What is audio conferencing?

Audio conferencing is an organized way to conduct a virtual conference, allowing individuals in different locations to participate, have discussions and meetings without being physically present. It?s a simple and elegant solution, and in the case of a hosted audio conferencing service, requires no on-premises equipment besides the telephone itself. For those who prefer to host their own audio conferences, many PBXes do include conferencing utilities, but this approach does require an in-house host to manage the process.

Audio conferencing not only facilitates productivity, but it also puts your business ahead of the rest. It eliminates the hidden costs often involved in face-to-face meetings, including travel and accommodations; it also delivers the advantage of sharing information instantaneously and making decisions faster. In general, audio conferencing as a business tool helps improve speed to market, and allows your company to be sensitive to changing situations as they occur, and to act on them quickly. The direct communication of audio conferencing helps resolve these issues quickly without having to rely on time-consuming emails, faxes, memos and letters. In addition, audio conferencing solutions are often used in training new employees or delivering information to customers, making announcements, or brainstorming business ideas or prospects.

How audio conference works

Audio conferencing is a simple process of allowing multiple parties, either on an individual phone or in groups using a speakerphone, to dial in to a central local or toll free number. Although a live operator may be used to facilitate the call (as is often the case when a company chooses to run their own conferences through their PBX), most hosted audio conferencing services allow for a more automated process of calling in and joining without the assistance of an operator. When a participant dials in, they are greeted with an automated voice interface, they enter their passcode, and are then placed into the conference.

Hosted services come in a wide variety of service packages and subscription options, the most basic of which simply allows you to reserve a time and a call-in number, charged on a per-participant, per-minute basis. Other subscription options that may be better for frequent users include a flat-rate service or monthly subscription with unlimited use. In most cases, the conference will also allow for the use of a PIN number for added security.

An advantage of the hosted service over an on-premises solution is the scalability; hosted versions allow virtually unlimited participants. In addition, additional features are easily available through the hosted service that may not be available with your on-premises equipment, including call recording or polling. Some hosted services also offer the option of a live operator who can manage live question and answer sessions.

Many of the hosted services also offer blast dial, or web outdial service. This gives you the added flexibility of placing phone calls during the audio conference through a simple phone or web interface; thereby allowing additional people to be invited to the conference once it has started. This feature will give the individual a recorded or web-based invitation in real time, giving them options for joining the conference immediately.

Although audio conferencing does afford several convenient options, they typically do not require extensive training, and the features can be easily managed through the telephonic interface. Common features include individual volume control, and mute/unmute, which is especially valuable in maintaining call quality and eliminating background noise from participants. Post-conference, reports and summaries can be dispatched through an auto email feature, which sends each participant a notice after completion of the conference, thanking them for their participation or summarizing the proceedings. Audio calls can also be recorded digitally, so they can be made available later for those who were unable to join; some hosted services even offer transcription services. If you are planning to have participants from overseas, look for a hosted service that allows for international connection options. Most will also have some security features, including the establishment of a personal PIN number, an expiration time for your conference, and the ability to lock the conference once it has begun.

How audio conference works

Hosted audio conferences come in a wide variety of formats and fee structures. For occasional users, pay-as-you-go is most efficient, although on a per-minute basis, it is more expensive. For those who use conferencing more frequently, a subscription is the best option, which may impose a monthly fee for a set number (or even an unlimited number) of conferences and participants. When comparing fees though, be sure to compare features as well; as the lowest price may not always be the one that is best suited to your needs.

Reservationless conferencing. This option allows for an ad hoc conference to be started at any given time, without having to plan it in advance. A reservationless option is particularly useful for sales staff, who may need to talk with prospects or vendors at a moment?s notice. This option is usually fully automated and does not use a live operator.

Operator-assisted conferencing. This option is more costly, as it involves a live operator; and it requires advance scheduling for conferences. However, it is often used for larger corporate calls such as quarterly earnings conferences. This type of conferencing lets participants join through an operator-assisted interface; and the operator also manages all the other logistics of the call, including a managed Q&A session.

How audio conference works

Some conferences may require participants of hundreds of people. In this case, the hosted, operator-assisted option is quite valuable. If larger conferences are expected, then careful attention must be paid to the buying process to make sure that the requisite features are available. Larger conferences typically require additional features that may not be available by some hosting services. These features may include a ?lectoring? option where participants join in mute mode, and only designated moderators speak. This helps to reduce background noise during the conference, as well as avoiding confusion from too many speakers. Larger conferences may follow up the speaker sessions with a question and answer period, where the individual participants are taken off ?mute? mode and allowed to participate, typically by signaling that they wish to ask a question. They will then be placed in a queue by the system or by the live operator to wait their turn. Polling features are also quite valuable in large conferences, allowing participants to vote in specific issues using the touch-tone buttons on the phone.

Audio conferencing is a simple option that can allow a big business to flourish with high-end features, or a small business to gain access to professional services at a low cost. Although audio conferencing can be achieved through on-premises equipment, businesses on a budget can access audio conferencing features on a hosted basis from a reliable provider at very little cost.