Conference calling software is perfect for conducting conferences for groups of all sizes. However, it’s challenging to have conversations with dozens of people simultaneously with traditional phone systems. In addition to requiring a separate line for conference calls, they require special phones that sit in one place.
Fortunately, VoIP has come to make conferences as easy as ever while remaining affordable. But not every virtual phone system handles conference calls perfectly, so which conference calling solutions are best?
With over 20 years of experience, RingCentral is known for being ahead of the curve, providing a wide range of products, including online faxing and web conferencing software. RingCentral RingEX offers unlimited domestic calling and text messages, advanced call handling and phone management features, plus desktop and mobile apps to combine everything into one polished VoIP platform. Even better, it comes with a personal AI assistant that is a game-changer for anyone needing to take calls or follow up on clients.
It’s possible to see everything for yourself with the interactive demos, but testing its features is also possible via the 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee available. To know more about what RingCentral has to offer, we recommend calling the company at +1 (888) 295-1724 for a custom quote.
As one of the most popular virtual phone systems on the market, Nextiva has stayed on top of the latest trends since its launch in 2008. Consequently, the provider has consistently developed its product over the years to ensure the best possible quality and user experience.
As a result, Nextiva has developed a comprehensive solution with a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Being available on both desktop and mobile, Nextiva goes beyond its duties as a virtual phone system and integrates other advanced features into its software.
In addition to serving as a task management software and team communication solution, the platform also offers AI features designed to enhance business efficiency and user experience.
Even though Nextiva’s prices are a bit high, plans can start at $17.95 per user per month with a yearly subscription and maximum amount of users available. This translates into 30% off the regular rate.
While Nextiva doesn’t offer a free trial, users can still test the platform without risk by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, a free demo of the service is easily accessible on the website.
VoIP service Grasshopper considers that its mission is to provide a simple yet perfect phone system to help you stay accessible wherever you are. The service offers all the necessary features of any decent virtual phone system, and with its simple and easy-to-use account manager, everything can be easily customized. Additionally, the iOS and Android apps handily separate business calls and messages from personal ones. All these features, plus such rarities as inbound faxing, are available in three affordable plans. And when you learn about the other advantages, such as your personal virtual receptionist, you’ll be asking yourself why you haven’t already signed up. Grasshopper offers a limited free trial as well, allowing you to try the service without taking any chances.
By now, you should already know that you can make conference calls with VoIP. Conferencing through VoIP is both traditional and innovative. Traditional because if you have done conferencing before, you have nothing new to learn, and innovative because it still adds new features to the mix.
Unlike traditional conferencing, everyone can easily join a conference call from anywhere. Instead of being tied to a phone, participants usually get a message or email, which they just need to click to join without having to download any software. This is true for both audio and video conferencing.
Moreover, VoIP brings more control to conference calls. Hosts can use several features to mediate conferences, regardless of whether they’re audio or video. Plus, participants can engage without disrupting the call flow by using built-in instant messaging. Finally, sending the call recording and automatic transcription is the perfect follow-up after a conference.
If you want to keep using your conference phone even after subscribing to a VoIP solution, there’s no need to worry. Most business VoIP services support conference phones with some even providing their own IP conference phones.
However, if you have a traditional landline conference phone, it’s important to remember that you’ll need to get an adapter in order to connect the phone to the internet. Fortunately, these adapters are quite affordable and easy to install. So, you won’t need to break the bank to keep using your existing hardware.
Conference phones are just one of the options to make conference calls with VoIP, though. Due to the nature of the software, it’s possible to initiate and moderate conference calls via your desktop or mobile phone. VoIP solutions come with apps for both types of devices, so you’re able to communicate without requiring traditional hardware. In general, VoIP apps are better for conferencing as they have intuitive interfaces to mediate calls, such as connecting or disconnecting participants.
So far, we’ve only spoken about solutions that you need to pay for. However, there are a few options for making conference calls for free, such as Zoom and FreeConferenceCall.com. On the surface, these free conference call solutions look perfect, but it’s important to get into the details to understand their limitations.
First of all, there isn’t usually unlimited conference calling for free. Companies either limit the time of the meeting (up to 40 minutes, for example) or the number of participants. They normally also make participants install their software so they can join the conference, and, depending on the provider, you might end up with limited features to mediate your conference.
Even so, Zoom is perfect for smaller businesses that want to host short video sconferences occasionally. Meanwhile, FreeConferenceCall.com offers various features that make some paid software pale in comparison. Still, this free solution still requires you to either use a desktop or mobile app to host the conferences or already have a phone system of your own.
Considering several VoIP systems come with unlimited calling within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, it will always be more beneficial to sign up for a virtual phone system. So, we recommend getting one with conferencing capabilities.
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