Conference calls are telephone calls in which the calling party can avail the facility of having more than one listener in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may also be designed to facilitate the called party to take part during the call, or the call can also be set up so that the called party merely gets to listen into the call and unable to speak. It is generally referred to as an Audio Tele-Conference or ATC. Conference calls can be designed in order to help the calling party to call the other participants he or she likes and add them to the call. In most of the cases, those who take part in the call conference are capable of calling into the conference call themselves.
They do that either by dialing into a conference bridge which is a specific type of equipment that connects the telephone lines, or just by using a particular telephone number set up for that reason.
Most of the companies use a specific service provider in order to provide conference calls. These service providers keep up the conference bridge, and allow the phone numbers which are used to access the conference call or meeting.
Three-way calling is provided mainly with an extra charge for almost all the customers on their office or home phone line. In three way calls you should call the first person you like to talk to and then you must press the flash button in your phone and dial the phone number of other person you wish to invite in the conference. Then, while the phone rings you should press the flash button again which will put three people in the conference calls. This option offers the callers the opportunity to add a second outgoing call to a call which is linked already.
There are different usages of conference calls like business, Party line and Free and Flat Rate Conferencing. Businesses use conference calls on a daily basis to meet with remote parties, both outside and in their company. The common applications are like client meetings or sales presentations, regular team meetings, project meetings and updates, communication and training classes to employees who work in different locations. Conference calling is regarded as a basic means of checking travel costs and enabling workers to be much productive as they need not have to go out of their office for meetings.
Party line: Conference calls can be utilized for social purposes or entertainment, like a group call or party line. People do call into a specified telephone number, and are linked to conversations with different callers. This acts as an innovative method which helps people to talk to different persons in different places at a time without be physically present. However, conference calls are used basically by businesses.
Free and Flat Rate Conferencing: Flat rate services are provided which helps in enabling conference call users to enjoy unlimited access to a conference bridge under a specific monthly cost. As various telecommunication carriers provide free long distance bunched with local service, this new method is gaining wide popularity for budget businesses and non-profit organizations.
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