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Archive for the ‘Conferencing’ Category

NetInterCall Integrates with Microsoft Lync Online

For those of you that might be a bit unfamiliar with the cloud, let me back up a bit. There are countless definitions and explanations about what the cloud is, but when it comes down to it, the cloud is the Internet. Yes, it really is that simple! Today, the popularity of cloud-based services is on the rise – and there are many reasons why. For starters, employing cloud-based services eliminates your need to purchase or maintain hardware or software, and because you are always using the latest version, there is no need to fret over making sure you have the latest upgrade for each service you use. Furthermore, cloud-based solutions can be employed in any location, and they eliminate the need for your dedicated IT staff to manage your solution which allows them to focus on other mission-critical issues – what’s not to love?

And when it comes to cloud services, InterCall is the cherry on top of the cloud-based services sundae. For over 20 years businesses have been safely and securely leveraging InterCall’s conferencing solutions over their reliable network.

Today marks the launch of Microsoft Office 365. Another leap into the cloud for InterCall, Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription-based service that blends the Office applications you are most likely already familiar with (such as Outlook Exchange, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Office desktop suite, etc.) with cloud-based versions of collaboration services Lync Online and SharePoint Online.

This launch is special because of the unique value that InterCall brings to Office 365. If you are wondering why your business should partner with InterCall for Office 365, there are three main benefits to consider:

Experience – as the world’s leading conferencing provider, InterCall offers everything from personalized training and adoption programs to more involved assistance such as professional migration services. In addition, along with the multiple certifications InterCall holds, they are also a Microsoft Silver Certified Partner and national systems integrator
Support – InterCall provides worldwide 24/7 tier 1 and tier 2 customer support with skilled agents that are experienced in all aspects of Office 365, as well as consultations and technical pre-sales assistance. InterCall also offers recorded training sessions available online free of charge
Features – InterCall’s robust list of features includes:
- Support at the touch of a button on your telephone keypad
- The ability to mute/un-mute lines
- Customers can dial-in to your meeting, or you can dial-out to them
- Connect to your meeting via multiple devices
- Lock/un-lock your meeting to ensure complete privacy
- Schedule your conferences simply and easily through Outlook
- Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and/or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) integration, including mixed recording

Posted in Conferencing, Intercall, Internet T1, Microsoft, Tier-1 Carrier Networks, voip | No Comments »

The Top 5 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Conferencing Provider

Despite these tough economic times web conferencing continues to maintain a strong position in the market. Virtual conferences increase productivity, enhance efficiency, and dramatically cut costs, so it’s easy to see why web conferencing services have experienced a 25 percent growth over the past year.

As a result of this growing demand, a sea of web conferencing providers has entered the market looking to woo customers to their side. With so many different providers saturating the market, how can you find the best one for you and your business? Here are a few questions to ask in order to find out:

Who is this provider’s target customer?
Just like conferencing solutions, conferencing providers come in all shapes and sizes. Knowing which provider targets businesses that are similar to yours in size and needs will help you find the ideal solution for the best available price – and the experience to match.

Does this provider offer more than just technology?
Even the best technology can only take you so far. Look for a conferencing provider that can give you more than just that. Knowing how to meet remotely, avoid embarrassing moments during your conferences, set agendas, as well as countless other ways to make your meetings as effective and productive as possible means you’re more likely to get your money’s worth out of your solution.

How reliable is this provider’s solution?
It is important to remember that the technology you use when conducting business reflects on you and your company. A lack of compatibility (such as browser limitations or required plug-ins, etc.), poor sound quality, and bulky interfaces can kill a meeting. Check with the provider to see if they offer free trials of their services to test for yourself, or ask for reviews from customers currently employing their services.

When can the provider be reached?
Even the most experienced conferencing presenters can encounter issues during a meeting. Solving any issue as quickly as possible, no matter the size, is essential to holding your meeting together. Look for a provider that offers help 24/7 and/or in multiple forms. For example, leading conferencing provider PGi offers assistance via phone, live chat, and email.

What choices does this provider offer?
While most meeting technology is similar, a few add-ons or features have the ability to make a huge difference. When searching for a provider, consider one that offers multiple brands and can make a recommendation base on your unique requirements.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Event Conferencing, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

Global Conference Calling

If you’ve ever taken part in a conference call, you’re probably familiar with the routine: dial a toll or toll free number, enter a passcode, and you’re in the meeting. This is no big deal for local or even state-to-state calls, but what about those attendees in another country?

When it comes time for someone outside North America to join a conference call, there are several options:

The global attendee can call the US toll number to join the call, however, it can be expensive for the caller- especially if he or she is on a mobile phone
The host of the call can use a “dial out” feature to call global participants directly at any international number, ensuring that the host incurs the full cost of the call
Instead of dialing a US Toll number, the participant dials a local access number number to join the call. Local toll free numbers are often also available.

Currently, companies such as PGi offers local access numbers in over 100 locations worldwide.

