Available Features
Professional conference call systems are avaiable with an array of features sure as one way or two way communication along with hold settings to be able to control when partipants can provide input. A video conference call allows one or more parties to visually see eachother or the visuals from a presentation being given via a webcam and either computer monitors or a projection system. Some conference call providers allow you to start a conference call at any time while others will require you to make a reservation for a particular time slot. Other providers offer premium services such as conference call recording, transcripting, rebroadcasting, and operator assistance. Each of these features has the potential to greatly influence the conference call rate you will pay which means you should be careful to select only the features your organization needs.
Pricing Schemes
Toll Conference Calling
The toll pricing scheme allows the host to distribute the cost of the conference call to each of the call's participants. This approach allows a company to host low cost conference calls but is not appropriate in many cases. This pricing scheme generally does not represent a professional conference call which should be used with potential clients or company employees unless a prior understanding is made. This type of pricing plan is more suited to meeting between equal business partners or community discussions where cost and responsibility sharing is expected.
Toll Free Conference Calling
A toll free pricing scheme allows the conference call's participants to dial into a toll free number provided by the host who will cover the entire cost of the conference call. This type of plan is generally priced on a per minute per participant basis. Therefore a 30 minute call with 10 participants would be billed for 200 minutes or $15 if the conference call rate was 5 cents a minute. A typical conference call rate is between 3 to 10 cents per minute which can quickly add up to a substantial bill if there are a large number of participants or a prolonged call. However, many conference call providers offer the ability to buy blocks of minutes at a reduced price either on a monthly basis or in one time transactions (like purchasing a calling card).
Unlimited Plans
Unlimited plans are suited to companies that make extensive use of conference calls. This pricing scheme is typically subscription based on a monthly basis where the company pays for the maximum number of participants they expect to have. If they should need addtional participants, most providers will allow a host to bump up to the next subscription level for a fee or charge a fixed fee per additional participant. Unlimited subscriptions starts around $10 a month and can often be expanded to any level of need, although it become pratical at some point to invest in your own conference bridge system."Free Conference Calls"
The internet is full of advertisements for free or cheap conference call systems. These service providers offer pricing schemes that actually behave like toll conference call systems except that they are not the billing party. The bill comes from the local phone service provider which is why they advertise their service as free or low cost. These companies make money from traffic pumping agreements that were put into effect by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. These providers usually route the call through a rural phone network in order to incurr additional fees that are charged to the local carrier who passes these on to the call participant. The eventual charges for these 'cheap conference calls' can be several times the rate of a toll conference call; sometimes exceeding 50 cents a minute. The lack of reliable conference call review sites to assist you in finding a reputable service provider makes this a dangerous option.
Conference Call Equipment
There is a wide selection of specialty equipment for improving the quality of your conference calls or allowing you to host them yourself. Conference phones feature improved speaker systesm and higher quality microphones to improve the sound quality in large meeting rooms. A conference bridge allows you to host your own conference call systems if your need is sufficient to justify the equipment and maintenance costs. Video conference calls require the use of web cams and a monitor or projector system. Conference call equipment can be very expensive but you can reduce this cost by buying used or refurbished equipment. The complete conference call system could also be incorporated into a conference table.
