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Audio conferencing terms vs traditional meetings

In this article I attempt to explain what the main components of any audio conferencing service are, and how they relate to good old-fashioned face to face meetings.

The terminology used in the telecoms industry in general, and in and audio conferencing in particular, can be very confusing. My aim is make it is easier to understand who is paying for which element of an audio conferencing service.

To get a full appreciation of how audio conferencing works, it's important to cover the main components. This I have done in the sections below:

Teleconference bridge

This is the actual equipment which your audio conference provider uses to connect all the callers together so they can hear each other. Think of it as a specialised telephone exchange dedicated to group calls.

A good analogy with the real world would be an office building owned by a conferencing company which is full of meeting rooms which can be rented out.

Bridge rate

Audio conferencing companies which offer host paid tariffs will usually quote something called a 'bridge rate'. This is the amount of money which they charge for a connection into the teleconference bridge described above. Bridge rates are normally expressed as a charge 'per minute' and vary wildly between audio conferencing companies.

In the real world, the bridge rate is the equivalent of the charge which the conferencing company charges to rent a seat in one of their meeting rooms.

Tip: When comparing audio conferencing suppliers, always as for their bridge rate. This will provide a common base from which to start your evaluation process.

Access charges

Before an audio conference can be held, all the participants need to connect by telephone to the conference bridge. The access charge refers to the cost per minute of providing these connections.

This is one of the most complicated areas of audio conferencing charging as there are many variables and ways of apportioning the costs between people involved in the call.

At one extreme, the person who requested the audio conference can pick up all the charges so that invited delegates dial a freephone number from anywhere in the world and pay nothing to be involved in the call.

At the other extreme, delegates may be requested to dial into a premium rate number which not only covers the cost of renting space on the conference bridge but also generates a profit for the person organising the conference (some training companies use this model)..

The most usual model is for participants to be asked to pay for a call to a local phone number which connects them into the conference call. The host picks up the charges for any international call routing and for renting the space on the conference bridge.

In the context of a traditional meeting, think of the access charge as the charge for Travelling to the meeting room.

Imagine you are in New York and you have been invited to a meeting in London.

In the first extreme example above, the person who invites you to the meeting is very generous and sends a car to pick you up at your apartment, take you to JFK airport and fly you to London Heathrow airport where they have booked a meeting room. They pick up the charges for everything and you pay nothing.

In the second extreme example, you may need to pay for all your travel costs and maybe even pay to attend the meeting.

The most usual arrangement is for you to pay for a taxi to JFK and then the host picks up the charges for the flight and the rent for the meeting room.

Tip: Make sure your audio conference supplier is able to give you a full breakdown of the bridge rate and the access charges. Some operators may quote very low bridge rates to get you to sign up but then charge a fortune for access - particularly access from overseas.

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