T1 OC3 Connection

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Event Conferencing, Premier Global, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

Monthly vs. Pay-As-You-Go Web Meetings

Many small and medium size businesses get locked into contracts or commitments for various services, vendors and equipment, leaving them with a monthly bill. While this might work for some, when it comes to webinars, many businesses cannot always accurately predict the time or length of their meetings. They may hold a large online webinar one month, and then need only audio conferencing capabilities for a handful of employees the next month. Fortunately, companies such as InterCall offer a pay-as-you-go plan.

While it’s always nice to have web meeting and online webinar capabilities available when you need them, it isn’t always nice to pay top dollar if you don’t utilize the service enough to get your money’s worth.

Previously, most small and medium size businesses have thought all they could afford was sub-par performance and service from free web meeting service providers. However, companies such as InterCall offer small business plans specifically designed with their unique needs in mind – including the flexibility of a pay-as-you-go plan for up to 125 people, or a more standard monthly plan for up to 20 people.

If you’re planning to host a free or paid attendance online webinar, the pay-as-you-go plan provides all the flexibility necessary to reach out to customers and prospects, making it beneficial for hosting free or paid attendance webinars, while monthly plans allow you to host as many meetings as you like, as frequently as you’d like for one set price – which is great for meeting with employees, and partners.

Those not sure about their web meeting needs should consider a pay-as-you-go option for a few months to determine their usage and decide which plan makes more sense for them. No pressure, no commitment—except our commitment to provide you with the best, most affordable web meeting services.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Intercall, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

5 Things to Ask Yourself

The web conferencing market has continued to experience an impressive 25% plus growth over the past year despite the global recession. More people are turning to virtual meetings to cut costs while increasing efficiency, and enhancing productivity.
With demand comes supply, and a myriad of new providers have appeared on the horizon. So when you decide to take the plunge into the depths of web conferencing, how do you ensure a proper fit? Here are 5 questions to answer to determine the best provider for you and your business:

1. What do they offer?
Just because you have the right technology doesn’t necessarily mean your meetings will be any better. Well-rounded providers offer expertise, including how to meet remotely and set agendas.

2. Is it set up for your size/type of business?
Conferencing solutions come in all shapes and sizes’, ensuring a provider serves businesses similar to yours is proof they can offer the relevant experience you’re looking for.

3. How reliable are they?
Nothing kills a remote meeting faster than a bad connection, poor sound quality, clunky interfaces, or lack of compatibility. Getting tripped up with browser limitations, required plug-ins, etc. reflects poorly on you and your business, which is why it is so important to validate potential tools with trials or researching peer reviews.

4. Do they provide options?
Typically standard meeting technology is akin to one another; however the additional features offered can vary greatly – and hold a big impact on the type of meeting you conduct. Consider a provider that can offer several brands and tailor a recommendation based on your specific needs.

5. How accessible are they?
Nothing is perfect, but your provider should always try to be. The best providers aim for 100% uptime and often reach 99.99%. For those rare 0.01% times, you need a provider that offers several ways to get help, such as email, phone, or live chat.

Lucky for you, here at FastBlue that’s one of the things we do best. Contact a EasyT1.net provider today to see how we can help your business!

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Event Conferencing, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

How Web Conferencing Trumps User Error?

It’s easy to see how web-based conferencing might seem complicated to those unfamiliar with it. Signing into some meetings can seem like a burden in itself – not to mention using the available tools and interactive features offered to help engage attendees. Well fear not! If you can use your computer for basic business, such as your web browser and using PowerPoint or Microsoft Outlook, hosting and participating in a web conference is hassle free.

In many ways, a web-based conference is much better than an audio conference—the technology has countless ways to compensate for human error. As an example, we’ll discuss the three common blunders that tend to occur during conventional audio conferences—and how web meetings help you avoid them.

Sign In – Most meetings (especially those with hundreds of participants) have one or two attendees call in the first few minutes of an audio conference, frantic that they lost the phone number/dial-in codes. Web meetings hosted through providers, such as InterCall, allow you to log in with one click – whether you’re at your computer or on the go with your smartphone.
Background Noise – Web conferencing makes it easy for the presenter or participants to mute a call with the click of a mouse. No codes to remember and no more background noise.
Clear Service – A web conference provides the same crystal clear service for every user – no dropped calls, no static and an opportunity for you to see and hear every minute of every meeting.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

Hate to Travel? Try Conferencing!

I recently watched an episode of the show Airline on TV, and – within the first five minutes of watching – reminded myself why flying is rarely an option for me. Between the raising costs of tickets and baggage fees, the lines, the delays, and waiting for other passengers to remove their unnecessary amounts of jewelry, loose change, and metal objects in order to pass through the metal detectors, flying can be a very stressful event. That’s not even taking into account the time spent away from home and the office. Add on top of that emotionally unstable employees, (such as the now famous for flipping out JetBlue flight attendant) and it’s easy to see why others feel the same way as I do.

That’s where the beauty of conferencing lies. Instead of dealing with stressful and expensive situations, conferencing lets connect to your employees, partners and prospective clients from the comfort and convenience of your desk. Conferencing solutions and services still allow you to cover project timelines, deliver your demo, conduct training sessions or review strategies with quality that rivals face-to-face meetings. The best part though, is you can do things your way, and know you can get up any time you want to go to the bathroom and no one is going to call you out on it.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Event Conferencing, General, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

The Problems and Perks of Web Conferencing

The grass is always greener on the other side. Sitting in an early morning or destination business meetings often leaves you wishing you were at home in your pajamas; however, conferencing from home or in a location other than your audience comes with its own set of issues. This raises the question: which type of conferencing is best for each scenario?

