When you are involved in the business world, you realize the importance of being able to conduct a conference call on a whim. However, in the past, audio conferencing was only available if you set up the appointment ahead of time to reserve your time slot. Today, advances have been made in this technology that allow you to conduct these conference calls without having to make a reservation ahead of time. Starting in the 1990s, this form of conferencing via the phone lines has grown to include a variety of features that make using it even easier.
Traditional Conference Call
Before delving into Onstream Media's reservationless systems, it is important to understand how traditional conference calls worked. With this system, you had to choose a specific date and time before calling in to make your reservation. You would then need to reserve your time slot for a specific duration of time, as well as a specific number of lines, one for each attendee. The conference operator would set up the system and allow people to begin arriving 15 to 30 minutes prior to the start time. However, when the meeting was over and everyone hung up, the call was then lost. No one could return without rescheduling another slot.
No Advance Reservations
The beauty of Onstream's reservationless audio conferencing is you don’t need to make any reservations ahead of time. Even though various conference call providers operate a little differently, the basic premise is the same. In this format, your account will automatically have access to a specific number of lines that are tied to the teleconference at any given time. Those who are authorized to access the account can start up a conference at any time, with or without warning.
The Operation
Accessing a conference call through a reservationless conferencing system is fast and easy for anyone. The person who sets up the call will receive a toll-free number, as well as at least two access codes – one for the host to start the call and one for the attendees to use to access the call. This person can then invite others to attend the call by providing them with the toll-free number and the correct access code. The call will stop billing when the last person disconnects.
Quick, Easy Access
Once you have your account set up, you will be able to access a conference call at any time, even for those emergency meetings you just can’t plan for. To gather everyone together, all you need to do is provide the call-in number and the access code for attendees and assign a time for the call. Reservationless audio conferencing is ideal for on-the-spot meetings and regular meetings that don’t take place on a set schedule.
Available Features
As time has passed, audio conferencing has added features that make using this system for all your conference calls easier. For instance, white background noise used to be an issue, many conferencing companies, including Onstream Media and Infinite Conferencing, now offer the ability for the host of the meeting to mute all attendees to cut out that background noise without relying on individuals to take it upon themselves to do so. Attendance lists, the ability to make an outside call during the conference and more all make various aspects of the conference call easier. In most cases, all these features are standard and included in the per-minute price of all your audio conferences, making them cost-efficient solutions.
