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What Are Outbound Conference Calls?

If you're big on interactive conferences, or perhaps you have a tendency to hold conferences with attendees who are on the go, you will need a more advanced conference call system. You will need, for example, a conference call provider that will allow you to make outbound conference calls on the fly.

Outbound conference calls are basically a means to contact a party that was not originally included in your conference lineup. Usually, conference call service providers don't include the ability to place a third-party call or more outbound calls in their basic service packages because this puts a strain on the line. You will first need to inquire from your provider if outbound calls are supported by the conference call package you are currently subscribed to.

Once you have contacted your new participant, you must provide a new code that will enable your participant to join the conference. This is easy enough to do if your participant has access to the Internet, and especially easy if you are on Web conferencing. If both apply, you can just point your new participant to the "join URL" that your Web conferencing provider has provided for outbound calls. If only the first applies and you are on regular phone conferencing, but both you and your participant have access to the Internet, you can deliver the code by chat or email - preferably by a secure channel that is not hackable by third parties. Free ad-supported chat messengers and email services are examples of insecure channels.

If you anticipate that a big conference will require you to add new participants impromptu, make sure to ask your provider too if you can avail of a package that accommodates outbound calls to international locations, and how much this will cost. If you're paying a flat rate for your subscribed service, you'll often need to shoulder the long distance charges, and in the case of outbound conference calls, you'll need to pay per minute. Some call companies will charge a flat rate for every minute, no matter what country you call to. Other call companies may have different rates for different countries.