Webinar FAQ

How to Use Skype for Conference Calls

Do you want to host conference calls, but you don’t want to pay for the ability to do so or have to navigate complex phone systems?
Then you’re in luck. Skype can be used to host free conference calls with anyone else on Skype. These conference calls can be used by families and friends or by small businesses. There are two different ways to host a Skype conference call, and both methods take less than a minute to learn.

Using Skype to Conference via Groups

If you are not already in a call with one or more people you can start a conference call by using Skype’s Group function. A Group is simply a list of contacts which have been placed together under a group name. For example, you could create a Group called Work and place all of your co-workers in it. Or you could create a Group called Friends and place all of your friends in it. These Groups show up in the Skype display as if they were contacts.

To make a new Group go to the Contact menu at the top of the Skype window and select Create New Groups. An instant messenger window called “Empty Group” will open with a space at the top for dragging and dropping contacts. If you just want to just add a few people to your Group go ahead and drag and drop their names from the contact list. When you are done click the Save Group in Contacts button.

However, if you want to add numerous contacts it is best to use the Add People button in the upper right of the window. This displays a menu for adding contacts which can display more contacts at a time. You can add contacts by clicking on the a contact’s name and hitting select. Once you have added everyone you wanted click the Add button at the bottom of the window. This will put you back into the instant messenger window. Click Save Group in Contacts and you’re done.

Now that you have created a group it is easy to start a conference call. Simply click the group and then press the Call button just as you would when calling a contact. You’ve just started a conference call. (more…)

Global businesses can not always afford to send delegates to meet in person. The business needs require meetings between offices on national and global levels, but the costs involved in transporting staff members to attend meetings all over the world can be prohibitive. Videoconferencing solves this problem, and for little more than the cost of the internet system the business already has on line, is a cheap and cost effective way of resolving national or global issues.

However, many managers fail to make the most of this technology and some virtual meetings become a waste of time for the participants. To avoid this, there are some basic rules to follow when using videoconference technology. (more…)

Web conferencing is quickly becoming the preferred method in business communication.  With benefits such as increased productivity and an extended customer outreach, companies are able to compete economically using inexpensive online meeting tools.  As a cost effective alternative to travel, small businesses may especially benefit from this new technology. The most difficult part is finding the service that best fits your company.
Two applications appear especially promising – Cisco’s WebEx and Citrix Online’s Go To Meeting. (more…)

Small to medium-sized businesses, while not in the same league as corporate businesses, still need to hold conferences of one sort or another.

Your business offers to organise the event. You recommend the most suitable venue and organize transport, maps and accommodation, if necessary. You handle the conference literature, including any invitations. You also find out what specific facilities are needed at the venue and organize them: refreshments, facilities for disabled people, writing equipment, audio-visual aids, video-recording facilities, display boards, to name a few. You have to be (more…)

By Rick Smith

Of all the fears we face as adults, public speaking is always near the top of the list for most people. Despite this fact, there is a large sector of the population that makes their living as presenters for conferences and at workshops, and love it. They have discovered how intoxicating it can be to present to a large group of people and captivate their attention for long periods of time. Either explaining a very complex technical subject and trying to convince the audience to buy their solution, or other times trying to motivate those in the audience to improve some aspect of their lives. All of it comes down to (more…)

In recent times video conferencing has replaced the conference call and other types of meetings in many instances. Video conferencing has made it possible for people to accomplish many different business (and even personal) tasks. Video conferencing allows individuals the ability to share information and visuals like charts and graphs. (more…)

So you’ve gotten your business going! You have a customer or two. The phone is ringing…a little. For any business to grow and prosper long-term, it needs a solid foundation that includes a marketing plan. The perfect marketing plan is System video conferencing. With system business conferencing you can make the ultimate plan for marketing your business.

A marketing plan is a road map detailing the “route” you’ll take to get your business noticed by potential clients. By following a (more…)

With the price of gas, airline tickets and other travel related items on the rise, more and more companies are looking for cost effective alternatives to sending their people around the country to attend meetings. For many smart companies, the answer is a web conference, and there are many advantages to having employees meet one another from the comfort of their own offices. Some of the many benefits (more…)

More and more businesses are incorporating conference calling technology into their business models. Conference calling technology enables multiple users in different locations to carry on real-time voice conversations. Using conference calls as a tool for workforce and customer communication can result in significant financial and time savings by significantly reducing the need for business travel. (more…)

One of the most important factors driving the increased popularity of web conferencing among companies is the fact that it can easily facilitate training and online education programs for employees. Although the best setting for instruction remains an offline, face to face situation, there’s still a lot that an online training program can accomplish. Since the turn of the century, companies that create web conferencing software have incorporated features which allow not only for small meetings, but large training sessions as well. (more…)