Conferencing Terminology

The host can enable attendee name announce by pressing 6* from the host keypad or through the conference web manager. Once this feature is enabled it will require all attendees record their name prior to joining into the conference. A recording of the attendees name is then posted in your call reports next to that caller.

An audio conferencing service connects multiple callers together to communicate through an audio conference by telephone. Audio conferencing is similar to conferencing by telephone, audio conferencing, and conference calling, which can include calls using Internet phone service like Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP), as well as traditional phone and cellular phone service.

An automated conference call is where all participants dial in and enter in a conference code and are automatically joined into the conference.

A branded conference greeting, also known as a custom or personalized greeting, allows for the host to brand the welcome message callers hear with their own company name or message.

This feature is turned on by default for conference calls – It allows for the host of the conference to start a conference call and disconnect from the call yet have it continue on for all of the other attendees. This feature is intended so that the host can join and leave a conference as need be, but can also help for those times when the host is connected to the conference from their cell phone or VOIP phone service where there is a chance an interruption in their service could take place.

Collaboration is multiple individuals, companies or organizations working in conjunction with one another to achieve a common goal by learning and exchanging information.

The host of the conference can hear how many conference attendees have joined into their conference call by pressing 8* on the host telephone keypad. An audio message would be broadcast to the host line letting them how many attendees are joined into their conference call at that time. The host can also see the attendee number count through the online conference manager.

A conference bridge, also known as a conference switch, is the equipment managed by the telephone provider to join three or more conference call participants together on a conference. The conference bridge can be set up as either an automated or reservation-less service, and can also be set up with the assistance of an operator.

The conference code is a six digit code used to direct conference call participants into a specific conference call. Conference call participants will be asked to enter the six digit conference code after dialing in and connecting to the conference service.

A conference call is a meeting that takes place over the telephone in which multiple callers are connected onto the same telephone call using a conference bridge and a six digit conference code. Conference calls are also known and commonly referred to as a telephone conference call, audio conference, or a teleconference. Conference calls can have features which compliment its service, and there is a participant capacity for each conference. There are several different types of conference calls available, such as reservationless or an on-demand conference call which is an automated join in process for attendees and the host. Conference calls can also be handled with an operator, which is typically what is used to handle large events, or calls that require a custom welcome message and the collection of information from conference call participants.

The Conference Call ID is used to report and track all conference call usage and activity for your account. It separates and identifies each conference call, and includes details such as the time and date the call was held, the number of conference participants and the number of minutes used on the conference call.

Conference call preview is available if call recording was enabled for your conference. It allows you to preview your recorded conference calls through an mp3 file posted in your account. You can listen and preview recordings direct from the recordings section of your account, or you can choose to download the conference recordings onto your computer and listen to it using the media player of your choice.

Conference calls can be transcribed to provide you with a text version of your conference call. A transcript of your conference will take everything said on your conference by all speakers and transcribe it into text format. Transcriptions are available from Vast Conference or a third party vendor of your choice.

Conference calling is the process of utilizing an audio conference call service to join two or more callers together on a conference bridge service provided by the conferencing service. Conference calling can also be referred to as: audio conference service, phone conference, teleconferencing or telephone conference call.

Conference recording allows you to record any conference calls using the conference call recording feature. A conference call can be recorded by pressing 5* from the host telephone keypad or by turning on conference recording using the online conference manager. Conference recordings are converted and posted to your account in mp3 format where you can access, listen to, download and share with listeners.

Vast Conference offers an online conference management feature that was designed with ease of use in mind. It allows the host of the conference to manage their conference call in real-time without having to download any special software. The conference manager can be accessed using a web browser and allows the host to enable conference call features and hold question and answer sessions for conference calls with a large amount of participants.

Conferencing is when multiple parties using a landline, mobile, or VOIP phone service connect to a conferencing service for a meeting.

Conversation mode is when all conference participants have speaking rights on a conference call and can listen to and talk on a conference as need be with no restrictions. The default setting for conference calls is Conversation Mode, which allows for as many as 50 callers to have speaking rights on a conference call.

A custom greeting, also known as a personalized or branded greeting, allows for the host to customize the welcome message callers hear when they join into their conference call.

Conference call dial-in number is the telephone number that all participants use to access the conference call service. Dial in numbers are available as regular toll numbers, domestic toll-free numbers, and international regular toll or international toll-free numbers.

The dial out feature allows for the host to dial out to any US telephone number to bring a participant into the conference call.

