Conference Line
- Tom Cavey
Conference lines solve the problem of needing to have multiple people on the same call. Perhaps your end user wants to have a dedicated number that several family members can get together on or maybe your business clients often need to discuss matters in a phone conference environment. By purchasing a dedicated number as a conference line (or enabling the feature on an existing DID) you can, meet this need for your customers. With our Conference Line feature, you can secure the line with a customizable Personal Identification Number (PIN) (maximum of eight digits) or set it to be pin-less. With a PIN, only users that have the code can enter the conference. Only Local and Toll-free DIDs can set up for the Conference Line; International DIDs do not support the Conference Line feature.
To enable the Conference Line feature, on an existing DID on your account, select the DIDs tab, and select Manage DIDs. Use the search filters to locate the desired number and click 'Configure' button to launch the DID Configuration Wizard. Under 'Route To', select 'Conferencing' and click 'Save Changes'. You can specify a PIN if you like, though this feature is optional. If you want to use this option, enter your desired digits; this field accepts only numbers (maximum of eight). You cannot use letters or special characters as these numbers represent the digits the caller will press on their phones to access the Conference Line.
**Please be aware that you can only enable one feature at a time on a given DID. Since we have Fax to Email, Forwarding, Failover, and now Conference Line features, you can only have one of these enabled at a time.
** Keep in mind that as with many changes in the Back Office, propagation time (15-20 minutes) is required for these changes to take effect.
VI bills conference calls on a per minute rate, multiplied by the total amount of lines connected plus total minutes on the call. As an example, if you had a DID set up for a Conference Line and the per minute rate was .002 and you had five callers connected to a call for 15 minutes, the charge for the call would be 1 5 x
.002 x 5 or a total of .15 (this example is for illustrative purposes only; your billing will differ).
When using the Conference Line feature, you can press certain digits on your phone to raise and lower volume. Specifically, press 4 to lower your own mic volume and press 6 to raise the overall volume of the line.
To enable Conference Line on an existing DID, select the DIDs tab and then select Manage DIDs.
Use the search filters as needed to locate the desired DID and click the pen/paper icon to launch the DID Configuration Wizard
Click Route To and select 'Conferencing'. Choose a PIN or leave this field blank. Click 'Save Changes' to finalize changes. Conference Line will be available after 15-20 minutes for propagation time.