Save Your Business Money With Audio conferencing

Years ago, people were largely self-sufficient. Early businessmen were do-it-yourselfers. Over time, communication and transportation have evolved to allow us to easily and efficiently take advantage of the knowledge and skills of others in our field. Today’s technology has practically obliterated geography as a factor in how business is conducted. Thanks to easy availability of the World Wide Web, and with it e-mail and audio streaming, it is feasible for colleagues to interact with an effectiveness only limited by the speed of their Internet connection.

Audio conferencing is becoming prevalent in the business-to-business world. Enabling workers to come together for meetings while remaining at their various work sites is not only convenient, but cost effective as well, saving companies the expense of providing travel to mandatory conferences.

Many communication companies are offering audio conferencing as part of service packages for businesses. Prices average around $0.04 a minute for pay-as-you-go service or a flat $50 per month for unlimited conferencing. Then you have to decide whether or not any of the optional services would be beneficial to your businesses. Most companies offer add-ons like transcription, recording, polling and confirmed participation lists. Some of them will even call your party prior to the meeting as a reminder of the scheduled date and time.

Knowing that communication is merely a click away, many companies are becoming more and more open to the idea of allowing employees to work from home, or some other approved location. This arrangement would not have worked in most industries a few years ago. Employees love it because it drastically cuts their commute and allows them to be more flexible with their time and their wardrobe. It’s a smart option for businesses to consider because it cuts down on overhead expenditures such as furniture, vending and some housekeeping and all the costs accrued by another body in the office.

As with any new development, there are bugs that still need to be worked out. Even the most well-laid-out plans can and will fall prey to human nature. From the time we are toddlers, we learn that the best time to do what we want, or what we are not supposed to, is when mom and dad aren’t looking. Studies have shown that employees working from remote locations tend to spend more time doing nonproductive things like taking care of personal phone calls and mail.

How effective can an audio conference be in no one is paying attention? It’s impossible to control the environment in every workspace represented at the meeting. Knowing that the boss can’t actually make eye contact with you during that tedious meeting adds a sense of shamelessness to trying to squeeze in a bit of lunch during his long-winded presentation. Sometimes even innocent mulitaskers with the purest of intentions can get too distracted. You can visit http://www.audio-conferencing-help.com to find out more information on conferencing options.

The pros and cons of audio conferencing should be carefully evaluated. Sure, it can save the company some cash, but if the right employees aren’t in the right places to get their jobs done efficiently the savings can be canceled out by an unproductive staff.