Arranging conference calls can be such a challenge for me – figuring out the time zone differences, agreeing upon a time and choosing the appropriate technology. So, I want to gather the tools into one toolkit here that I will hopefully remember the next time I need them.
Meeting Wizard is a free service for polling participants to determine a meeting time. Enter the participants email addresses and the system them a message with a link to the poll. Once a time has been selected, Meeting Wizard will notify the participants. It also includes an RSVP function. Doodle is similar service.
Time Zone Converter is handy for finding the time in one other location. The World Clock Meeting Planner allows up to four locations.
Free Conference Call There are numerous free conference call services. What I like about this one is that it is accessible from both Canada and the US. Some of the services are blocked by the Canadian telecom provider. This service also allows the recording of calls for free.
Skype is a semi-free service offering audio and video calls. Skype to skype calls are free and work well much of the time for groups of up to six or eight. With larger groups or with poor bandwidth, it can be very frustrating. Skype to telephone is not free but the rates are generally much lower than telephone. Skype also includes messaging and the ability to send files. The messaging function is useful for harvesting a conversation in real time. All participants need to have skype software installed and need to be connected as contacts to be able to call each other.
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