Audio conference – virtual bridge of minds

Situation 1: Imagine that you are a businessman and you are to have a meeting with partners who live in different cities or even in different countries. Some time ago it meant that you had to negotiate a meeting point and agree on the date of the assembly, buy a return ticket, book a room in a hotel and spend a couple of days on traveling with a potential encounter of certain risks that could prevent you from getting there on time or getting there at all.

Situation 2: You aspire to get a diploma of a school or university located abroad, but are not able to leave your country for some reason: you don't want to interrupt your career, have a child or an ailing relative to take care of, or are too attached to your sweetheart to bear overstepping a 50-kilometre radius' line of her/him and staying outside its limits for 3 days, etc. Besides, there are travel, board and accommodation expenses to add to the tuition fees.

Today, there are other options better attuned to the modern rhythms: here the curtain is raised and the limelight is shifted to a versatile and easy-to-use audio conference, one of the leading actors in a telecommunication play along with video and computer conferencing. Its role is to connect audiences (more than two individuals) situated a long distance away from each other to discuss an issue. All you need is a touch-tone phone with a conference bridge or access to Internet and a microphone.

Among the most common situations when this tool may come in handy are staff, committee and regional meetings, training sessions, interviews and various consultations, when the persons are not able to be present physically. Education, commerce and business make an extensive use of audio conferences and are particularly grateful to the progress for this invention with special thanks from such areas as crisis management, professional development and expert advice.

You can organize an audio conference using digital or analog telephone lines, which means you can talk through Internet or into a fixed-phone receiver. You have to order an audio-conference beforehand and some telecommunications companies charge its fees prior to providing this service, so you might have to pay in advance. Furthermore, all participants should agree the exact date and time and choose a chairperson to control and monitor the meeting. The conferees should speak in turns and identify themselves before they speak.

If you want to ask a question, you should wait until the person is finished and call the name of the person you would like to address to attract his attention. As well, it is very useful to have a speakerphone with a mute button to block any personal discussion and avoid any background interruptions. But don't forget to un-press it when you have something to say to the meeting and want to be heard. Usually, when you order an audio-conference you specify the time you would like to be in a conference, but you can extend it later.

Audio conferencing has a number of features that make it look more attractive than the other actors of the cast, as it necessitates no technical knowledge from the conferees and familiar equipment can be used. It provides cost-effective real-time communication and feedback and is aimed at enhancing print-based materials and taped presentations. Moreover, also allows saving on travel costs and contributes to the more productive staff time. Welcome and long live virtual interaction!