Join or Host Meetings anytime, anywhere with Teleconference and Video Conferencing Services
Collaboration and communication in business are essential now more than ever. However, interactions with clients and colleagues have evolved. Business used to happen face-to-face; now, you can do it virtually instead.
With more people connecting from different places, teleconference meetings became more popular. If you need to communicate with clients or colleagues despite distances, you can engage in a teleconferencing audio call.
However, as teams become more dynamic and hybrid, providers have improved their teleconferencing services by adding video. Not only will you be able to hear from the other side, but you can also see, interact, and work with them.
With RingCentral Video, you can experience various features that don't just allow you to see virtual cues and communicate well; you can also brainstorm with the team for solutions using the collaboration tools included in our video conferencing software.
Discover what RingCentral Video can do for your business.
What is Teleconferencing?
A teleconference is an audio or audiovisual meeting with two or more participants to have a live exchange of information despite being in different locations using a mobile phone or a laptop. The primary purpose is to connect individuals to others, regardless of location.
However, staying connected with your remote team through teleconferencing involves more than a live exchange of information, especially when you are not all in-person. To make your teleconference interactive, you can include collaboration tools to ensure every team member performs effectively.
To determine which functionality to use in place of your face-to-face meetings, identify first which type of teleconferencing service fits your telecommunications.
Types of Teleconference
Teleconferences can be categorized into two, audio-only or video-supported. Each category has its pros and cons. To determine which teleconferencing to use in place of your face-to-face meetings, identify first which type best fits your telecommunications.
Audio Conference
Audio teleconferences, commonly known as conference calls, are just like routine telephone calls, except multiple participants can dial in. You still have a unique phone number and can make, connect, and receive a phone call in real-time.
Is there a limit to how many can join a meeting? Yes, but most VoIP conferencing services can still support hundreds of participants in a single meeting. Even most audio conferencing software can support a teleconference for up to a hundred; hence the limit will not be an issue.
One advantage of an audio teleconference is that you can participate without an internet connection. Even if you're using traditional phone lines, you'll still be able to join or host audio teleconference calls.
Thanks to this, you can join the teleconference from almost any device that supports telephony. So you can dial in from your landline, mobile phone, or even your computer. This flexibility is perfect for teams who cannot meet during face-to-face meetings because they are frequently mobile and on the go.
Video Conference
With video conferencing, you make use of a video call than a phone call with other participants in place of a face-to-face meeting. To host or join a video conference, you need an internet connection and video cameras for the said meeting. You can also access more collaboration tools and apps to boost your remote team's productivity.
With a good video conferencing solution, you can use screen sharing to illustrate points easily without sending files. Hence, most remote teams use video teleconferencing for meetings that require visual aids like webinars and presentations.
Most video conferencing services can support more than a hundred people in a session, so it's a good choice for both large and small teams.
Video Conference vs. Audio Conference: Which Works for You?
Audio
Video
Pros
- Works without internet connection
- Stable quality
- More collaboration tools are available
- Monitoring participants is easier
Cons
- Few collaboration features
- Difficult to keep track of speakers
- Limited to voice chat
- Requires more equipment like webcams, mics, etc.
- Must be connected online
Advantages and Disadvantages of Teleconferencing
More businesses today realize the importance of teleconference in their daily operations. Although there are disadvantages, the advantages far outweigh the bad and, in fact, improve a team's productivity. Let's look at the benefits of a virtual teleconference, some challenges you might encounter, and how to deal with them.
Advantages of Teleconferencing
- Cost-effective - With a teleconference, you don't need the whole team to convene in person. Because of this, companies can save a lot in terms of operating costs, such as venue rentals, electricity, and other utilities, since you're not meeting on-site. You can allocate your budget to other causes, such as IT equipment.
- Time-saving - No need to schedule teleconferences weeks in advance and spend days on preparations. Just send an email invite and dial in at your set time.
- Easy collaboration - For online and video teleconferences to become more interactive, you can use collaboration tools like screen sharing and file transfer to communicate ideas and get your entire team on the same page.
- Efficient record-taking - Not everyone can remember all the details in one sitting, so the video conferencing software's record feature can help you to review a teleconference without manually taking notes.
- Mobile and Flexible - Virtual teleconferencing can happen using a wide range of devices, whether a video conference or an audio conference. To host or join a call, you can choose your mobile device: your phone, tablet, or laptop, anytime, anywhere.