Dial pad controls are available to the host to control and manage their conference for those times when they do not have access to a computer. Conference participants also have the ability to self-mute their line and raise their hand using dial pad controls.

An Email invitation is the communication the host sends out to participants to request their presence on a conference call. The host would include in the invitation the time and date the conference is being held, the conference dial in number and the 6 digit conference code that participants will use to connect to the conference.

The conference call ends when all callers disconnect from the conference. The host of the conference also has the ability to end the conference by pressing 78* on their telephone keypad or by selecting End Conference through the online conference manager.

Send files to web conference participants to enhance an online meeting. In the chat window, drag & drop or browse to upload a file and send to one or all of your meeting guests. Files of any type can be transferred within the session.

A guest speaker is a participant on your conference that you would like to have speaking rights even when the entire conference is in a muted state. Guest speakers would join into your conference call like all other participants, but once connected they would enter in 88* followed by a unique five 5 digit guest speaker code available in the My Account section of your account. Guest speakers can only be muted by using the 4* self-mute feature from their telephone keypad or through the online conference manager by the host.

Hold music is a played to attendees when they are placed on hold waiting for the host to start the conference. You can select the type of hold music you would like played to your attendees from “Account Settings” section of your account.

The host code (also known as a security pin) is a requirement to start your conference call. The host code ensures that the host of the account is the only person that can start, manage and control the conference call features on the telephone and through the online conference manager. We do not recommend that the host code be given out to any of your attendees; it is only intended for host of the account.

The international dial-in access number is used to connect callers from outside of the United States and Canada. If using the international direct dial-in number, the host would be charged according to their plan rate. The participant using the international direct dial-in number would incur international long distance charges from their long distance provider.

International Toll-Free Service is available for supported countries, and allows for your international callers to connect using a toll-free number specific for their country, in which they would not incur any long distance charges for the phone call. The rates for international toll-free service depend on the country in which the caller is dialing from.

Available on operator assisted conference calls, a lead conference moderator is present on the call to manage all aspects and event details of your conference.

The lock conference feature can be enabled by pressing 2* from the host telephone keypad or by turning the feature on through the online conference manager. This feature allows for the host to lock the conference call after all expected attendees have joined in for added security and privacy.

Conference calls and video conferences can be hosted and joined with the Vast Conference mobile app. Enjoy all conferencing features such as one-click to join, no PINs or dial-ins, HD audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, recording, IM chat and file sharing anywhere you go.

The conference call moderator is the participant that is responsible for maintaining order throughout the conference call or meeting. Moderators can be present on large events or conference calls that require operator assistance.

MP3 is short for MPEG Audio Layer 3 – It is an audio file that is compressed to a manageable size while still retaining great audio quality for listening. Conference call recordings are converted to MP3 files and posted to your account where they can be easily listened to, shared or downloaded.

Conference calls can by muted by the host by pressing 1* from the host telephone keypad. When the conference is muted all participants excluding the host and guest speakers are muted. This feature helps prevent participants from broadcasting sound during a conference call. Participants also have the ability to self-mute their own line by pressing 4* on their telephone keypad.

Turned on my default, the new attendee tone is an audio chime that is played when a new participant joins into your conference. If you prefer your callers join in silently, you can disable this feature by pressing 9* from the host keypad or turn it off in the online conference manager. You can also have this feature turned off as a default setting from the Account Settings section of your account.

An on-demand conference call service is one which there is no scheduling or reserving of lines needed. The host is able to hold a conference call 24/7 without any kind of prior notice to the conference call service.

Online meeting software allows you to host meetings from anywhere. You can host meetings with participants joining remotely, sharing information over voice calling and online screen share.

Operator assisted conference calls are calls in which an operator is there to help you run and manage your conference. Operators will greet participants as they join into your conference, can dial out to bring participants into the call, and even collect useful pieces of information before connecting participants into the conference.

The conference call organizer is the person that is responsible for organizing the conference call and starting it at the designated start time.

A conference call participant is a caller who attends a conference but is neither a host nor guest speaker, but a participant that is there to listen in on the conference.

A participant list is a list of all conference attendees on your conference. A participant list is available for operator assisted conference calls and emailed directly to you after your conference call.

A personalized conference greeting, also referred to as a custom or branded conference greeting, allows for the host to personalize the welcome message callers hear before joining into the conference call.

