Audio conferencing

Audio conferencing refers to any situation in which multiple parties are permitted to listen into or participate in the audio portion of a phone call. These can be designed in two ways. Either the person organizing the call phones the other participants and adds them into the call, or the participants call into the conference themselves. This is done by dialing in to a specialized kind of equipment called a conference bridge, or by using a phone number set up specifically for the purpose. Because most companies don't own conference call equipment themselves, they use a service provider to arrange their conference calls. These providers maintain the Audio conference or Video conference bridge, as well as providing any phone numbers needed for access to the conference call. Businesses use conference calls on a daily basis for remote meetings. These can be either internal to the company, or with parties outside the business. It's common to use audio conferencing for meetings with clients, sales presentations, updates, project meetings, and training. Conference calling has the power to reduce the cost and frequency of travel, and permits workers to stay in the office for meetings. Audio conferencing is also being used increasingly more often in conjunction with web conferencing.