Conference Calls Reduce Energy Consumption and Help Businesses Save Money

With the condition of today's economy and the current energy crisis, most businesses are looking for cost effective and environmentally sound ways to conduct operations.

One way businesses have been able to significantly cut costs and help save the environment is through teleconferencing.

With teleconferencing, conference calls take place between colleagues, partners, customers and others regardless of where each contact is located in the world.

This not only saves wasted time and money on traveling to central a location for the company, but it also helps reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the air, in a bid to stop global warming.

As gas prices continue to rise today, consumers as well as businesses are feeling the strain. Using a conference call to conduct communications cuts on the need to travel and amount of gas needed, again saving time, money and the environment.

Teleconferencing can be used for other collaborations as well, including training, presentations, meetings, and a host of other uses that provide new and innovative ways for today's competitive business environments and organizations around the world to get the most of their meetings.

Eagle Teleconferencing, a part of EagleNet companies, provides facility-based teleconferencing services and specializes in conferencing, IVR and voicemail services with a capacity of over ten (10) billion minutes annually. The company has operations in the U.S., Italy, the U.K., France, Germany, and India.

source:http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/conference-call/articles/34909-conference-calls-reduce-energy-consumption-help-businesses-save.htm

Cheap Conference Calls, Are They Any Good?

Conference calls have been an alternative way of gathering people together in a business seminars or meetings. It can save everyone the hassle of traveling from one place to another just to attend a business gathering. Not only that, it can also relatively lower down company expenses because all you really need is a telephone system and you are good to go. Technology has really gone a long way and has helped the business sector in making cost-effective solutions that fits their needs.

You may think that setting up a call conference may be costly. Actually it need not be. There are a number of conference call service providers in the market that are offering affordable call conferencing packages which are available for everyone.

How come some cheap conference call providers can reduce their rates that low?

Firstly, offering cheap rates is their marketing strategy to get more people to commission their service. Second, cheap conference calls are often service providers themselves and have their very own network that they use during conference calls. This way, there are actually no or at least very minimal overhead cost. Without these additional costs, they can easily lower down their rates.

How do cheap conference calls work?
Providers usually would give their costumer a unique toll free number. The participants of the conference call will then dial-in the given number. The host would simply call the toll number and can easily conduct the conference right there and then.

Advantages of cheap conference calls

Reservation-less conferencing
Cheap conference call does not need reservations for a person to join the conference. A client can call a conference anytime he needs one without making prior reservations.

Call management system
Cheap conference calls also provide their own call management system. Just be sure to check with your provider other services and additional features that come with the package you paid for. Call management system would ensure that you have a smooth-flowing conference at all times.

Operator assisted
Cheap conference calls also provide live operators upon request but you would usually be required to pay additional cost for this. Since cheap conference calls are committed to provide the most cost-effective solution possible for their costumers they usually use automated system instead of live operators to cut down the cost of the service you have to pay for.

Easy setup
You might think that you need extra tools to set up conferencing, but this is actually not the case. There are no additional equipments that you need to have to make a conference call. All you need to have is a simple telephone system that you would use during the conference.

Get in touch with hundreds of people
The primary use of a conference call is to get two or more people together. But with a cheap call conference, it gets even better. You can converse and connect to one person or to one hundred people all at the same time.

Who would benefit from cheap call conferences?
Call conferencing is not exclusive for business use. It could also be used for medical consultations and for small organization's staff meetings.

Start-up companies would greatly benefit from cheap call conferencing. They would give your company the professionalism it needs without you shelling out a big fortune. Cheap call conferencing would perfectly fit your budget.

Small organizations and charity institutions can also use cheap conference calls. This way, they can get in touch with their staff wherever they are in the world. You do not need to pay for high cellphone bills anymore or to travel far just to talk to your staff. Cheap conference makes it easier for you.

Cheap conference calls, are they any good? In conclusion, they are! They offer cost-effective solutions to suits your needs without paying for high fees. They are very economical compared to traveling to different places just to meet with certain people whether it is for your business or for your organization.

