Conference Call

A conference call is a much more practical way to converse with people throughout the world...than everyone getting on a plane to meet in person.

The coordinator of the call usually works with a service provider who maintains a conference bridge, which is a type of equipment that links telephone lines. An email is sent with an invitation to the conference call to be held at a specific time (given in the local time zone), with a number to dial in and a PIN. The call can be muted so the participants can only listen, such as when a company gives a quarterly report for investors and news outlets.

Video conference calls are gaining popularity, so you can see all the participants (no more calling in your pajamas). Some companies still use a Polycom phone, which is like a large speaker phone where you can dial numerous phone numbers to include many participants. There's also a mute button, so that one can talk without those in a different location being able to eavesdrop.