Businesses have always used conference calls as one of the most cost effective means of communicating with employees, customers and business partners who are spread all over the world. And they do that without even stepping out of the office. This saves a lot of time and money on travel and accommodation, especially if the people you need to communicate with on a regular basis are not based out of your local office.
Call conferencing is used extensively to gather members of a project team to get daily updates, immediate feedback about a businesses decision etc. Through a voice conference, miscommunication is eliminated because all delegates can be present at the meeting. There is no dilution in communication as is expected when someone relays the information or even when it is read from a written summary.
Written communication serves a particular need and there is no disputing the significant benefits which email and SMS have created in improving business productivity. On many occasions however the nuances of the spoken word are not conveyed in an email and where decisions need to be made swiftly a conference call can speed the process significantly. Teleconferencing allows multiple delegates to contribute in a much more open (and human) way than an email trail and this is something which simply isn’t possible with SMS.
Conferencing services include audio, video and even web conferencing. Many business meetings with clients, project team members, investors and other stake holders can be conducted via phone conferencing.
So far, businesses were the main customers of conferencing solutions. But as technology advanced, budget teleconference calls came into being. Now even ordinary people are getting attracted to the myriad possibilities that are offered by telephone conferencing. Teleconferencing services are very effectively used by many social networking and podcasting sites.
In a social scenario, if you want to organise a surprise party for your friend, you can get other friends on the line to discuss and bounce around ideas. All that your friends need to do is dial into the conference bridge and make use of the affordable conference call services.
In short, conference calling is not just for businesses alone. They are also for people who want to communicate with friends and family.