What is a conferee? (also known as participant, or guest)
A person who accepts an invitation to join and participate in a phone conference.

What is a conference dial-in number? (also known as access number)
The phone number used to access the conference bridge. Everyone — moderators and participants — dial the same dial-in number.

What is a conference passcode? (also known as PIN or access codes)
A confidential several-digit number that allows access to a conference bridge. Conference hosts have one passcode, and conference guests have another passcode. The host passcode code enables control of the conference with such features as muting.

What is an entry tone?
A sound alert, usually a beep, that indicates when someone has entered a conference call. Usually an optional feature.

What is an exit tone?
A sound alert, usually a beep, that indicates when someone has left a conference call. Usually an optional feature.

What is a flat-rate conference?
A conference service plan that provides unlimited use at anytime for a fixed monthly rate.

What is pay per use conferencing?
A conference call service that charges you for the number of minutes you use, rather than a monthly fee. If you don’t use the service, there is no charge.

What is an operator managed call?
A conference call that uses the services of a professional operator. According the client’s wishes, the operator may dial-out to all the parties and place them into the conference, or answer the incoming calls and/or collect information from conference guests. Operators can also assist with Q&A sessions.

What is an operator staffed call?
A conference call that uses the services of a professional operator. According the client’s wishes, the operator may dial-out to all the parties and place them into the conference, or answer the incoming calls and/or collect information from conference guests. Operators can also assist with Q&A sessions.

What is operator dial-out?
A conference call service that has a professional operator dial-out to all parties and who then places them into the conference call. This service is used for important, high-level, conference calls and is popular with law firms.

What is a fast conference call set-up?
The process of getting a conference call-in number and passcodes in 2 minutes to have a conference call very quickly.

What is a local conference number?
A phone number that conference call guests can use without dialing long distance. Also called “local access” conferencing. Guests can call local numbers throughout the U.S., enter their passcode, and be placed into the same conference call.

What is lecture mode?
Enables the conference host to silence (mute) all of the guests. This eliminates all background noise so everyone can clearly hear the host or the presenter.

What is a moderator?
The person(s) who leads the conference. Moderators usually invites participants, set the agenda and can control the technical aspects of the conference through telephone keypad commands. For example, muting the conference participants so only the moderators can be heard.

What is music on hold?
An optional feature that plays music for those who dial into the conference before the leader or hos arrives. This feature is used to prevent the actual start of the conference until the host gets there.

What is muting?
The process of silencing participants to enable conference leaders to speak without interruption or distracting background noise.

What is name announce?
An optional conferencing feature that records a participants name and then replays it to everyone when entering the conference.

What is pay-as-you-go conference calling?
A conference call service that bills conferencing usage on a per minute, per person basis, without contracts and minimum requirements. You only pay for the time you use after you use it.

What is reservationless conferencing?
A conferencing service that is available at anytime, without the need for reservations or operator assistance. Also known as on-demand or unattended conferencing.

What is Start-Video?
The brand name of 24Conference’s video and web conferencing service that enables those in the conference and connected to the Internet to see each other via desktop webcams, along with displaying PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets and white boards for all to see.

What is a teleconference?
A meeting over the phone with three or more people using a conference bridge service.

What is a web conference?
A conference that includes both voice and visual conferencing. Participants can both see and hear an online presentation.

What is a webinar?
A combination of the words “web” and “seminar.” Webinars enable a number of participants to see a live or recorded presentation online.

How does a conference call work?
Two or more people dial-in to a conference number, enter their passcode, and begin talking. Conference call services provide the number and passcodes to use at anytime.

How to Have a One-Time Conference Call

Need to have a one-time conference call?  The set-up is easy and fast.