A podcast is an audio recording of a broadcast that is non-music related. An example of a podcast would be a news, presentation, discussion, etc. available in MP3 form. Listeners are able to playback podcasts anytime on their computer or by using any supported music player of their choice.

Podcasting is the act of recording an audio file intended for distribution online through an RSS feed. You can learn more about podcasting by visiting our conference recording section.

A pre-approved attendee list is available for operator assisted conference calls, in which attendees are checked against an approved attendee list to ensure that only valid guests are attending your conference.

A pre-conference room, also referred to as a green room, allows for the host to meet with the lead moderator and speakers on the conference to finalize plans before the call.

Presentation mode also referred to as lecture mode, is where the host and guest speakers on the conference have speaking rights while all other conference participants are placed in a listen only muted state.

The question and answer session allows the host of the conference to mute all participants on the conference, but allow participants to raise their hand by pressing 5* on their telephone keypad. When a participant selects 5* a question mark will appear in the online conference manager next to that caller notifying the host which caller has a question. The host can then unmute that specific caller to allow them to ask their question.

The host can assign dial in access to a recording in their account which allows for their listeners to dial in and listen to the recordings by telephone.

Reservationless conferencing means that the host does not have to schedule or reserve any lines in advance to hold their conference call. The host of the account can hold conference calls whenever they need without any type of reservation or scheduling with the conferencing provider.

Conference call participants can mute their own line by using the 4* self-mute feature. This feature will mute the participants line so they would not be able to be heard on the conference, the participant can unmute their line by selecting 4* again. (Please note that if the host has enabled the mute conference feature, participants would not be able to unmute their line by pressing 4*)

Share your computer screen remotely with participants. Share documents, live demos, websites, and anything else on your desktop with your meeting guests. Screen sharing presents, in true color and real-time, what’s happening on your monitor.

The host of the conference can start the call by dialing in, entering in the six digit conference code followed by the 4 digit host code when prompted by our system.

The talk and listen mode, also referred to as conversation mode, allows the conference participants to speak and listen freely during a conference call. You can have up to 50 conference participants including the host in a talk and listen mode during a conference call. If you require a conference call that requires an open discussion between participants, we would recommend having your conference call in a talk and listen mode.

Teleconference service is similar to a telephone conference, conference call service, or audio conferencing, which is the platform that is needed to connect multiple callers on a single call.

Teleconferencing is when multiple participants are connected together on a single conference call.

A telephone conference is similar to an audio conference or conference call which connects multiple participants to the same conference call.

A teleseminar is a lecture, presentation or workshop done through the telephone. Teleseminars are typically done with a presenter(s) speaking to a conference participant group that is in a listen only mode.

Each conference call has a six hour time limit set in place as a security feature. If the host needs additional time after the 6 hour time limit is up, they can extend the conference for an additional hour by re-entering in the host code when prompted by our system. The host would be prompted every hour after the six hour time limit has been reached.

A toll call is a long distance phone call that can be subject to long distance charges which is determined by the caller’s long distance provider and plan.

A toll conference call is when conference call participants dial in to the conference using a regular toll number, in which the caller may be subject to long distance charges applied by their long distance provider. The rate in which participants are charged at is entirely dependent on the participant’s long distance provider and plan. In the case the participant has a free or nationwide unlimited long distance plan; the participant should not incur any charges for the call.

A toll-free call is a call in which there is no cost to the caller regardless of where the caller is dialing from within the United States or Canada. Toll-free numbers are identified by a telephone number that begins with an area code of 800,888,866, 877 or 855.

A toll-free conference call is a meeting done by telephone in which all participants dial into a toll-free number to connect to the conference. Participants do not incur any long distance charges for the cost of the call regardless of where they are dialing from within the United States or Canada. The host of the conference is charged a per-minute per-caller rate for each participant on the conference call.

An unlimited conferencing account gives the host the ability to hold as many conference calls as they need for a flat-rate monthly conference calling plan.

Video conferencing allows for real-time streaming and face-to-face viewing of meeting attendees. Hosts and participants can join from the device of their choice – a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or mobile phone and utilize meeting features such as screen sharing, recording, IM chat and file sharing.

Web conferencing services allow groups from different locations meet and share information online. Host a web conference and share your screen with participants worldwide. Collaborate faster and more clearly with web conferencing paired with conference calling.

Webinars are organized online events around a certain topic. Participants typically preregister to attend the event, and the host shares their presentation with the group, often alongside guest speakers and screen share presentations. Hosts can also offer a question & answer session during their webinar to promote active participation from their guests.