Effective communication is imperative to the success of any business.
Conference calls have been a very popular communications option. Party lines, one of the earliest forms of conference calls, were used by companies before World War II.
Types of conference calls
In the past, there weren’t nearly as many conferencing options as there are today. The audio-only call was probably the most basic option. Participants called a toll-free number, entered a pin and then placed into a virtual conference room where everyone could speak freely and on a secure line. This option is still available today.
For those who wanted more advanced features, companies chose to use a conferencing bridge. These bridges provide additional features that allow users to record the conversation, mute and un-mute individual lines, or even dial out and schedule calls.
Are conference calls enough?
There are so many more conferencing features available today thanks to innovative technology. Should companies just rely on conference calls? 
Face-to-face meetings are important, especially when pitching to prospective clients. The personal connections from face-to-face meetings help create deeper and stronger bonds with your meeting guests. In fact, up to 93 percent of communication is non-verbal and as such, Audio-only calls can potentially cause you to miss out on very important visual cues and energy vibes. Additionally, you are unable to share presentations and other applications.
How to adapt to new business needs?
Innovative, online meeting tools allow you to be more than just a voice on the telephone. Tools like GlobalMeet make it possible for you to add a 
more personal meeting experience to your conference call by using crystal clear HD video to meet face-to-face with others.
With the same simplicity as a conference call, iMeet’s intuitive interface makes it easy to schedule, host and manage your meetings without learning any complicated steps.
We live in such a fast-paced environment where technology is constantly changing. Conference calls have been used in businesses for years, but web and video conferencing are beginning to catch on and add more value to long-distance communication.
Originally Written by: Lorna Love