Apart from being affordable, cheap conference calls are not short when in comes to technical advantage. They can offer the same service most high-priced providers offer. What you really have to do is to evaluate your provider's services and ask them about what they can offer you. It would be a good idea to compare providers and choose what you think is best suited for your cause.

Communication is very vital in a thriving company. With cheap conference calls, you can create seamless communication with your people and still save up a little of your budget.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/cheap-conference-calls-are-they-any-good-100801.html

Web And Audio Conferencing

The technology boom in the 21st century has created wonders for the telecom industry in a tremendous manner. With the arrival of mobile phones and the Internet, communication is fast becoming a necessity. It is indeed a technological revolution.

The Benefits Of Web And Audio Conferencing

In this regard, web and audio conferencing have taken the IT boom to its next level of revolution. Today, equipped with the Internet technology, we are able to carry out conferences with people all over the world while sitting in our office. Web and audio conferencing has enabled the postmodern world in connecting with a virtual reality through the medium of cyber space.

With web and audio conferencing, large business organizations are able to deal with their clientele and other associates within seconds. The video aspect of the conference allows the maintaining of a physical aspect of the communication which is a part of virtual reality.

Some Basic Requirements Of Web And Audio Conferencing

To facilitate the Internet web and audio conferencing, you must have Windows, Java, Linux or Mac software and an internet connection of at least minimum 128kbps. For video conference, VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) is mandatory and a camera which will help in receiving and sending the analog digital message in the form of audio and video.

This is the cheapest medium of communication which saves a lot of money and time as it can be established almost instantly and does not require a huge amount of investment in comparison of the expenses on traveling for business and personal use. It is the easiest medium of maintaining one-to-one conference which can be highly efficient in running a business. Thus, web and audio conferencing is the new technological revolution, which enables the IT revolution to move to the next level.
Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Web-And-Audio-Conferencing

Is Microsoft VoIP ready for prime time?

Enterprise Voice

Enterprise Voice is the VoIP component of OCS, and it’s an important point of the Unified Communications goal of OCS (along with audio conference calling ,video conference calling, conferencing, IM, and Outlook/Exchange integration). OCS makes VoIP an integral part of working with Office applications. Users can make phone calls in a “click-to-call” manner to Outlook and Communicator contacts.

OCS also provides a similar sort of functionality as services such as Google’s GrandCentral, which allow users to integrate all their phone numbers. Users can register their mobile phones and other devices with OCS; they then receive calls simultaneously on all registered endpoints and can choose which to answer. Through the Enterprise Voice client software, users can also choose whether to forward unanswered calls to another number or log them for notification.

In addition, the voice functionality doesn’t limit users to calling within the local area network. Users with Internet connections can call into the office remotely. They don’t have to use a VPN or pay long-distance charges.

Cost savings go beyond substituting VoIP for PSTN calls. When calls do need to go through the PSTN, Enterprise Voice uses least-cost algorithms to determine how to route those calls.
PBX integration

Based on the SIP standard, OCS offers integration with a company’s existing IP PBX if it supports SIP and native PBX integration. That means users can use existing handsets to make and take phone calls, as well as Office Communicator 2007 on their computers.

A mediation server mediates signaling and media between the OCS and PBX systems. It’s necessary if you’re using a basic media gateway. If you have an advanced media gateway, however, the gateway handles mediation, and you don’t need a mediation server. Media gateways are devices that translate the signaling and media between the Enterprise Voice software and the PSTN.

When the PBX routes calls to users, it also sends the call to OCS. OCS then routes the call to the user’s registered SIP endpoints while the PBX sends it to the PBX phone on the user’s desk.

Another option is to set up OCS to handle phone calls for an individual department within a company while the rest of the company uses the existing PBX. This allows you to roll out OCS in increments within the organization and/or to deploy OCS only for those groups that need its features.

A media gateway can connect the OCS/VoIP group with the PBX. The members of these groups don’t necessarily have to be in the same physical location. If the team members are in disparate locations, they can use OCS for communications, which can save a significant amount of money in long-distance charges.