1)  Go to this page to sign-up and get your call-in number and passcodes.  You will receive them immediately via email and your service will be ready to use.  It takes less than 2 minutes.
2)  When you get your email, write down your toll-free call-in number and host (moderator) and guest (conferee) passcodes.
3)  Give everyone you are going to conference with the TIME they should call the toll-free number, along with the guest/conferee passcode.  When they call the toll-free number, they will be prompted to key in their passcode followed by the # sign.  It is very important to remind everyone to input the # symbol after their passcode.
4)  You call the toll free number at the same time, and key in your host/moderator passcode and # symbol at the same time.
5)  Everyone should be in your conference call and you can talk as long as you want.
6)  We will charge your credit card after your conference call for the time you use.  The rate is 4.9 cents per minute/per person.

That’s it.  There is no cost to set-up your conference service, and you are only charged for the time you actually use for your one-time conference call.  There are no advertisements and you will never be contacted by us again.  If you ever want to have another conference call, you can always use the same call-in number and passcodes you have — those are yours to keep and use whenever you want.

There are many occasions when people from all walks of life — for business or personal reasons — need to have a conference call. It’s probably something they’ve never done before, and probably will never have to do again.  So knowing that you can get a conference call service set-up easily and quickly is a relief, especially since you may think that conferencing is more complicated or involved than it really is.

If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at 877-254-2424.  We’ll be happy to help anyway we can.

5 Things About Audio Conference Service You Should Know

Audio conferencing services are as popular as ever because people and business are no longer operating in physical proximity to each other.  Decision makers and collaborators are scattered over the nation, or even in the same building.  So conference calls are an important tool in getting things done, especially in a all-digital environment when we rarely see each other.

Here are a few things you should know about the options available in audio conferencing:

1)  Unlike web or video conferencing, audio conferencing only transmits sound.  So you’ll be using your desk phone, your Internet connected phone, or your cell phone to talk and listen.

2)  If you are a large company or organization, you may have your own internal conference equipment and bridge.  However, owning a conference bridge is quickly becoming a thing of the past.  It’s simply too expensive to operate and maintain compared to just retaining a conference service.  Because rates have gone down dramatically over the past 10 years, conferencing services can be had for a fraction of what it used to cost.  You can check out our various services at the top and side of this page.

3)  There are several audio conferencing formats and plans.  For example, you may be a heavy user of conferencing that would make flat-rate conferencing very attractive to you.  You can have as many conferences as you want, and talk as long as you want, for one flat or fixed rate per month.  The only disadvantage (if you can call it a disadvantage) is that the call-in number is not a toll free number.  But that shouldn’t matter since there are no long distance charges on cell phones, and many of the regular phone plans are bundled with long distance.

4)  The most basic service is still the most popular.  That’s the toll-free pay-as-you-go plan that enables you to access a conference bridge on-demand, whenever you want.  You can get multiple passcodes for multiple departments or individuals to use at anytime, and you’ll get reports that detail who is making the calls and when.  Again, everyone gets a toll-free number that works in the U.S. and Canada.  Everyone calls the conference phone number and then is promoted to key in their passcode.  Hosts (moderators) get one code and the guests (participants, conferees) get another code.  Hosts have the ability to monitor the call online and mute individuals or all guests when activating “lecture mode.”  Hosts can also record the conference and download the recordings for free.

5)  The top-of-the-line service is the operator managed conference call.  Operators dial out to all the parties and place them into the conference call.  Guests don’t have to do anything except answer the phone.  This is also referred to as operator assisted, or operated staffed, conference call.  This is a popular conferencing solution for lawyers who are planning conferences with judges, and it is also ideal for deposition conference calls.  You can also have your guests dial a conference number and have an operator answer who then captures several datapoint such name, company, email, etc.  That format is usually activated for corporate investor calls.

Overall, audio conferencing services are getting better and more affordable as technology marches on.  With a variety of plans, businesses, non-profits and professional users can easily set up a service that matches their needs and budgets.  Conferencing will continue to be a valued and needed staple in conducting business and quickly achieving your objectives.

Give us a call at 877-254-2424 and let us know how we can help.

