How It Works
How much does it cost?
What are the costs associated with this service?
It costs nothing to use our basic conferencing services. In order for conference participants to reach our centrally located facilities, each one must call a U.S. long distance telephone number that we provide. The only cost for this type of conference call is whatever long distance rates are charged by each individual conference participant's long distance carrier (Sprint, MCI, AT&T, etc.). We do not require the use of any specific carrier, nor do we know what rates you pay on your calling plan. If you can dial a U.S. phone number, you can use our service.
For Reservationless Premium 800 conference calls the dial-in number will be a toll-free number. The Company Administrator will manage all billing for Toll Free calls placed by individuals under that account on one credit card making the company-wide billing process simple and streamlined... Since the Participants in the conference will use a toll-free number, they will not pay anything to use our service.
Will anything extra appear on my phone bill?
For Reservationless Standard conferences nothing extra will appear on your bill other than the call itself, billed at your normal long distance rate. For Reservationless Premium 800 conference calls nothing will appear on your phone bill whatsoever. Instead, we will bill the credit card on file under the company administrator’s account for the total amount of time each participant is present in the conference call, at the rate per-minute per caller chosen by the Company Administrator.
Do you place a surcharge on the call?
There may be surcharges for state and federal taxes and Universal Service Fund fees. These surcharges will be based on a calculation of the percentage fees imposed by state and federal regulations multiplied by the amount of direct fees for premium services. This surcharge will appear on your statement from Global Conference Partners.
Why would I want to place a toll-free call, if I can use the standard service at no cost to my company?
Many of our users want to host conference calls for their clients or guests and don't want their participants to have to pay long distance charges to access the conference. Also, it may be more convenient to put the cost of the conference call onto a single company-wide credit card bill rather than paying via separate long distance bills for each caller.
Conference Basics
Can you walk me through this?
InstantConference Enterprise is a reservationless, on-demand audio and web conferencing service that can be used instantly, reliably and securely. The Administrator of the Company Account will create an account for individuals and they will be sent a welcome email detailing their InstantConference Enterprise information (Dial-in numbers, access codes and pin number). Once received, the Dial-in numbers and access codes may be used instantly and whenever needed. Everyone who calls the assigned InstantConference Enterprise number and enters the unique access code will be connected instantly.
Service Details
| Maximum conference size: | 250 callers |
| Maximum time: | 6 hours |
| Conference Number: | Assigned to employee after the Administrator adds them to the Company Account |
| Organizer Code: | Can be used with each access code |
| Access Codes: | Assigned to employee after the Administrator adds them to the Company Account
Can request additional access codes |
| Subscriber PIN: | Assigned with access codes |
| Begins: | When first caller enters the conference* |
| Ends: | When last caller exits the conference or the organizer presses the *0 buttons on a touch tone keypad |
*A Toll Free 800 call begins once the Organizer enters the subscriber pin upon entering the conference. Participants who arrive before the Organizer, will hear music-on-hold.
Service Features
- 24/7 instant access from any land line or mobile device
- Free Unlimited recording with 30 days of storage
- Free desktop sharing
- Free moderator controls for an added level of call security
- Free event-sized conferences
- Crystal clear all-digital connections
- Toll Free customer support and 24/7 rapid response email support
How are the access codes and pin numbers used?
Organizer Code - To join a conference as an organizer, simply call in and enter 
followed by the access code plus .
This action gives the organizer the ability to lock the conference , change the conference mode between conversation, Q&A and presentation mode , choose entry and exit chimes , and hear the number of people on the call . You may have multiple organizers during a conference.
Access code - To join a conference as a participant, enter the assigned access code, then and follow the voice prompts. Participants can access basic conference controls such as the help menu, self-mute and one-on-one private chat during a conference.
Subscriber Pin - The subscriber pin is assigned to the account holder and activates the recording feature. Any time during the conference the host can enter and then the subscriber pin to begin recording the conference.
Can I change my access code?
The access code is assigned to you to provide a unique, secure entry into the system. You may add additional access codes to your account at any time. If you no longer need to maintain all your access codes, they can easily be deleted from your 'My Account' page.
Conference Touch-Tone Quick Reference
This touch-tone guide is for use while on a conference call. Note that all touch tone controls can be activated both from any touch tone pad on a phone or from within moderator controls in an active browser session.
Note: , , and are only available to the conference organizer.
† Conference Muting Modes: conversation mode, Q&A mode, presentation mode
‡ Chimes settings: Entry on/Exit on, Entry on/Exit off, Entry off/Exit on, Entry off/Exit off
* Used with the subscriber pin
Use of the "change conference muting modes"
Conversation Mode – This mode provides an open conference in which all Participants can speak freely and be heard by all in the conference. This mode works best for small groups of conferees. For large conferences, presentation mode may be more effective. At any time during a conference, conference organizers can switch between conversation mode, Q&A mode and presentation mode by toggling .
Presentation Mode – This mode automatically mutes every member of the conference, except those who have entered the organizer code, enabling conference participants to listen without being able to speak to others on the conference. This mode works best with large groups of conferees for reducing background noise, and is accessible to those who use the organizer code when entering a conference. At any time during a conference, conference organizers can switch between presentation mode, conversation mode and Q&A mode by toggling .
Q&A Mode – This mode allows participants to un-mute themselves, permitting a "question and answer" or interactive session to be held during a conference call that was set to presentation mode. This mode is accessible to those who provide the organizer code when joining the conference. At any time during a conference, conference organizers can switch between Q&A mode, presentation mode and conversation mode by toggling .
