With a wider selection of expanded services than ever before, companies have a multitude of considerations to evaluate when choosing the right conference call solution for its particular needs. Before selecting a commercial service or an in-house system, a detailed assessment of the specific usage of conference calling in a company can save frustration, and money.
The first question a company should ask itself before making this decision is how often it will use the service. Companies that make conference calls only on occasion can certainly choose a commercial service—it's uncomplicated, straightforward and reliable. In addition, it is cheaper than its specialized counterparts. Companies need only make a reservation from the outside service, and pay the invoice.
On the flip side, companies that frequently use conference calling may want to consider an in-house system to save money in the long term. Robert Poe from VoIP News (News - Alert) writes, "A consistent conference-call schedule makes it easier to compare the cost of purchasing a system with that of paying for a service."
The number of people routinely on the calls is another factor that will determine the most economically advantageous route. If there are regular participants, an in-house system may be preferable. However, if the number of participants varies, an in-house system will incur regular charges for services that aren't needed through certain periods.
Should a company decide to stick with its current provider, check to see if there are built-in conference bridges—provided by some IP PBXs and VoIP services, accommodation can be for a handful of callers, to hundreds, according to Poe. In addition, adding on a system from an IP PBX (News - Alert) vendor or third-party supplier could save companies money in the long run, compared to using a commercial system.
All things considered, if reliability is more critical than cost, companies should undoubtedly select a commercial system. Poe wrote, "You don't want to risk having the conference call crash when 1,000 investors dial in within five minutes of each other."
Yet, spending a little extra for an on-premise or hybrid premise/hosted solution can provide companies with features that allow the host to have more control over calls using graphical interfaces with features to drag and drop participants in and out of the conference, or keep all participants on the line while muting all but a select few. Poe compares this to commercial services, which "give you little more than a phone number, a conference ID and instructions for seeking assistance."
Eagle Teleconferencing has focused considerable resources on developing solutions that work easily within the user environment. Recently, TMC's (News - Alert) Susan Campbell wrote, "With the growing need to do business on a global scale, companies are increasingly implementing solutions that enable them to collaborate with partners, customers and colleagues throughout the world, without investing significant time and travel costs to meet face-to-face." Eagle Teleconferencing, a provider of robust and flexible cloud-based teleconferencing services, now, with its teleconferencing service that can be easily integrated with Microsoft Outlook, users can schedule and launch conference calls with ease.
Janice McDuffee has worked in marketing, editing and freelance writing for companies including SheKnows and HBM Inc. after receiving her master's and bachelor's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
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