You can place Enterprise Voice either in front of or behind the PBX. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. Placing Enterprise Voice in front of the PBX means incoming calls come into the media gateway, and it routes calls to the PBX or OCS as appropriate. Placing Enterprise Voice behind the PBX means incoming calls go to the PBX first, and it routes calls for Enterprise Voice users to the media gateway.

OCS and Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging (UM) can work together to provide users with Outlook Voice Access. This makes e-mail messages, faxes, and voice messages all accessible from Outlook on a computer or over the phone via an access number assigned by the Exchange UM administrator. Exchange UM can provide voice mail services when you use OCS without PBX integration.
Drawbacks

Of course, like any VoIP solution, a network or power outage may cause you to lose telephone service. In addition, problems with the OCS server itself may result in a voice outage.

You’ll want to have an alternative calling method available for emergency services (i.e., 911) in such cases. OCS doesn’t automatically provide physical location information to emergency services when a caller dials 911.

Another consideration is that when using PBX integration, users can’t use the OCS voice mail. That means you have to either use the voice mail system on the PBX or configure voice mail on Exchange Unified Messaging.

Deploying Enterprise Voice can be complex. If you have outside callers who use Office Communicator, you need an Access Edge Server and Audio/Video Edge Server so their calls can go through the firewall or NAT device.

The A/V Edge Server includes an A/V Authentication service that authenticates outside callers. In addition, you need to translate phone numbers to the E.164 format, create dialing plans, define usage records to assign call permissions to users, and populate a routing table for determining how to route which calls to which gateways.
Source:http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/networking/?p=363

The Best Service For Your Audio and Video Conference Call

There are a great deal advantages to incorporating audio and video conference calls into your daily business communication strategy. Audio and viedo Conferencing One of those advantages encompass making truly that your staff receives the same data, that the data is delivered in real time, that your customers are kept apprised of strategies that affect their bottom line, etc. Conference Call Hosting One convenient way of accomplishing these communication objectives is through an audio and video
conference calling.

When selecting your provider to be responsible for these audio and video conference calls it is significant to take into consideration a number of factors. In addition it is significant that you keep in mind the pricing of this service.

Factors In Choosing Your Audio Conference Call Provider

One of the key factors in choosing your audio conference call provider is to determine what your teleconferencing needs are. Dial In Conference Call These needs can be based on whether you be forced to have an international teleconferencing line set up, lot of minutes you estimate that will be needed for teleconferencing purposes, the number of individuals that can be on the call at any given time, whether you wish to utilize facilitator services, etc.

Another critical component in selecting your audio conference call provider is to investigate the varied companies that offer conferencing call services. Team Collaboration Particular attention should be given to the technological equipment that they utilize. Their equipment ought to provide the proper bandwidth for performance, thinkable use of fiber optics for clarity, noise reduction, optimal use of switching equipment, etc. Since communication is a critical component in the successful operation of any business, an meaningful factor to contemplate, before selecting your audio conference call provider, is their level of providing service which is of the highest superiority. For example, if you are in the midst of an important teleconference call with a customer and other staff members and the call is "dropped," this could have serious consequences.

Therefore, it is significant to do determine the quality of service that the audio conference call company provides. Ordinarily when you contact the provider they will provide letters of endorsement from satisfied customers. Premiere Conference You can accept these letters at face value or you can and also ask if it would be acceptable to contact these companies to ask secondary questions.

source:http://www.conferencecallconnections.com/

Activision Conference Call Highlights; New Marvel Title

Activision held its latest conference call with investors and here are the highlights:

1.Activision execs predicted that during the calendar 2007 year there will be 4 million PS3 consoles sold in the US. Xbox 360 and Wii consoles will sell 5 million units each.
2. So far there have been 200,000 music downloads for Activision's Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II.
3. Activision's July-September period will have the Guitar Hero Rocks The 80s and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
4. The fall schedule will have Call of Duty 4, the next Tony Hawk title, Guitar Hero III, a new unnamed Marvel game (possibly the previously revealed Spider-Man Trilogy title) and a game based on the CGI movie Bee Movie
5. Activision's first James Bond game will be released in 2008 around the time the next Bond film will be made; there is no word on if the game will be based on the movie or an original game.
6. Activision execs stated they are working on a number of original properties but declined to give specifics