Use of "one-on-one private chat" and
To have a separate, private two-party chat during your main conference, simply press to access your "caller code". Exchange caller codes with the person whom you wish to consult with, then press plus the caller code. Since only two people can be in a private chat, it is still secure, even if you announce your codes to each other out loud in the conference. When you both enter the other person's code, you will automatically be placed in your secure private room. Press any key on the pad to return to the full conference.
Can I choose my own conference number?
We provide you with your Toll and Toll Free conference numbers when the Administrator creates your account.
Can I have separate access codes under my account?
You may request additional access codes under one account. This feature allows organizers to create multiple separate and secure conferencing access codes to use for different clients or groups. This is accomplished under the "My Account" section of the website. You can also label each access code to make it easy to identify how you are using them.
How many people can be on a conference call?
Currently, up to 150 callers can be in the same conference for up to 6 hours for each call.
What if I call in late? Will I be locked out if I don't call in at the beginning?
No. The conference can be joined at any time it is active as long as it has not been locked by the conference organizer If the call is still in progress, you will be connected and should announce yourself. If you receive a message that the conference is closed, please contact the conference organizer.
How many conferences can I set up? Can they happen at the same time?
There is no limit to how many conferences you can conduct or when they can occur. Each conference starts when you call your InstantConference Enterprise phone number and enter your unique Access Code. You can have two or more conferences take place simultaneously only by using different access codes. See Can I have separate access codes under my account? above.
Conference Functionality
How does it work? Is this an "internet call"?
This is not an internet call (VoIP). You can dial using any phone, including an ordinary telephone or mobile device, to connect to our conference service at the time you have chosen. While performance can be more unpredictable, you can also call in from VoIP phones. The other participants in your conference will also dial the same telephone number, enter your unique access code and meet you there.
What will the First caller hear upon calling the conference number? Do you have music-on-hold?
The first caller to arrive for a conference hears music-on-hold until the second party enters the conference.
Can you record a conference call?
Yes, you can have your conference recorded free!
To record anytime during the conference, the host can enter . The host will then be prompted to enter the subscriber pin. Each participant will then be required to acknowledge acceptance to continue participating. To stop the recording, press again. Once the recording is complete, it will remain available for 30 days. You can record an unlimited number of times.
Your recordings are automatically converted to MP3 format and are playable on any computer or MP3 digital audio player. Within two hours of the conference's end time, you'll receive an e-mail containing instructions and a link to the computer download, along with a telephone number and access code for telephone playback of your recording. At that point, your conference call recording is available for immediate telephone playback for up to 250 callers at the same time. Alternatively, simply download the MP3 file and forward to others or play back at your leisure. Once you have downloaded your recording, it is yours to use, edit, or share without any limitations.
One of my callers got a "busy signal" or "all circuits busy" recording when trying to call in to my conference. What's wrong with your system?
If only one or a few callers can't get through, it's likely a long distance carrier problem. Have callers who can’t get through use an alternate phone (e.g., their cell phone) or 10-10 service number and try again.
I need a larger conference size than you support. Can I schedule two conference calls and join them together? How about connecting a conference I set up on my company's conference bridge?
Due to numerous technical problems that can result from connecting two conference calls together, such as loss of volume, confusion of conference controls, poor sound quality, echo and uncertain disconnect supervision, we do not support this and strongly recommend against it.
Does the number of Participants affect the quality of a conference?
In any conference call, no matter what conference bridge or provider you use, the clarity will decrease somewhat as you add more Participants. The more conference Participants, the more likely the use of cell phones, cordless phones, speakerphones, headsets, background noise, and other low-quality transmission problems. Also, there is more chance of someone putting the call "on hold" without remembering to mute their phone and broadcasting their "hold music" or radio station to the other participants.
Basically, it is human error that causes problems as a conference grows larger, and generally not our conference bridge. Since all lines are bridged together, a conference call can never be better than its worst connection.
Can I get toll-free (800 number) access to the conference?
Yes, InstantConference Enterprise account holders are provided with a toll-free 800 dial-in number in addition to a free conferencing number.. We do not support the use of customer-supplied toll-free numbers.
Do you provide local numbers in my area code to reach your service?
We do not provide customized local numbers for any one person's area code. Our conference facilities are centrally located to balance long distance services across our full customer base.
Worldwide Usage
Can I call in to the service from out of the country when traveling, for instance, in France, Canada, Japan or Mexico?
Yes. You should be able to reach our conference systems from anywhere in the world. Of course, you will incur international long distance charges if you are not within the United States when you call. Anyone who is able to access a standard long distance call to the United States from their own country can participate in a call. We will be providing local international calling numbers to all account holders shortly.
Privacy & Security
Are the conference calls private and secure?
Yes. There are several different privacy features. Each call has a unique access code for entry. Also, there is a short tone heard on the conference call whenever anyone exits or enters the conference. Additionally, organizers on a conference can press to hear how many other parties are on the call. Finally, Moderator Controls provide an added level of call security and are accessible through the “My Account” section of each user’s account. Organizers can control and manage the call in real-time. See also our Moderator Controls FAQs and User Guide.
Customer Support
I can't log in to the website. Can you please verify or send me my correct password and user name?
Please use the "forgot password" link on the home page or click here. The system will send you an email prompting you to reset your password. For security purposes, if a credit card is on file you will be asked a challenge question to access any account information.
Can I get a telephone number for customer support?
We offer a toll-free 800 number and rapid response email support to InstantConference Enterprise users. The toll-free customer service number is available under the "Support" tab in your “My Account” section. Contact Us