What is a Free Conference Call?

Free conference calls connect businesses, organizations, and personal groups alike. Some of these services allow moderator functions, such as muting callers, question-and-answer mode, and secure conference PIN codes for moderators and conference participants. Free teleconferences take place all around the world and can have hundreds of callers. Some free conference calls use traditional telephone lines and equipment, while others add in Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology to lower company costs and expand accessibility to international users.

Many teleconference services also require callers to dial a conference code and PIN, thus increasing the security of the conference call. It is harder for outsiders to eavesdrop on private calls if they do not know the conference code or PIN to enter.

Uses for teleconference services vary and are quite numerous. For example, people join together in distance support groups. Team leaders for fund drives motivate their members to keep working hard. Instructors hold teleclasses, teleseminars, and self-help sessions. Boards of directors hold staff meetings with attendees all across the country. Business professionals strategize about their next marketing campaign. The list could go on.

In the age of globalization, conference call services have become even more vital. People may work for the same company but live in separate countries. One free conference call could connect hundreds of them together.

In a free call that uses traditional telephone lines, many people dial one designated telephone number, and the free service connects all of them together.

VOIP technology may also be used to connect the many telephones. VOIP technology uses the Internet to route voice calls, and VOIP gateways connect computer users with the regular telephone network. For example, a conference participant might use their traditional landline or mobile phone provider to dial the conference telephone number, and have their call answered by a conference service running on a computer with a broadband Internet connection.

There are many free call services available on the Internet. Some of these services have standard telephone numbers, while others use only the Internet. To use an Internet-only free conference call service, callers may require special software or hardware. For example, they might call the service using the Internet when they download a program (called a soft phone) or program a hardware-based VOIP telephone to connect to the service.

James King has been working in the business services industry for over 15 years. He enjoys writing about business, technology and especially conference call facilities.

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Hosted PBX With Advanced VoIP Features For Your Business

Hosted PBX with advanced VoIP features is an ideal solution for your business to enhance its telecommunication services and reduce operational expenses.

IP Based Hosted PBX to boost Flexibility

IP based hosted PBX systems bring about a notable reduction in your telecommunication expenses. Since they work from the service provider's servers, users can eliminate the need for installing any additional, expensive PBX hardware on their premises. This web-enabled phone service eliminates the need for deploying additional phone lines in your settings. All calls can be automatically directed to any given number through the Internet facility. The hosted phone system thus offers your workforce maximum flexibility, as business communication is facilitated from anywhere and at any time.

With a fully featured VoIP enabled IP PBX phone system, outbound calls to national and overseas locations can be made at minimum charges, considerably reducing telecom expenses. This phone system enables a virtual business presence to be established at other locations without setting up physical offices there. Also, several extensions can be maintained from an existing telephone connection, thereby enabling business expansion at minimum cost.

Advanced Call Management Features

The auto attendant attends incoming calls with appropriate welcome messages and provides callers with a list of options including dial-by-name and dial-by-extension. Based on the choice selected by the caller, calls are immediately transferred to the extensions. This system manages several calls arriving simultaneously and performs call routing without giving off busy signals. This eliminates the need for reception staff in small offices. Other useful features include:

• Fax and fax to email
• Voice to email
• Caller ID
• Call conferencing
• Call waiting

With the efficient find me follow me call forwarding option, calls can be forwarded to cell phones or other alternate land phone numbers. Therefore, the hosted PBX phones offer you the facility to conduct business communications from any location.

To avail of the services of a hosted PBX with all its advanced VoIP features, approach any professional PBX service provider.

Hosted PBX - AccessDirect, provides reliable hosted VoIP phone services. Hosted VoIP PBX systems come with a range of advanced features such as voice mail, fax mail, auto attendant, and follow me call forwarding.

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Mobile Carrier Brings VoIP Home For Its Customers

The number of Americans who have a landline phone in their home keeps decreasing - mostly due to cell phones now being made available free for those living below the poverty line, and the up and coming generation that depends on mobile service exclusively.

Even many traditional landlines are no longer 'traditional' - many homes tap into their home's existing wiring but route calls out through their IP - using the internet to send and receive calls with their regular handsets. With VoIP service becoming a common 'bundled feature' provided by cable television and internet service providers, a large number of homes now actually have their phone service through broadband.

For those diehards who still maintain POTS (plain old telephone service), however, the high cost is starting to wear thin. In response, mobile phone carriers are stepping up to the plate with incentives for those who already have mobile service to leave POTS behind.