6 Things To Know About Business Conference Calling

Online conferencing services are proliferating faster than ever.  No matter where you turn, there is a new way to link up with associates and prospects.  Some are simple and straightforward, while other services are more complicated.  Needless to say, everyone wants you to use their “platform” to communicate.

Here are some of the top things you need to consider about business teleconferences:

1)  The lowest common denominator works the best when it comes to conferencing.  For internal use, it’s easy to have everyone use one system.  But that’s where it stops.  Trying to get outsiders to use whatever system your using can create more headaches than it’s worth.  Not everyone has your particular program, nor do they want it.  So while it might be nice to work on Skype, or Lync, or other programs, you may have quite a few people you may need to conference with who are not familiar with those programs.  Moreover, they may not be interested in communicating over the Internet (VOIP) with their phone and/or computer speakers and microphone.  Yes, there are plenty of advances, but the bottom line is that 90% of all conferences are still being conducted with old fashioned desk phones, or cell phones.

2)  Video conferencing — looking at your conferees and guests face-to-face — is easy and not that expensive.  However, do not assume your guests are interested in being on camera.  You might not give it a second thought, but there are too many people who simply don’t like the way they look and are intimidated about broadcasting their image.  It’s highly intrusive, too revealing, and not something you do if you’re having a bad hair day.  Be sensitive to how others feel about it.

3)  Providing a toll-free number for people to call into a conference is a simple courtesy.  Despite the fact that “long distance” charges are quickly becoming a thing of the past, your guests will appreciate and respect your professionalism when it comes to giving them a toll-free number to call (prefix 800, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888).  For internal company purposes, you can get a non-toll free number to use.  In most of the cases, you’ll get both toll-free and toll numbers as part of the same conferencing service.  For example, if you order toll-free service from us, you’ll get an 866 number and a regular toll number at the same. You can use either one to access the same conference bridge.

4)  On that same note, here is a little tip you can use to enjoy conferencing while seeing substantial savings.  Get a “flat rate” service that provides you unlimited usage for one low flat rate a month.  For example, we offer 10 conference lines (10 people, including you, can call in and have a conference call) for $19 per month — a pretty good deal.  Then, you can get a toll-free  number that “rings to” your flat rate conference bridge.  That gives you the best of both worlds.  You can give out a toll free number to all your external guests, and you can use the regular toll number internally.  Your conference calls can last for hours, but you still only pay $19 per month.

5)  These days, and generally speaking, it’s much cheaper to retain a conference service rather get your own conference bridge equipment and hardware.  And if you are going to get your own conference hardware, it’s probably better to lease or rent it than buying it.  Conference bridge hardware can be costly to support, repair and maintain, and it becomes obsolete quickly.  So you are much better off to outsource your conferencing to a professional company who will take care of all those headaches behind the scenes.  You just want to have a conference call.  You don’t want to get yourself into the conference call business.

6)  “Can you hear me?”  Quality control on a conference call is very important.  The first thing you can do is to encourage everyone to call-in on an old fashioned desk phone and have them shut the door behind them.  Cell phones are OK, but if there is a bad cell phone connection it will echo throughout the whole conference.  If someone is in a noisy space, ask them to mute themselves (as long as they don’t have music on hold!)  Fortunately, you’ll be able to monitor and control your conference call online, and that will provide you the controls you need to mute individual callers yourself, or mute everyone, except those who have called in on the host or moderator passcode.  That’s called lecture mode, and yes, you can have more than one host.

For important conference calls, you should think about getting an operator managed conference (also known as operator staffed or assisted).  It’s easy to set up.  You give us the names and phone numbers of those you want in the conference call, and the time you want your conference to start, and we’ll have our professional operators call everyone and have them placed into the conference.  The only thing you conference guests have to do is pick up the phone.  Everything is automatic and you also have the option of having an operator stay on the call and help you manage questions and answers, etc.  If it’s an investor call, you can also have operators intercept incoming conference calls to collect information — names of callers, organizations they represent, phone numbers, email addresses — whatever you need.

