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GoToConnect (formerly Jive) delivers a cloud-based unified communication solution to organizations of all sizes across the U.S. GoToConnect includes integrated products for business VoIP, video conferencing and contact center whic...Read more
FreeConferenceCall.com is a conferencing platform with over 800,000 business users, including 500 well-known companies. It caters to users around the globe, offering screen sharing, high-definition audio conferencing and video con...Read more
StartMeeting is a meeting management solution designed to help businesses communicate as well as collaborate with external/internal stakeholders via audio and video conferencing tools. The platform comes with white-label capabilit...Read more
TurboMeeting is a collaboration solution that provides real-time applications including web conferencing, remote support, audio conferencing, video conferencing, remote access and webinar support. The tool supports webcams for ind...Read more
Conference Call by West (formerly known as Intercall) is a solution for small businesses. It includes features such as call recording, playback, break-out rooms, chat, attendee polling, detailed reporting, and more. Conference cal...Read more
RingCentral Video is a cloud-based video conferencing solution designed to help businesses conduct meetings and enable team members to share documents, collaborate, edit files and manage multiple users in a centralized platform. F...Read more
VidyoConnect is an enterprise communication solution for hosting secure meetings online. It is designed to streamline brainstorming, problem-solving, and collaboration among teams of all sizes. Several deployment options are avail...Read more
GlobalMeet Collaboration is a platform designed by PGi to help businesses and individuals streamline team meetings, training sessions, customer presentations and more. Key features include on-demand webcasting, presentation stream...Read more
AnyMeeting is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses create registration pages, share screens, insert videos/audios, conduct polls, record screenings and more on a centralized platform. The host control panel enables adminis...Read more
MiCloud Connect (formerly ShoreTel) is a cloud-based VoIP phone system that offers collaboration and conferencing tools to enable information flow within the organization. The solution enables system administrators to manage use...Read more
MiTeam Meetings is a cloud-based video conferencing solution that helps businesses communicate with stakeholders across geographies and time zones. The centralized dashboard allows users to schedule meetings, directly transit chat...Read more
The rise of remote work has led to a corresponding increase in the need for conferencing software. Despite all the advancements in business technology (including video conferencing and screen sharing), audio conferencing continues to be the most commonly used tool for conducting meetings as it embraces clear, faster, and effective communication.
However, many small businesses face several challenges regarding business web-conferencing and team collaboration, mainly due to tight budgets and limited IT-infrastructure access. Sometimes, their workplace space may not provide any conference-hosting facility, forcing them to rent expensive breakout rooms at hotels that cost them more money.
Audio conferencing software helps businesses set up, manage, and conduct audio meetings and conference calls over a hosted voice connection, facilitating communication and empowering team collaboration.
This buyers guide takes you through the ins and outs of audio conferencing software from the basics to the common features, key considerations, and emerging market trends. This will help you make an informed decision while choosing the audio conferencing software for your business.
Here's what we'll cover:
Audio conferencing software is a tool that allows businesses to conduct an audio conference (aka conference calling or audio teleconferencing) between two or multiple people using a dial-in option. This type of software is ideal for businesses with employees located in different parts of the world. Using audio conferencing solutions, team members can communicate as if they are in the same room, regardless of their physical location.
Today, the audio conference software has become the modern bridge of communication and collaboration, taking teleconferencing to the next level. Call conferencing, meeting recording, call scheduling, automated attendants, file sharing, mobile access, screen sharing, and real-time chat are some common features of an audio conferencing software.
To make high-quality conference calls, you need a feature-packed audio conferencing software that can get you connected with your colleagues and clients easily and quickly. The following are some common features of audio conferencing services you can use to your advantage:
Audio/video recording |
Enables users to record the audio/video of their meetings and conference calls, helpful in capturing all the important information discussed during the meeting(s). |
Call conferencing |
Allows several participants to be on the same conference phone call at once. It also enables users to place multiple calls at one time, helping businesses save time and effort. |
Call scheduling |
Lets users schedule a conference call in advance. It is helpful in organizing a meeting with any participant from different time zones and ensuring everyone's availability. |
File sharing |
Helps in sharing files between the conference participants, enabling them to easily access all the crucial documents or presentations. |
Mobile access |
Lets users make conference calls or join meetings from their mobile devices, providing them with greater flexibility and mobility. |
Live chat |
Allows users to communicate with the participants in real time, and is helpful in asking questions, sharing ideas, or simply having a conversation with other attendees during the meeting(s). |
Screen sharing |
Enables users to share the contents of their screen with the rest of the conference participants in real time. It facilitates demonstrations and presentations, and also helps save time and effort of having to share files and accessing them separately. |
Reporting/analytics |
Helps organizers view stats, such as who attended the meeting, how long it lasted, the most active participants, etc. This improves future conferences by identifying the areas of improvement. |
Before you start considering your audio conferencing software options, you need to know what type of buyer you are so that you can make the right purchase decision.
It's no secret that audio conferencing software has become a popular tool in the modern workplace due to its numerous benefits. Some of the most significant ones include:
Choosing the right audio conferencing software can help your employees communicate and collaborate more effectively, taking your business to a whole new level. Here are a few significant factors to keep in mind while purchasing the software:
The audio conferencing software market will continue to boom as remote work grows. Various new trends are emerging in the audio conferencing market with an increased focus on improving communication and team collaboration. Here’s one such driving trend:
Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.