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Free conference call services are available, but participants will incur long-distance charges. Providers generate revenue from traffic on their lines, and the service is fully automated. However, lines are first-come, first-serve, and there is no operator assistance.
Most organizations that use audio conferencing services choose to contract with a reliable conference call provider. Typically, there is a flat fee per minute per conference connection charged to the caller. However, there is another option that can be very useful for non-profit organizations and companies that cannot budget a lot of money on teleconferencing services. This option is a free conference call service. With a toll-free conference call, there are no fees charged to the customer for the conference, so there is no bill to pay. Here’s some information about how free conferencing works and when the service might be a viable option.
At the time selected by the sender, the participants and the host dial into the conference bridge and enter a pre-arranged password when prompted by an automated message. Everyone who enters the password is routed to a secure conference call, where all parties are free to verbally interact with each other. There is no greeting or operator intervention. The process for the no-cost conference call is fully automated.
The first thing to understand about free teleconferencing is that it is not completely free. Each participant will incur the cost of making a long distance call to connect to the conference bridge. The charges will not appear on an invoice issued by the free conference call provider, but as a charge for the minutes generated on each participant’s individual phone bill, with the cost depending on the type of long distance plan in effect. The term free conferencing is based on the fact that the teleconferencing provider does not charge setup fees or issue fees for using their lines. The process is strictly a connection to a teleconference, in effect a series of long-distance calls that end in a regular conference call.
Free conference call providers may offer this type of service for two reasons. First, the source of revenue is the amount of traffic generated on trunks or lines that terminate on conference bridges. Every minute someone uses one of their lines for a meeting, they generate revenue. Second, free teleconferencing services require very little in the way of equipment and personnel. This means a very low operating cost that can easily be covered by consistent use of your facilities.
Of course, there are ways to make teleconferencing completely free. One method is to use a cell phone to dial in to the meeting. If you don’t normally use your bank of allowed cell phone minutes during your billing period, the cost of participating in the conference call is really free. Also, if the long distance plan for your landline service includes a flat monthly fee for unlimited long distance, you pay nothing extra to join a free conference call.
Free teleconferencing services do have some drawbacks. For example, lines are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have a large number of participants who need to gather for a conference call, there is no guarantee that there will be enough lines during business hours. Also, there is usually no option to get assistance from an operator in case of background noise or some other disturbance during the free conference call. However, for an organization that only needs half a dozen lines during peak hours, a teleconferencing service can work really well and help keep the budget intact at the same time.
Asset Smart.
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