Business teleconferencing is a way of exchanging information and ideas between people who may be widely separated from each other. With the use of teleconferencing, people in distant and remote connections can connect instantly with others, facilitating rapid exchange and keeping people connected. This technology is in increasing use around the world as people rely on employees who work from home as well as employees located in distant locations and remote branch offices.
The technology used for teleconferencing varies considerably. The most basic technology simply relies on phones, connecting multiple telephones so that people can talk on the phone as a group. Business teleconferencing can also include more sophisticated audio systems, along with video feeds which allow people to see each other during the conference, and data feeds so that people can trade documents and other materials while they conference.
Businesses often find that teleconferencing is a valuable tool. Business teleconferencing allows people to call meetings quickly and facilitates attendance because everyone does not need to show up in the same physical location. People can be easily added to the conference as needed, and businesses can use tools like conference rooms, with people in different locations meeting together in multiple conference rooms and talking over audio and video feeds.
Large projects often require the coordination of efforts from a number of people who may live in different time zones, work in different environments, and operate on different schedules. Historically, people were forced to travel to the site of a meeting, or to use technology which was not really designed for conferencing to attempt to teleconference with people. Business teleconferencing can be activated very quickly, allowing people to respond rapidly to evolving business situations. For example, members of an international financial firm can conference fast when economic turmoil presents itself.
Several companies specialize in business teleconferencing. They can install and maintain the technology used, including secure technology for people who need to be able to hold confidential and protected conferences. In other cases, people in the information technology department for a company may be able to develop a system which can meet customized needs. Many computers now come with basic teleconferencing tools which people can use for audio and video chats and conferences. People can also teleconference online in secured chat rooms and similar environments, which also provides the opportunity for file transfers and the exchange of links to locations on the Internet or on secured servers where data is stored.