Audio conference uses conference calls to conduct many types of meetings and training sessions. This is the lowest cost way to conference and is the entry point that most businesses and people will be familiar with. Audio conferencing and its equipment have been around for many decades. The techniques are tried and true, and it is the easiest conferencing method to use.



Audio conferencing uses two or more speakerphones and several dial up numbers. These numbers can be either local or toll free long distance numbers. You can also do this your own by incurring long distance charges yourself, or you can sign up for one of several audio conferencing services. These services offer several package types that handle the dial up or long distance; these services operate differently and depend on the type of package that you sign up for.

With most services, you set up a meeting for a specific time. There are either local or toll free numbers available for each person to call in on. In turn, you enter the required information to access to the meeting you have been invited to attend. Everyone involved is either on a single handset or at a table surrounding a speakerphone of some type. There are now specially designed phones just for this type of usage; the sound quality is much better than with a normal phone and speaker.

As mentioned earlier, the technology is very simple and is very easy to learn. You simply dial in and begin talking.

Security is also something that is necessary for any service today. With audio conferencing, you will need assurance that your audio conference is secure from the outside world. A pin number entry system assures that the meeting is secure, since only people you have provided with a pin number will have access to the meeting.

You can change the pin number for each meeting, which provides greater security. Each pin number can be good for just one meeting.

With international calls, language gaps can happen. Some audio conferencing companies offer translation services to meet this need, and you should research to find one that does if this is something you need. Bigger and more sophisticated audio conferencing services usually offer as part of their package.

What Services are Available?

There are many options available for those who want to sign with an audio conference provider. You can choose to have an operator help mediate your call and assist with any problems. Operators can also help with security issues. If you use a specific pin number for different calls, security is greater, but potential problems can also increase. An operator can help with these issues. Of course, an operator will cost more. If your needs are minimal, you may not need to bother with an audio conference operator.

PROS

Professional Business Presence

Easy Accessibility to Distant Clients and Employees

Secure Meeting Place

CONS

Increased Business Costs

There are many things that to consider when you are looking for an audio conferencing service. Price is one consideration, but you will want to know how long a company has been in business and how highly recommended it is. What is the company s plan in case they have a system failure, so that you are assured of being able to continue with your meeting? Do they have translators available for the languages that you will need? Most should have all of the common ones, but for less commonly used languages, can the company find someone on short notice if needed?

The choices you make about an audio conference provider can say a lot about your company and your degree of professionalism. Although a relatively small thing, your choice can go a long way towards strengthening your reputation in your field. Communication is an important component of any business, so a good plan will help ensure that you have good communications with your staff and clients.