I love technology that works, and as a meeting and event professional, I know that I have to put up with a ton of crap that is half a solution, one-quarter delivered, and sometimes just freaking broken.
One area where technology is still sitting somewhere around 1988 is conference calls. How many times will we be forced to dial into those free conference call systems and sit and wait while that awful porn music blares only to be knocked off at the last second with everyone thinking that we were late to the party when it was, in reality, their slow asses that held up the whole shebang.
We can make calls suck a lot less by using the right tool for the job, and there is a conference call solution that is looking to put the fun back in the phone!
OK, maybe not real fun, but “suck” will not be in the follow-up conversation when you start using UberConference. They have taken the conference call to a whole new level.
Really… once you try this, you are NEVER going back to Mr. Dingles House of Porn Music ever, ever, again.
Let’s recap the traditional way of making a conference call. It goes something like this.
Send out a meeting notification with dial-in and PIN, and then hope everyone can get through and key in their code. Good luck knowing if all of the participants are on the call or have perhaps dropped off because they went into a tunnel or have fallen down a really deep hole in the earth. You just never know. Now that everyone is on the call, you begin, and good luck knowing if that was Bob talking or perhaps Charlie and man, when Charlie gets going, you cannot shut him up, and he drowns out poor, meek-sounding Polly over there in Albany and did someone say that Rebecca made it on the call or did she hang up for that other meeting and MAN do I wish that I could tell Bob to just SHUT UP without everyone else hearing me because he is really confusing everyone and what is with Steve, I do not care that his cat has a hairball……
Yep, this is my story, your story, and the story of just about every meeting and event professional out there, from planners to hoteliers and everyone in between. We are all in this boat together… until now, I jumped ship, and so can you.
This is your life raft
Conference calls can be easy. Conference calls can be visual. Conference calls can be productive. You just need to use UberConference and forget those other solutions.
Here is the lowdown:
First, when you sign up for your account, you are prompted to import all your contacts. Now, when you want to schedule a call, people can call in, and if they are calling from their phone and the caller ID recognizes them, they are in; no pin is required. There is even an option where the system calls THEM when the call begins. How is that for freaking nifty? If folks need it, there is always the static number and pin as a backup. As a bonus, you can also add contacts on the fly, which comes in handy.
Here is what it looks like when you need to create a call:
That is pretty simple stuff, you cannot ask for anything with an easier learning curve.
On the Call
Now that everyone is on the call, UberConference is miles and miles and light years ahead of every other call system. You are now in control of the call visually, on your computer screen, making it possible to do things that you have always wanted but did not have the right tool for the job. Yes, you can now mute Bob, put “earmuffs” on Steve, and you can even see the social profiles of everyone on the call with just a couple of clicks. Profiles come in handy; they really do.
Calls are now powerful; they are no longer the draining puke-fest that they used to be, and although the content may still leave you feeling a little ill, the actual call process will not add to your misery.
UberConference is like the Pepto of the conference call world.
In-Call Features
Let us take a look at the in-call, on screen features from their website because they paid someone big bucks to write this better than I ever could:
See who’s on the call
A beautiful in-call interface ensures you always know who you’re on the call with.
Know who’s talking
The current speaker is always indicated at the top of the in-call interface.
Robust call controls
Mute, hang up, or “earmuff” specific callers with easy to use in-call controls.
Complete social profiles
Integration with top social networks allows you to learn about people on your call.
Call recording
All ÜberConferences can be recorded and the MP3’s can be downloaded later.
Outbound calling
When a conference begins, the system will call all invited participants to join.
Instant conferences
Conferences can be created instantly, and participants are alerted by email/SMS.
No PIN numbers
Participants who can be identified by caller ID won’t ever need to enter a PIN.
But wait, there’s more!
The Cost
UberConference has a really awesome free version, and the pro version is only $10.00 a month (2023 Update – Check their pricing page for the latest cause this post is from 2012).
The free version starts you off with five users, and you can add users by connecting your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ accounts. Some of the pro features include the ability to record calls; the system can call participants, recurring call scheduling, and say goodbye to that awful hold music by uploading your own hold track… Boom Boom POW!
Want to learn more? Cool. Check out this video or visit their website!