Disadvantages of Teleconferencing
- Technical issues - This is a common problem when one engages in a teleconference, but you can quickly address them. Before your online meetings, test the bandwidth of your internet connection and use equipment that can give out an HD video or just a high-quality output.
- Difficult to monitor - A known challenge for any video meeting is how to capture your participant's undivided attention. You can use video conferencing tools such as screen-share, breakout rooms, and the whiteboard feature to enhance participation. You could also do a roll call to check who has dialed in. For video teleconferencing monitoring, request your participants to always turn on their webcam, so you can check how they are doing.
- Impersonal - A teleconference can feel a bit impersonal since you can't see or hear everyone like you would in a physical meeting. But, as long as speakers can communicate ideas clearly, then this should not prevent a teleconference from being a success.
What is the Best Teleconferencing Solution?
With the types of conferences and the benefits mentioned above, you must wonder, which is the best teleconferencing solution? It’s no other than RingCentral.
RingCentral is a unified communications platform that can be your teleconferencing solution. With the video conferencing technology of RingCentral, you can take any teleconference call or online meeting anytime, anywhere, and on any device. You don't need to switch to another platform for your audio call and another for your video conference. You need to have RingCentral, the best video conferencing software available.
Virtual Phone Number
With a single phone number, get connected anytime, anywhere. RingCentral equips you with a virtual phone number that enables you to use a mobile app on multiple devices from any location. With this capability, this virtual number is perfect for remote teams.
Phone Call plus more
Get more than just phone calls. Enjoy RingCentral as this video conferencing platform with features like cloud phone, team messaging, conferencing, call-forwarding, auto-greetings, cloud storage, and more.
All-in-one workspace
Do more when you work together. Because RingCentral is the best teleconferencing solution, it lets you collaborate with teammates during video conferences. Share your screens, send files, and live-annotate documents so you can input changes and suggestions, all within the platform of video conference calls in real time.
Partnership Hub
Enjoy a unified workspace with multiple communication channels. With RingCentral, you can create, assign and track tasks for yourself and team members as you work on priority projects. It will appear on the team chat, so members can see the progress and stay on top of each task.
Meeting Central
Meet without user limit. Invite everyone to your teleconference because everyone on your team can have their account. Participants can join video calls and audio calls straight from their web browser—so there is no need to download apps. Everyone can join with the dial-in number found in your meeting ID.
RingCentral Community
Bring Teams together. With RingCentral, you can interact and contribute to the RingCentral Community. Here's a safe space to ask questions and share your thoughts with thousands of like-minded RingCentral users (including other small business owners and managers).
Unique Features of RingCentral Video Pro+ as a Teleconferencing Solution
RingCentral Video Pro is a free video conferencing platform that can give you an edge in terms of engaging in teleconferences. RingCentral Video Pro is a good starting point if you're from a small business. But what makes RingCentral Video Pro+ the best video teleconferencing solution? Aside from the features of the free version, here are some advanced features you can enjoy in full with this plan.
Collaboration
Aside from the usual in-meeting collaboration tools, you can also use several in-app features to collaborate before, during, and after your teleconferences.
- Team Messaging
- File sharing controls by admin (Google Drive)
- Desktop and application sharing
- Co-annotation on a shared screen
- Collaboration with internal and external users, document and file sharing, task management,
- Schedule meetings from teams, and create teams from meetings
- Private and group in-meeting chat
Seamless Integration
Incompatible tools should not limit your work. With RingCentral, you can integrate applications quickly, with room for upgrade, should you need to.
- Video integration within Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
- Schedule meetings to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace calendars
- Two-way sync with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace calendars
- Business app integrations
- Compatible with RingCentral Rooms™ (Add-on)
- Compatible with RingCentral Room Connector™ (Add-on)
Efficiency
For uninterrupted professional video meetings and video teleconferences, maximize these video conferencing features.
- 24-hour meeting duration
- HD video and HD voice
- Host controls (lock meeting, mute all, and participant control)
- Launch up to two meetings at a time
- Maximum number of participants (200)
- Waiting room
Customization
Make your remote team feel free to share their personality, and become creative as possible. Here are some virtual meeting features you can customize.