T-Mobile is one such company, offering home VoIP service as an add-on to existing mobile plans, at the staggeringly low rate of $10 a month. This move essentially demotes landline service to the status of an afterthought - perfect for those who are attached by umbilical to their mobile, but wouldn't mind having the convenience of a 'regular phone' at their home.

The $10 plan is available to be added to any existing cellular plan with T-Mobile, and covers unlimited calling in the US and Canada. Similar VoIP service from competitors Vonage and AT&T come in around $25 a month, making the T-Mobile plan the best priced VoIP for home service, if exclusive to T-Mobile customers.

The service does require a broadband internet connection and a T-Mobile @Home HiPort Wireless Router with Home Phone Connection, which is offered by the company for $50 with a two-year service agreement. (2 years service plus router: $290; compared to traditional phone service averaging $60 a month for unlimited calling in the US and Canada, the savings per customer is nearly $600 a year.)

Barely 9% of Americans still have landline only service, and only 79% maintain a landline at all, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive. 15% already use VoIP as a landline alternative. In contrast, 89% of adults now own a cell phone, and 14% use a cell exclusively, up from only 11% in 2006. With the advances being made with mobile VoIP options, plans like the one T-Mobile offers may become much more popular.

Saiju is a VoIP and business software expert specializing in business phone service and hosted IP PBX solutions.

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Carriers Accommodate the Rise of Mobile VoIP Solutions

As VoIP emerges as the premier solution for businesses looking for a cost effective way to manage communications networks, Mobile phone carriers are finally falling into line. The initial reaction to VoIP for mobile was a blacklisting of any app that allowed connectivity with a VoIP network - mobile carriers feared a reduction in revenue if everyone switched to making calls through their own IP.

As it became apparent that such a boycott was not proving effective, carriers did a turnaround and started looking for ways to benefit from the trend towards SIP calling. Vox Communications recently announced that it has released a downloadable application for mobile VoIP for use on the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod mobile devices., allowing consumers to make mobile calls on the Vox network.

Chief Information Officer Mark Richards explained: "The VoX SIP credentials are easily delivered to Apple's mobile devices by downloading the fring social network interface from iTunes. VoX is commencing social network media marketing to an addressable market of over 80% of the installed smart phone base, or more than 100 million devices over WiFi or 3G data connections."

Another new mobile VoIP application has also been launched which could increase the number of VoIP service users. Voippal.com's PointsPhone Mobile application can be used on a variety of Apple products including the new iPhone 4 and the iPad, and offers a full range of features including call forwarding, voicemail, and free peer-to-peer calling.

Dennis Chang, president and chief executive officer of Voippal.com, is thrilled that his app is now available in the Apple store: "The Apple iPhone is the world's active leader in smart phone applications and it was important for us to start our first smart phone app with Apple," he said.

Mobile networks are constantly expanding and upgrading to keep up with demand; Apple sold over 1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets in just three days, and Google's Android based phone has shipped 160,000 per day for weeks. These figures encourage the adoption of mobile IP telephony solutions.

Enhanced phones and smartphones accounted for around 81 per cent of mobiles shipped last year, with 56 per cent of handset models being 3.5G-ready devices. Most of these can be used as VoIP phones as they allow calls to be made and received over the internet in addition to being compatible with more traditional mobile networks. According to market research firm In-Stat, the projected total number of mobile VoIP users will hit 288 million by the end of 2013.

Saiju George is a VoIP and business software enthusiast. He specializes in hosted business VoIP solutions and encourages the spread of unbound SIP addresses.

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Mobile VoIP Revenues to Skyrocket Over the Next Five Years

According to marketing intelligence firm Frost & Sullivan, 2010 is the beginning of a five year upswing for the unified communications market - and VoIP for mobile solutions is poised to benefit the most.

Global demand for VoIP phones and other telecoms equipment has been steadily climbing despite the recession, with approximately 12.6 million VoIP phones shipped during last year. The entire market earned revenues in the neighborhood of $7.7 billion in 2009.

However, this is just the beginning for a market that is set to expand even more rapidly over the next half decade. Revenues generated from mobile VoIP technology alone across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America are expected to grow to $29.57 billion by 2015 - an increase from a mere 605.8 million at the end of 2008.

HD VoIP will also see a huge increase in use over the next five years, according to figures from ABI Research, with up to 487 million mobile phone customers expected to have HD compatible phones and access to HD VoIP service by 2015. This in turn will encourage mobile providers to upgrade their available service packages to offer better audio capability and wider coverage areas.

