I spend a lot of time on conference calls. In the past, these were arranged through some outside service like Qwest. These services typically charge any where from 4¢ to 30¢ a minute per caller. But, for me, those days are history.
Recently, one of the boards I am on started using FreeConCall.com. As the name suggests, it is completely free. When you register, the service assigns you a phone number and a three-digit code to use whenever you want to hold a conference call.
There is no scheduling, reservation, or operator assistance required. You simply have everyone call into the number, enter the code, and start the call. The only expense is the regular price of a long distance call.
Simple. Elegant. Free. What more could you ask?
Technorati Tags: productivity, telephone, teleconference
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Thanks for sharing that resource. It will come in handy for my group’s brainstorming sessions.
Oh I’ve used this service! It’s super for when I’m brainstorming a new book with the girls. But if there are only three of us, I now just do it from home. I’ve got Comcast Digital Voice and I can have three of us together–for free since all long distance is free. But if I need four or more, I still use the freeconcall one.
I love conference call services. Used them when I worked in the corp world.
But, wow, I love that phone in the picture! Very 21st century. I would’ve loved a conference phone like that. :)
Rachel
Red flags went up when I checked out this conference call service. The apparent “parent” company (ripple.com), tells users an overview of the services can be found at a site that was blocked by my Web blocker for profane material.
Mike,
Thanks for the tip on free conference calls… signed up… and then quickly discovered that the number is not always available. First time I tried at 11:00 eastern got a busy signal three times in a row… second time at 11:05 I was able to get in… not having something reliable will be problematic for business use.
This sounds fishy, anyone know how they make money?
I’ve been using it for months with another Board I’m on. One of our EVPs has also been using for months. I went to ripple.com. I didn’t see anything profane—just background on the company.
I don’t know what there business model is. That is curious to me as well. But, so far, I have not experienced anything negative. What do you have to lose?
The red flags are still there for me. Ripple refers users to http://www.talkee.com, which was the site blocked by WebBlocker. And on http://www.freeconcall.com, under “more info”, a sample phone number is provided which leads callers to a Miami-based gay “party line.” A colleague of mine recommended http://www.freeconference.com, which looks more transparent and on the up and up, but who knows.
Mike – this is so 2006 – common buddy – blog about something new like http://www.talktojesus.com
I have used Freeconferencecall.com for over 2 years now. There is nothing fishy to it and there are no additional charges. They have a website that you go to and signup and they offer additional services there at a cost. But this service is free and you will even have the call recorded for playback. Also, they do not rent your name out. It is the real deal and I highly recommend it.
I believe freeconferencecall.com is what you were after. Although I have not used this site, it is affiliated with GoToMeeting.com, which I have used often. I experienced the same thing as Jeff at the URL referenced.
Mike, I have been using this service for a while now and I have referred several people to this site. It is wonderful and has a lot to offer as far as services. What would be really great is to have a wonderful phone (as pictured above) to hold a conference call with. This will enable the whole room to hear one another. Something to think about, please.
The lines make money by directing you to a rural area code in a place like Iowa. Since most people now have free local and long distance calling the LD carriers absorb the cost of a call to a long distance place. But these conference places direct calls to a rural area that normally gets little traffic. Small phone companies bill the LD carriers and give the websites that direct the conference calls a “finders fee” for directing calls to their rural area codes and rural phone companies
SK mentioned freeconferencecall.com. I checked out their web page and it seems that they charge $0.10/person for the recording service. That can really add up. Does anyone know of a reputable free conf call service that provides recording for free? Thanks.
I am still using FreeConCall.com with no problems. In fact, I’m on a conferene call now!
For those curious about the business model – I bet the LD number you are dialing incur unusually high interconnect fees. The destination carrier is essentially forcing other carriers to pay them fees much higher than they can possibly be making in revenue on the call. It’s shady but (so far) perfectly legal.
Does anyone know a free conference call website with a web manager? Liveoffice.com had one, but sold to TheBasementVentures.com, which STINKS.
Web manager lets you see all the numbers calling in and for those callers to “raise hands” with questions by pressing 5* — great tool…when it works.
If anyone knows one, reach me at:
chris@milliondollarscreenwriting.com
FreeConferenceCall.com is the one you want to use. I have tried several – FreeConferenceCall.com has free recording and free playback plus you can download the recording and archive it. They also have live 24 x 7 customer service where live human beings actually answer the phone when you call. Great service – I think it is the best.
Al
ConferenceTown.com was established to offer free full-featured conference calling to the corporate world as well as the casual conference call user. ConferenceTown.com offers both quick start conference calling option, which allows the user to start a conference instantly, without registering or signing up. We offer reservation, reservationless, and anonymous conferencing options.
For those in need of full-service conference features, ConferenceTown offers Premium conferencing options at no cost. ConferenceTown’s free Premium conference service offers options and features that other companies charge for. Conference moderators have access to a full panel of options, some of which include: phone, mp3 or downloadable playback of recorded conference calls, merge multiple conferences into one conference, see who is talking during the conference call, plus over 20 additional conferencing options. The complete list of the conferencing options is available at http://www.conferencetown.com.
For those looking to support and enhance their communication strategy, ConferenceTown is the perfect solution. Because tele-conferencing is one of the smart way to present information, enhance information retention and build relationships, ConferenceTown is an excellent tool and addition when executing creative marketing programs.
ConferenceTown uses only tier one carriers to ensure incredibly clear lines and voice quality. We have an all-digital network that works great with both cellular and traditional land line telephones.
Increasing travel and meeting costs have forced businesses, groups and organizations to look for more economical ways to communicate. ConferenceTown offers just that—full-featured conference calling without the cost.
For more information, please visit http://www.conferencetown.com.
I tried conferencetown.com for free conference calls, and I must say that I prefer them over the other free conference call services. I love their ANI-block and ANI-allow feature!
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