All About Audio Conference Calls

Audio Conference Calling is a method that has been in use for quite a while by large corporations in holding meetings without the participants actually having to be in the same room. It is mostly used for business purposes, though even private individuals have recently begun to use conference calling options provided by their telephone providers to have multiple friends on for a chat at the same time.

The concept for this pretty much began with the basic three-way call option that some phone service providers started back in the mid 1990s, where a caller could dial up two friends at a time to have a three way conversation with them both. Taking this a step further, teleconferencing simply increased the number of possible participants that could chat at the same time.

With the recent boom in home businesses, entrepreneurs have also begun to take advantage of conference calling to hold meeting with their clients and business associates without anyone having to leave the comfort of their homes.

The most common private type of conference call option is that the caller must contact and dial each participant seperately, and as they answer the phone they are added to the call conference. For large groups, however, this can be a hassle on the part of both the host of the conference and the individuals who get onboard first, as they will be waiting for some time while the other participants are contacted.

The most efficient method of conference calling requires the use of a "bridge" system. The host of the conference call has a special unit attached to his phone line that allows any participants for the conference to dial in to it's number at any time and enter the conference meeting.

Basic conferencing bridge systems are not that expensive, though prices may vary depending on the number of allowable participants that can actively enter the conference at any given time. The greater the number of possible participants it can host, the more expensive the conferencing bridge gets.

One useful tool for audio teleconference meetings aside from a bridge system is to use a speakerphone or an attached headset. Since these meetings usually last a long time, often as long as or longer than an actual physical meeting, individual participants may opt for a headset to keep their hands free. Speakerphones are useful for teleconference participants who call in as a group from the same physical location, letting all the members of the group listen in and participate without having to pass a phone around.

Due to the rise in popularity of audio conferencing, certain companies have even begun to offer special services for people. One common example of this are "party lines", where a host company sets up a conferencing bridge as a sort of private chatroom where callers are charged to call in and participate. Usually these party lines are meant for general socialization, though they often have established themes or cater to individuals from specific special-interest groups.

Aside from party lines, there are even companies who offer to host teleconferencing meetings for a modest fee. The person who wishes to host the conference pays the company for the use of a bridge, and essentially calls in to the number provided by the company. The actual physical conference bridge device is located with the host company, of course, but the customer can use it via his or her phone for the duration that the service is rented.

This particular service is catching on quite rapidly with home businessmen and e-tailers who operate from home. They simply tell all desired participants for the meeting beforehand what time the conference is to take place and give them the number to call. Naturally, they have to first schedule the rental of the service with the conferencing company.

In conjunction with online forums and chatrooms, audio conference calling has caused the world to shrink even further, making working from home efficiently even more viable than before. There are also experimental attempts being made now by some researchers at commercially affordable video teleconferencing devices which will allow multiple web-camera equipped people to hold meeting in the same fashion, but as of yet these devices are expensive enough that only larger business corporations utilize them.