If you’re like me, you have occasions when you need several people on the phone line at once. You may have three-way calling from your phone company, but what about times when you want a simple solution for three or more?
I’ve experimented with several teleconferencing services that offer online sign-up, clear instructions for use, and no- or low-cost features. While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are my top three:
FreeConference: I’ve used FreeConference for several years now and have had a very good experience. After signing up for a free account, users can schedule and manage telephone conference calls from any web browser. While there are premium services that offer more call features, the free services fit the bill in many circumstances: Up to 100 callers and 3 hours, a toll number that’s the designated call-in number, an access code (you can choose your own), organizer control settings, automated email invitations with the conference call information, automated RSVP. The one little caveat: Callers need to call in from a landline phone; cell phones and sometimes even cordless phones create an unpleasant and unwelcome echo.
MyFreeTeleconference: This service works much like FreeConference except that there’s no call time limit and up to 99 participants for the free service. As with FreeConference, you can purchase low-cost toll-free service to be used for a specific conference call, thereby saving your callers the toll fees. These folks don’t actively discourage cell phone use for the calls, but do emphasize the potential impact on sound quality.
FreeConferenceService: A reservationless service for up to 50 callers using a toll number, FreeConferenceService seems a little less developed than the other two but provides the same basic features, including recording of the call (also available from the other services). The user interface is more streamlined and basic (potentially a good thing) but provides less support detail in the event you’re new to this kind of thing (potentially frustrating).
If any of you have used any of the above services and think others might be interested in your experience, please be sure to leave a comment!
Tammy,
A FYI about these free services: free conferences are made possible by using a rule that allows small phone exchanges to pass fees on to the LD companies. At least one of these, if not all of them, run from a small exchange in Iowa. The exchange passes on fees to ATT (etc) and that’s how they get paid.
While I dont really mind seeing ATT getting gigged for a change, I dont expect it to happen forever. As such, be aware that with ATT’s (and so on) powerful lobbyists at work, it’s likely to go away someday.
One other things: some carriers have blocked the free conference exchanges so that cell callers cannot reach them because they dont want to pay the fees.
This can impact conference users and you dont want to find this out at the last minute before your scheduled conference.
Mark
Good day Tammy,
Why not to use SKYPE and its new feature: “SkypeCast”?
It’s 100% free of charge, it’s popular, your callers pay zero fees and you can take up to 99 people on the line. Isn’t it an amazing service?
Massimo D’Amico
Good evening, Massimo, thanks for stopping in. I can tell you why I haven’t yet been willing to recommend Skype for business teleconferencing, though I’m a Skype user for one-on-one calls: It’s not predictable enough for me yet. I’ve been on too many teleconference calls, as a participant, when Skyped-in participants suddenly disappeared because Skype dropped the call.
When that problem improves, then I’ll endorse it for business use. Would love to see that happen, as I agree that there’s much about Skype that is amazing.
I agree with Tammy. I have recently been on a Skype conference and at one time or another lost them. Unfortunately, I can’t get them back they connect but can’t Talk. I end up using Skype out minutes and calling them on their land / cell line.
Hi, Marj – That’s a bit of a hassle, isn’t it? I’m due to be on a conference call to China later this morning and two of us decided yesterday not to use Skype because of the dropping problem. We just don’t want to have to keep re-connecting when we’ve got one hour for an important call.
SKYPE is pretty horrible agreement there for sure. One thing to remember about the free or so called free conference services there are often long distance fee’s to call the dial-in number , and users should expect to pay the long-distance rates for the length of the call.
I read the news about video conferencing been installed in hotels. This is very useful for Diplomats and VIPs to keep them up to date with their routine work back at home.