Overall, your conference experience can help you boost productivity, increase collaboration, and help everyone stay on the same page.  Give us a call at 877-254-2424 and we can put all your options on the table and discuss with you the best way to achieve your particular conferencing objectives. 

Why Conference Calls are Recommended

Because a conference call is so easy to set up and use, it is becoming an increasingly popular way to enhance communications among working colleagues, salespeople and prospects, and project coordinators.

That’s why our telephone conference services are becoming a valued resource in improving communications and cutting expenses and are being recommended as a way to advance projects in business and organizations.

Once you fill out our online sign-up form, you will be emailed your account information.  The account information will include the conference call-in number that everyone invited to your conference will call, along with a moderator (host) and participant (guests) passcode.

You’ll need to decide if you want an account that offers unlimited usage for one flat rate a month with a non-toll free call-in number, or an account that charges per minute for a toll free number.  Since most people have free long distance included on their cell phones, businesses or home phones, flat rate teleconferencing service is very popular.

On the other hand, if you are using the conference bridge for sales calls with prospects, offering them a toll free number is more convenient and professional.

Here is a quick rundown on how it works:

Those calling in on the moderator passcode have access to several features. (Yes, more than one person can call in on the moderator passcode.)  The most popular feature involves a “lecture mode” where everyone in the conference call is muted except for those who call in on the moderator code.  This is very helpful in eliminating the distracting background noises coming from the participants, which can be anything from vacuum cleaners and fire sirens to televisions and dogs barking.  You just never know where people are calling from.

Your account will automatically include such features as music-on-hold (your guests will listen to music until you get there), audible beeps when someone joins or leaves the conference, and auto-hang up which will disconnect everyone when you, as the host hang-up.

But don’t worry.  If you don’t like those preferences, we can change them for you in seconds.

Depending on the service, you can also receive at no charge, the ability to log into your conference account online and monitor the conference in real time by watching participants entering and leaving the conference.  You can identify the callers by the Caller ID numbers they have which are posted on your website.  It’s a great way to see who is on the call and the number of callers.

Other feature instructions, including such volume controls and locking the conference to prevent others from joining you, will be included in the email you will receive from us.

High level conferencing involving professional operator conference calls can also be obtained.  Operators can call out to your list of participants and be placed into the conference.  Operators can also coordinate question and answer sessions, introductions and monitor the call for other requested services.  The service costs more but it is the premiere conferencing service and many businesses, especially law firms, utilize it for clients and associates. In summary, telephone conference services are readily available and an easy fit into your business or organization.  They are much more cost effective than traditional face-to-face meetings and are saving organizations of all sizes time and money.

Give us a call at 877-254-2424 and let us show you why so many people are recommending conference calling as an effective and inexpensive way to conduct business.

Unlimited Conferencing for One Set Rate Per Month

Now you can talk as long as you want and just pay one set rate per month. (For example, $9 per month gets you a conference bridge with 10 lines (10 people, including you) with unlimited time.)

When it comes to a great deal, you can’t beat our popular flat rate teleconference service.  Now you can   throw away the clock and talk with your associates as long as you want for just one low flat monthly rate for the number of conference lines you want.  It’s that simple.

So if you’re looking for a phone conference service that offers a constant rate, no matter how many minutes you use every month, along with a rate that will never go up, you’ve found the right place!

A flat rate conference is tremendously convenient, amazingly cost effective, and a great way to save time and money by avoiding lengthy meetings and travel costs.  Flat rate teleconferencing is just one of the many services we offer to meet your conferencing needs.

How you’re charged for unlimited conference service

For flat rate unlimited teleconferencing (also known as fixed rate conference calling) we bill on a calendar month.  Since there are no long term contracts, we have a month to month billing cycle and charge your credit card on the 25th of the month for the next month’s usage.