As more options become available, costs for mobile voice over IP solutions drop, and coverage becomes more widespread. This encourages small companies and big business alike to turn to mobile VoIP solutions. Both in office setups and mobile on the go communications devices allow users to stay connected whether they are telecommuting, traveling, or simply multitasking in today's high speed business environment.

Saverio Romeo, a senior industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, explained: "The emergence of flat rate mobile data pricing, positive growth of smartphone shipments and high-speed mobile broadband availability has spurred the adoption rate of mobile VoIP."

Both 'smartphones' and 'softphones' have played a large part in the willingness of mobile carriers to stop fighting VoIP and figure out a way to benefit from it. Some companies fight back against lost revenue by attempting to cap usage; others embrace it by marketing home service as an add on to mobile.

Saiju is a VoIP and business software expert specializing in hosted phone systems and mobile VoIP solutions.

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Business VoIP to Expand With Mobile Phone Applications

With business VoIP becoming the tried and true, cost efficient, highly effective option of choice for small and large businesses, the advantages of being able to contact employees through the same network are many and impressive. With the need for on the go contact at any given time, many employers provide employees with company owned phones. This can be problematic with a regular mobile plan, however, with skyrocketing charges for roaming and spotty coverage.

Mobile VoIP could change all of that. The ability of business VoIP to allow employers, employers and team members to quickly and securely share information and data across networks is now hitting the mobile market. VoIP had previously been able to integrate VoIP with mobile to the extent that a mobile number could be set as part of a 'find me - follow me' sequence, and emails sent from mobile phones with that capability could be uploaded to a desktop, read and forwarded or deleted.

Now, with VoIP being an actual option for mobile, the possibilities are endless for true unified communications. Imagine being able to join an in progress conference call from the road, or talk internationally without outrageous charges accruing on your mobile bill.

Employers can now make mobile service available to employees for a fraction of the cost that used to be the norm, and employees don't have to worry about requisitioning reimbursement for charges to their personal accounts for business related calls and internet access.

The mobile apps for different networks vary in terms of capability, range and availability. Mobile VoIP is still in its infancy, but the rapid spread of 3G and now 4G coverage along with WifFi being a standard in many areas makes it likely that VoIP will continue to expand.

Mobile carriers such as AT&T offer free WiFi in Starbucks restaurants, and T-Mobile is bringing home VoIP to their mobile customers for under 50 cents a day. The government is increasing VoIP capability daily, and is expected to branch into mobile applications of VoIP shortly as the military shifts to broadband.

Mobile VoIP is the future mode of communication and data sharing for major corporations. As telecommunication and the internet become more closely entwined with mobile technology, mobile VoIP is expected to set the standard for interoffice communications.

Saiju George is a VoIP and business software expert, specializing in hosted VoIP service and SIP service provider solutions.

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Virtual PBX With Advanced Call and Fax Features

The virtual PBX phone system with advanced call and fax features greatly enhances business telecommunication.

Advanced Call Features to Boost Business Image

The virtual PBX phone system has several novel features that help businesses boost their professional image. These include auto attendant, voicemail, call conferencing, voice to email, fax to email, music on hold, automatic call distribution and much more.

The automated call answering facility or auto attendant welcomes callers with appropriate salutations and then forwards calls to the extensions as desired by the caller. In case extensions are busy, the auto attendant redirects calls to other given numbers. It also manages numerous calls arriving together with great efficiency and performs call transfer without giving out 'connection busy' signals.

Unmatched Fax Features for Proper Communication

The fax feature is one of the important facilities offered by the virtual PBX system. All the fax services are accomplished without a fax machine. The fax facility lets users receive several faxes simultaneously at the same fax number. The sender does not get a busy signal even the system is receiving multiple calls. The user can also choose to use a new local or toll free fax number.

With the auto-sensing fax technology enabled in the phone system, faxes can be easily identified. The faxes that are received are converted into PDF files and then mailed to the personal email account of the user. The same fax can also be sent to several email addresses.

Facilities available at Minimum Investment

Businesses can enjoy the advanced functionalities of the virtual PBX phone system without buying and installing expensive PBX equipment in their premises. The necessary equipment is maintained at the service provider's site and PBX phone facilities are offered through a hosted server using broadband Internet or telephone connections at affordable monthly service charges.

Virtual PBX - AccessDirect provides your business with a world class PBX system. Virtual PBX system come loaded with features such as voicemail, fax to mail, auto attendant and follow me call forwarding.

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