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A
Brief Guide to Audio Conferencing Services |
by:
Steve
Valentino |
Audio
conferencing provides a way for businesses
and other groups to interact, without having
to travel to each other's offices. The savings
in time and travel expenses quickly make
up for the cost of audio conferencing services
and equipment. Audio conferencing usually
involves other types of teleconferencing
technology, such as video and collaborative
software. Collaborative software is software
that one user may send to other users for
simultaneous viewing and modification. For
example, if the group wants to work on a
diagram, it can be seen and drawn upon by
anybody in the conference via a special
electronic whiteboard.
An audio conferencing system can be rented,
bought from a vendor or reseller, or hired
as part of a full audio conferencing solution.
Such full-service packages include human
support services like management, marketing,
and tech support.
When audio conferencing services are rented,
the communication is routed through the
vendor's server software. The client is
charged according to the number of users
or "seats" who will be participating, the
length of time each seat will be participating,
and any initial equipment rental or purchase
costs. The vendor can charge a per-seat
and per-minute fee (for example, $0.15/seat/minute).
Alternatively, a client can rent the service
by the week, month, or year, with a maximum
allowed number of seats per conference or
session. For example, a one-week service
for five seats could cost $100 a week, while
a one-year service for 100 people could
cost a few thousand dollars. Rental audio
conferencing services are best for small
to medium sized businesses where the initial
equipment purchase costs would far outweigh
the savings on travel.
When audio conferencing services are bought,
the communication is routed through the
client's server software, which is bought
and licensed from the vendor. The client
chooses how small or large a package he
or she wants. For example, the client can
buy software that allows for 100 seats,
1000 seats, or much more. The client can
decide whether to include any of a number
of high-tech add-ons such as whiteboard
capabilities, and whether expandability
is important. The client buys all the necessary
equipment and software to run the system.
The initial cost can be tens of thousands
of dollars, so these are best suited to
larger numbers of seats over the long term.
However, tech support will always be a necessity,
so the client should subscribe to the vendor's
expertise.
About the Author
Audio
Conferencing Info provides detailed
information about audio conferencing services,
equipment, software, companies, plus online
audio conferencing, and more. Audio Conferencing
Info is affiliated with Original
Content.
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