- Virtual background
- Custom personal meeting ID
- Meeting password
Ease of Use
Make your teleconferences easier, better, and more convenient to join or host with the RingCentral video conferencing tools:
- Single Sign-on
- Join by telephone dial-in
- One-tap desktop/mobile meeting switch
- Instant join in browser with no app
- Instant or scheduled meetings
- Join by telephone dial-in
- Closed captioning
- Transcription
Business Continuity
Get the most out of your video conference calls. Record, review your video meetings, and use the analytics from the app's data. You can also seek support from our customer service.
- Cloud recording (100 hrs)
- Cloud recording retention period (1 year)
- 24/7 live agent (web tickets, chat, and phone support)
- Advanced analytics
- Encrypted data in transit and at rest
- Encrypted cloud recordings
How Does a Teleconference Work?
Teleconferencing is a simple way to do virtual meetings. Here are some basic things you’ll need to know to set up with teleconferences and host and join a teleconference call.
- Stable Internet Connection
A stable internet connection is necessary to ensure that your teleconference runs smoothly. Audio conferences tend to have consistently good quality since they require less bandwidth to transmit data.
If you have online meetings, you must have high-speed internet with minimal interference, affecting your session's audio and video quality. Video conferencing, in particular, is very demanding on internet resources, so make sure your connection is good enough to support it.
High-quality Equipment
If you're opting for an audio conference, ensure that your phones and conference bridges have good sound quality. It's worth looking into devices with noise-canceling features to ensure that your audio is clear.
For video conferencing, you'll need a high-quality webcam and microphone. Laptops already have these built-in, so there's no need to buy them separately. That said, it won't hurt to use more suitable tools to make your conference experience as seamless as possible.
If you’re just an attendee, you’re in luck because it’s a lot easier than being a host. Unsure about how to join a teleconference as an attendee? Here is a quick rundown of what you should do.
STEP 1. Wait for the meeting details
You can’t access a teleconference without the details. As mentioned above, the host will send an invite with the dial-in number, access code, or meeting ID. Please take note of the information so you can input them when it’s time to enter the conference.
STEP 2. Join the call with your preferred method
You have several options to choose from when dialing into a teleconference. Prefer to be on the go? Join the call from your mobile phone. Want to use all the collaboration tools? Join from your conferencing service’s dedicated app instead.
Once you have your access numbers and equipment set up, it’s time to start a conference call. Here are some general steps you can follow if you will be hosting the call.
STEP 1. Set a schedule
To create a future teleconference, click on the Schedule Meeting button. Select a convenient time for the session and list the people joining. Once you’ve filled in and saved the details, you can send an invite to your list of participants.
STEP 2. Distribute access codes to your participants
Usually, the invites will have the codes for the conference. All the participants need to do is click on them. But if you missed some people or can’t use email to invite them, give them the meeting ID or a dial-in number and access code via SMS or team chat so they can enter manually.
STEP 3. Enter the session at the scheduled time
If you’re the host, it’s good practice to be on the call before the participants dial in. For audio conferences, call the dial-in number and enter your host code when prompted. If you have scheduled a video conference, click the meeting ID or URL directly into the virtual conference room.
There are many free teleconferencing services available if you’re on a budget. But it’s worth investing in high-quality video conferencing technology solutions rather than settling for the bare minimum. The best video teleconferencing software has some significant advantages that will benefit your business so that it will be worth every penny.
Teleconferences can make business meetings, whether internal or external, easier, convenient, and accessible anytime and anywhere. Examples of use cases for a teleconference are trainings, team meetings, webinars, product launches and demos, town hall meetings, board meetings, job interviews, and even HR evaluations.
During the pandemic, more industries adopted the use of teleconferencing software. Legal proceedings and court cases occurred via a video teleconference. Telehealth via video conference also thrived predominantly to attend doctor’s appointments without having to be physically present in hospitals. Even schools also shifted to online meetings to continue their lessons.
What’s good with RingCentral Video is that you can enjoy the benefits of a video teleconference for free. However, some limitations may not be ideal for your organization in the long run. Hence, you can upgrade to RingCentral Video Pro+ to get the benefits of RingCentral Video and more. For a detailed explanation of each plan, the features, and pricing, check out our RingCentral Plans and Pricing page.
Ready to start your own video teleconferencing meeting? Check out RingCentral’s teleconferencing features for free when you click on the View Demo button below.