What Is A Conference Call?

Article Written By: RichardArnesdale

There are a few different options that businesses can choose from when it comes to making a conference call. In general terms this kind of call is one that allows more than two people (and potentially a lot more) to use various types of technology to come together to have a meeting without the need to be in the same place.

The oldest form of conference call is the audio conference call. This kind of call is made via telephones. So, for example, if a group of business executives based all over the country need to have a meeting then they can use this kind of call to communicate. Here, they all use a specific type of telephone dialing to hook up so that they are all effectively talking on the same line and can have interactive discussions without actually getting together in the same room.

These kinds of conference calls can be easily made on a lot of business telephone systems. Or, as an alternative, you can use a specific conference call company to help you out here. Companies that hold large meetings or regular conference calls often find that using an external provider is a better option for them in many cases.

In recent years there has also been a rise in video conferencing. This kind of conferencing option offers the same basic principles as an audio conference call but throws video into the mix. This makes the conference call more closely resemble a real meeting.

So, with this kind of conference call the people who are taking part in the meeting will be able to see each other as well as speak to each other. So, for example, a business based in San Francisco could put all its sales management in one conference room in its headquarters and link them up via video to a regional office somewhere else in the country or indeed in the world.

This kind of option is used in-house by many medium to large companies. But, it can also be used via service centers or videoconferencing suites which sometimes better suits smaller businesses. Here, you hire the videoconferencing facility itself at a specific time so the only cost is the room/technology hire -- this obviously can be a fairly cost effective option here rather then hiring or buying the equipment in-house.

As technology has grown over the years it has also become increasingly common to use the Internet for conference calling purposes. If you have a computer with sound capabilities and a web camera then you already have the facility to have an online conference call with other people with similar equipment set-ups.

Of course, there are more advanced options here that allow people to have interactive online conferences where they can see and hear each other and also view presentations or take part in interactive activities. Other types of web conferencing are also available. These do not always take a 'real-time' format but use the Internet to hook up people all over the world on more of an ongoing forum basis.

About the Author

Richard Arnesdale helps people research conference call numbers at his website on conference call numbers.

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