For example, we would bill you on May 25 for the service you receive in June.  If you are a new customer we charge you for a full month of service from the 1st to the 15th of the month.  Or, we charge you for half a month if you sign up between the 16th and 26th.  If you open your account during the last four days of the month, you get those days for free, and we bill you for the next month’s service.  Once we bill your credit card, you’ll receive an online receipt.  (You can access all your reports and billing information online at any time.)  Suffice it to say, once you’re in the system and things get rolling, the whole thing is very convenient and routine.  Just the way we hope you like it!

No set up fees, and no long-term contracts

Best of all, it’s free to set up an account and there are no long term contracts so you can use your service on a month to month basis.  Your conference lines are available to you 24/7 and there are no reservations.  Everyone just picks up the phone and uses the conference service whenever they want.

Set-rate conference calls are our speciality.  You get unlimited 24/7 conferencing and pay one set, or flat rate, each month.

You can use set-rate conferencing (also known as flat or fixed rate conferencing) for as little as $9 per month.  We can accommodate anywhere from 5 to hundreds of people on your conference call, depending on your needs.

This is such a great deal that 60% of our customers choose this service over all the others we offer.  Like we say, flat or set-rate conferencing is our bread and butter and we will continue to do our best in providing excellent service and quality.  When your business and livelihood depend on it, you can bet our hearts (and money!) stand behind everything we do.

Give us a call today and let us help you design a program that addresses your particular needs.

Conference Calling: Essential Telecommuting Tool

Among the several essential tools telecommuters need to enable them to work offsite, one of the most important is conference call capabilities.

We can help you stay in touch with your colleagues and associates at the office and around the country.  That’s the big perk of being able to work as a telecommuter — as long as you have a laptop and phone, you can work from anywhere, at anytime.

It makes sense.  Telecommuters enjoy working privately giving them more freedom and also allowing them to avoid constant interruptions.  On the other hand, businesses are embracing telecommuting as a way to save rent for office space and other overhead costs involved with housing workers in during the day.  They are discovering that productivity can actually be enhanced.

Conferencing options for telecommuters

Since conferencing is so important as a telecommuting stable, understanding your available and various options becomes paramount.

For example:  If you want to be able to budget exact amounts monthly, there is our fixed rate conferencing service (flat rate conferencing) which can be configured for whatever number of lines you require.  It is a reservationless service and you have unlimited calling for a set price every month.   There is also toll-free reservationless conferencing and operator dial-out services as well that are charged on a per-use basis.  Those work well if you are going to conference sporadically.

These services can all be configured to whatever call volume you might need. 

Advanced video and web conferencing made affordable

One of the new products we’re excited about is called Start Video.  It’s an amazing program that allows everyone on your conference to not only share desktops and programs like Powerpoint presentations, but you all see each other in live streaming video.  All you need is a webcam, which you already have built into your laptop or monitor.  For the voice portion of your conference, you can talk on Start Video program (the audio of your voice will be carried over the Internet) or you use a regular phone line if any of your conference participants don’t have a speaker.  Best of all, it’s a flat rate service so you have unlimited usage and can leave it on all day or all night. There is NO software to download, it works on PC’s and Macs, and you don’t have to install anything.

So, no matter where you are in the world, if you want to conduct business face-to-face, this is the service you’re looking for.  Let us give you a free demonstration so you can see for yourself how this particular tool can help you cut costs dramatically, save a ton of time, and help you get on board the telecommuting superhighway where there are no gas stations or traffic jams.

Survey says telecommuters don’t bother getting dressed

We just saw a survey that concluded that quite a few telecommuters who work at home don’t get showered or dressed.  Are you one of those people?  That’s OK, we’re not looking!  (And you can probably skip the video conferencing too!)

Our mission is to focus on reliable telecommuting conference calling services that you can come to depend upon.  With conference calling connecting people — dressed or not — the world of commerce continues to keeping spinning while helping businesses accomplish more in less time.

It’s time to adapt to the technology and learn how to cut the cord to the traditional office environment. 

Give us a call to discuss your conferencing needs at 877-254-2424.