Conferencing

Conferences can be configured in their simplest form as a direct assignment to a single service number (i.e. the dialled number) without any requirement for the caller to enter a room number or PIN. More complex configurations can include the requirement for delegates to identify a particular conference, which may include host control, conference recording and delegate identification. Conferences can be configured in the following combinations:

• Simple Conference: This type of conference can be assigned to one or more service numbers, where delegates will join the same conference regardless of which service number they dialled. The delegate does not require a Room ID or PIN.

• Simple Conference with PIN. As above, except the conference is PIN protected.

• Conference with Room ID and/or PIN. Conferences identified by a Room ID can be assigned to one or multiple service numbers, where delegates will join the same conference regardless of which number they dialled. The service number(s) can each support multiple Room IDs (i.e. multiple conferences). For added security, conferences can be PIN protected.

Dynamic Rooms

The conference can be configured to use dynamic Room ID and PIN’s. When in this mode the Room ID and PIN’s do not need to be preconfigured. Room ID and PIN must be between 4 and 8 digits.

Delegate Identification

If configured to do so, delegate identification can be used with all of the above conference combinations to allow delegates to identify themselves before joining the conference. They have five seconds to record their name – any silence on the end of the recording will be trimmed off (subject to relative background noise). Delegates can also press the ‘#’ key on their telephone keypad to terminate the recording before the five second timer expires.

Music On Hold

The first caller into a conference will hear music on hold. The music genre is customer-defined, and it is possible to have no music on hold at all although this is not recommended, as a silent call (particularly during a possibly lengthy period of time as delegates wait for the conference host) can be disconcerting for the caller.

Conference Host

If the conference requires a host, all delegates will hear music on hold until the host logs in. Note that the host needs to present themselves to the conference in the same way as all other delegates - i.e. the host starts off as a normal delegate just like all the other callers – before they subsequently initiate the process of identifying themselves as the host by pressing the * key to start the host login process, after which they’re required to enter a PIN of between 4 and 8 digits.

The waiting delegates will then all drop into the conference once the pin has been validated. If the conference is configured to record delegates' names, the host’s name will be announced to all delegates.

The host can key DTMF 1 during a conference to invoke a roll-call of attendees. If the conference doesn't require delegates to record their names, then a roll-call will simply announce the number of delegates.

A conference can have more than one host.

Conference Limits

The number of delegates in a conference is limited to either the specific conference ‘maximum caller’ limit, or the overriding limit set at account level for multiple conferences belonging to one account. Hardware limits also apply.