I have a small startup software consultancy, (www.phasepoint.net) and often times need to hold conference calls with clients. I was using the conferencing service provided by our telephone system, (www.Freedomvoice.com) but they were charging me 14 cents per minute per attendee. Last month I used 1300 minutes of conferencing and it cost me $112 (I get the first 500 minutes free each month); so I did a little research. I found two companies that provide free teleconferencing service.
FreeConferenceCall.com Reservationless Service
- Maximum Number of Callers: 96
- Maximum Length: 6 hours
- Free Call Recording and Playback: Yes
- Web Controls: No
- Access from any phone: Yes
- No computer needed: Yes
- Toll Free Number: No
- Account Management Services: Yes
- Maximum number of conferences per month: Unlimited
FreeConference.com Reservationless Service
- Maximum Number of Callers: 150
- Maximum Length: 3 hours
- Free Call Recording and Playback: No
- Web Controls: No
- Access from any phone: Yes
- No computer needed: Yes
- Toll Free Number: No
- Account Management Services: Yes
- Maximum number of conferences per month: Unlimited
I signed up for an account with the first one, FreeConferenceCall.com and tried it out last night with one other caller. It was perfect. The sound was crystal clear and I wasn't subjected to any ads. To sign up, I only had to give them my name and email address. I still don't know what the "catch" is, but there has to be one, right?
So far, I highly recommend these conferencing services. Especially if you have a small busines on a shoestring budget. Maybe their business model is to help you get off the ground, then hope you upgrade to their paid services for more functionality. I will update this post as I learn more.