Live Audience Advantages:

Engaging your audience – live audience members have the opportunity to read the presenter’s body language, make eye contact, and often have an easier time asking questions
Paying attention – audio conference call attendees are habitually guilty of multi-tasking, taking time and attention away from the issues being addressed
Relationship building – immersing yourself within a live audience is an opportunity to network, and meet co-workers, partners and clients you otherwise may not have have met

Webcast Advantages:

Convenience – your audience is a mere click away with a webcast, and an include others in even the most remote locations which typically leads to bigger turnouts and at the end of the day more potential clients
Cost-Effective – webcasts reduce travel expenses, costs of reserving meeting facilities, and the downtime associated with travel. Not only that, but webcasts also decrease paper consumption and your company’s carbon footprint
Comfort – attending a meeting or presentation via webcast assured you always have the best seat in the house

Every meeting has unique requirements, and ultimately, of course, the choice is yours. If you’d like more information or have any questions, please contact a FastBlue client manager today to see what we can do for your business!

Posted in Conferencing, Web Conferencing | No Comments »

Reservationless audio conferencing

Reservationless Audio Conferencingis a conference call without operator assistance or a pre-determined duration. It is an efficient and reliable way of seamlessly connecting to a variety of people without passing through a set of operators, and gives participants the flexibility to access a high-quality audio conference with hundreds of people at any given time, from any location.

Reservationless Audio Conferencing is ideal for:

Urgent last minute meetings
Management meetings
Crisis management
Training
Customer communications
Regular team meetings and briefings

Connect to a variety of remote contacts, identify your conference demands, and choose from a selection of languages for user system prompts (English, Spanish or Portuguese) all with a touch of a button from your VoIP-enabled telephone. A number of providers also give you the chance to manage your online account through this service.

The sharing of documents and applications with your team makes communicating with colleagues, customers, and partners easy – even when out of the office. Reservationless Audio Conferencing allows for more frequent ad-hoc and problem-solving meetings, thus increasing efficiency and productivity.

Benefits

A multitude of impressive, quality service features that offer a simple and easy way of creating faster, more accessible connections
A guaranteed consistent dial-in service for all of the calls you make
Easily controllable features and functions due to making calls via a network instead of a complex phone connection
Access information about your completed calls and conferences, control your conference demands, and manage your account details through your telephone or via a service-provided Internet based management system

Furthermore, if you connect via a third-party conferencing application, reservationless conferencing makes it possible for you to integrate the service into any application when connecting via a third party. Therefore, if you use Webex, Netspoke, or even Microsoft Live Meeting, you will receive the same service and benefits.

With 24/7 customer service hotlines available around the world, you can rest assured you are guaranteed a high-quality conferencing service – regardless of your location.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing | No Comments »

Global Crossing Ready Access web meeting

Experience a world with seamless communication options. Connect with your business partners, staff, and customers with Global Crossing’s effective solutions and services.

Global Crossing is a provider with a very reliable and strong platform for voice, video, and data communication in a fast-paced and secured format. Their services are designed to cater to the immediate need of companies of any size for a protected and reliable method of communication.

And these solutions are exactly that; geared to increase productivity and efficiency in businesses, Global Crossing uses a reservation-less communication system for better connection quality from point to point.

The Ready Access service is one of the most in demand audio and web conferencing solutions to date, and for good reason. Subscribing to Global Crossing’s Ready Access service is simple and easy. All you need to do is contact the global account manager and ask their office to set up an account for your business.

General information is needed in order to set up an account, and once your account service is confirmed, an access code to initiate the audio conference will be given to you for immediate use.

Thanks to Global Crossing’s direct connection to eight hundred global toll-free numbers, you can kick off an online conference anytime, anywhere.

Ready Access Web Meeting is also accessible through Global Crossing Ready Access, helping you in manage your web meetings and take an organized approach in conducting a remote office conference. You can share power point presentations, disseminate important documentation, and focus on the presentation at hand at any given time by focusing on the presenter’s screen.

Aside from this, you are also provided tutorials and essential tips and tricks on how to be prepared for a web conference. These are necessary, and should be taken into consideration for the sake of having both a professional approach, and keeping a close eye on security issues.

Training programs for Ready Access—as well as recording and podcasting options—are also available in order to give you a better experience, and enhance your current skills in order to give you the tools to handle a web conference with professional expertise.

A customer care unit of dedicated professionals is also available at any time during the conference to help you resolve errors and glitches in the connection. Anybody in the conference can get in touch with the customer care unit via an efficient system that involves dialling a double zero on the keypad.

Global Crossing Ready Access’ facilities and benefits are here to serve you as a reliable and extremely efficient means of getting your entire business together, without having to suffer from the constraints of multiple offices with remote locations.

Posted in Conferencing, Global Crossing | No Comments »