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How To Select an Audio Conferencing Service Provider
by
Ian Wells
 There
are around ten audio conferencing service providers in
the Australian market, three years ago there was a
great deal of difference between them. Now it is not
so easy to spot the difference. The following looks at
the main areas to consider when selecting a
conferencing service provider. Conferencing Service
Provider = CSP.
Continued
below...
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Continued....
Product Suite
Most conference calls now take place using on-demand services
because it is the most convenient and cheapest way to meet. All
CSPs provide this.
There are some small differences between providers but they are
so small that 99% of users will be able to use any service. They
are pretty much interchangeable.
CSPs all have long lists of features but the reality is that few
users utilise anything beyond muting a line, playing back the
names of the attendees and locking the meeting.
A few years ago operator managed was an important service but is
now offered by fewer CSPs. It's use is really limited to people
who can afford to pay a premium over automated services or have
really big meetings.
Support
When it comes to support, the biggest factor is the type of
conferencing platform used and where it is located.
Good service providers use extremely reliable platforms made by
a small number of manufacturers. You should expect to hear one
of these names, Avaya, Compunetix, Polycom, Presscom, Spectel or
Voyant. If you don’t, the CSP is probably using less reliable
equipment.
To provide the maximum level of redundancy a conferencing
platform should to be co-located with a telephone company’s
voice switch/exchange. So in Australia look for names like:
Telstra, Optus, Macquarie Telecom, Primus, MCI/Verizon or AAPT.
These are basic facts for the conferencing sales person, you can
probably draw your own conclusions if they cannot provide an
instant answer.
What Kind of Support Do They Offer?
The very least a customer should expect is that there is a
speedy response to an enquiry, service issue or account query.
If there are service issues they should be addressed and
resolved as quickly as possible. The person dealing with any of
these should be readily available and knowledgeable.
Do I Trust My Service Provider?
Companies are often very good at selling but weak at delivering.
If you have an issue does the CSP tell you what you need to hear
or you what you would like to hear?
Are they easy to work with?
This is commonly a big issue for the services provided by the
telephone companies who are rarely known for great customer
service.
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Continued....
Price
Not so long ago this came in as a distant third in the selection
process after product suite and support. Today, with almost
identical services on offer, price becomes a much more important
factor.
There is a huge range of prices in the market. The telephone
companies have the luxury of being the most expensive. They are
typically chosen because it saves shopping around.
Do I Like Working With My CSP?
Only you can judge this. Your CSP should provide the product suite
you need at a realistic price. They should be easily available and
responsive, giving honest recommendations. It should be assumed
that the service is reliable.
Product Differentiation
Again, not so long ago there were real differences, now the
differences for most users are unimportant. Of course in the land
of marketing there will always be a new must have feature that a
sales person will endeavour to convince you is or will be
absolutely necessary.
About the
author:
For more
articles on how to buy teleconferencing, visit www.HotAirConferencing.com.au.
Ian Wells is the
CEO of HotAir Conferencing. He has been in the conferencing
industry for 12 years, working in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan,
Singapore and the UK.
He established the first specialist conferencing services in Hong
Kong, Japan, Singapore and is widely regarded as the founder of
the Asia Pacific conferencing industry. Ian has been the General
Manager - Asia Pacific for MCI Conferencing which was the largest
service provider in the region during his tenure and the Managing
Director, Australia for Genesys Conferencing. For more articles
abouy teleconferencing go to http://www.HotAirConferencing.com.au
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