In the course of the last two decades, the conference calling space has changed significantly. It was formerly true that only larger sized corporations had access to multi participant conference calling. These systems were usually rather costly and often had live operator assistance on each call.
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Incumbent telecommunications companies priced conference calling services at costly rates (e.g. over twenty cents per user minute) and most companies were willing to pay these charges to ensure reliable and quality service. More recently the conference calling market has been characterized by a flurry of competitive forces. A variety of factors have been responsible including telecommunications deregulation, dramatic improvements in internet technology and demand for improved services.
The competitive environment now consists of seemingly countless providers in addition to the incumbent telcos. Organizations and individuals that desire to use teleconferencing now have a far wider selection of choices. Within that range of providers are free conference calling services such as Rondee that meld free conference calling with web based scheduling and other productivity tools. These services do not charge users because they use a toll dial-in as opposed to a traditional toll-free dial-in. Therefore, such free conference call services are not free in the same sense that air is free. They do require minutes of phone usage.
However, such services are increasingly being perceived by users as basically free because many phone plans now offer flat rate unlimited dialing; and typically cellular plans no longer have additional charges for long distance calls. Due to these trends, teleconferencing has become available to a far broader market of users as the following use-cases demonstrate.
Non profit entities have become strong users of teleconferencing services. The high cost of travel combined with constrained finances of most non-profits, makes conferencing a smart tactic for lowering expense and increasing productivity. Typically, non-profits rely on formal and informal approaches to networking. To the extent these networks extend beyond physical boundaries, conferencing becomes the most practical method of real communication. A number of non-profits including those that address literacy, poverty, and environmental issues, have effectively used conference calling to mobilize participation and recruit volunteers.
Student groups have found significant benefit in utilizing teleconferencing systems to generate collaboration across campuses, cities and states. Most campuses feature dozens, if not hundreds of active student clubs. Sometimes these clubs are chapters of regional, state-wide or even national umbrella entities. Due to the budgetary realities of student life, it would be impractical for the individual of these disparate groups to meet in person. Teleconferencing thereby becomes the most effective way for members to stay in touch and discuss topics of shared interest.
In summary, teleconferencing is no longer the exclusive domain of large business users. Other potential users have long felt the need but it has only been with the development of new business models that the availability of these offerings has become more ubiquitous.
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