What’s Required For Making A Conference Call?

As companies try and tighten their budgets and cut traveling costs, conference calls are increasingly becoming a more viable and less costly option. What’s more, technological advancements have made conference calls even cheaper and more flexible than before, with options for group as well as individual conferencing.

Good equipment is a must for effective conference calls, after all the point of conferencing is to send and receive important information. Some of the equipment necessary for conference calls includes a camera, desktop system and various audio controls and capabilities that enable different camera functions. Tools and controls are displayed on the monitor window on desktop systems.

Videoconferencing programs are pre-loaded in the operating systems of Windows as well as Macintosh. NetMeeting is available for Windows 98 and later users, whereas iChat AV is available for Macintosh. Besides these, there are several other software packages that can either be bought or downloaded free of charge and are compatible with Windows and Macintosh.

Conference call systems that are dedicated, streamline the process of conferencing by incorporating all the equipment that is necessary into one single hardware device. This single device includes all the necessary audio, visual and network components. Single users can avail of smaller, portable systems whereas companies whose needs are more diverse would need systems that are larger and non-portable. Some corporations dedicate entire rooms solely for video conference calls.

Prices vary according to the sophistication of the system. At the lower end is the web cam at $100 for the individual user, whereas a more high end system that is suitable for the entire conference room can cost about $15,000.

Videoconferencing falls under three categories that are primarily defined by client usage. Hardware-based desktop videoconferencing for a single user can cost between $600 to $3,000, whereas software-based costs around $150. Headsets eliminate reverb effects or echoes and are the preferred choice for personal conference calls.

Small-group conferencing would need to use either a PC-based system, which can cost around $6000 to $14,000 or another appliance that is in the price range of $3,000 and $12,000. These systems run over IP or ISDN and are relatively easy to use and configure.

A conference call of the highest quality would be required for boardroom or large group conferencing. They are quite expensive and prices start at $10,000. Room conferencing, including on-line classes or seminars, often use multi-directional microphones of high quality. Sometimes, several smaller-sized directional microphones are set up around the room. Good quality omni-directional systems can cost about $8,000. Several cameras of high-quality also need to be set up throughout the room. Each camera can cost around $200.

If you are planning on setting up conference calls, it is important to look for reliability as well as simplicity, connectivity and compatibility. You need to look for equipment that can be used at all times and is 100% reliable for making and receiving calls. It is also a good idea to check that system upgrades and feature enhancements for your conference call equipment is easily available or can be downloaded.