Phone Conference Call Services - How to Choose

Conference call services offer many options that businesses and organizations can take advantage of when selecting a conference provider and a particular phone conference program.

Here is a list of the major options:

1) Flat Rate Conference Call: Also known as flat rate teleconferencing or fixed rate conferencing, offers unlimited conferencing service for a flat or set rate a month. You can talk as long as you want, anytime you want, 24/7 without reservations. You pay one fee a month, whether you use the service all the time or not at all. This is an ideal solution for heavy phone conference call users. To access the conference bridge, you will dial a long distance number. However, since most businesses and homes, and cell phones, have free long distance included in their regular plans these days, this is not a major factor.

2) Pay As You Go Conference Call: Also known as per minute conferencing, or toll free conferencing, or "meet me" conferencing. This offers you the option of only paying for what you use. Your conference calls are timed for each line coming into the conference bridge. For example, if there were 10 callers who were on the phone for 10 minutes, that would equal 100 minutes of conferencing. Like flat rate, this conference service is reservationless and you can use it at anytime. This is a good choice for organizations that use conferencing occasionally. If there is a month that goes by and you don't use, you aren't billed. You can choose to call either a toll free number, or a non-toll free number. Obviously, the convenience of a toll free conference number costs a little more, but it a great convenience for customers and prospects. If your conferencing is for internal use, you are probably better off using the non-toll free alternative.

3) Operator Conference Call: Also known as operator attended or operator assisted conference calling. This provides you with the highest level of professional conference services and convenience. You reserve the time you want your conference to take place, provide the phone numbers you want called, and professional operators will call each party in your conference and put them into the conference bridge. In other words, conference participants don't have to do anything except answer the phone. These conferences are charged on a per minute basis. Another version of an operator conference call is when participants call into a conference and are greeted by an operator who collects information such as names, phone numbers and email addresses. The operator can just put them into the call after collecting the data, or introduce each new participant as they enter the conference. This is ideal for calls involving board meetings, investor relations, legal conference calls or special announcements with the press.

Those are the main conference call service options that account for the vast majority of conference accounts. There are other services as well, including web conferencing and video conferencing. Both of those services include audio as well as PowerPoint presentations and "desktop sharing" that enables you to share whatever you see on your desktop with everyone on the conference.

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