A conference call center is a centralized location where an individual, small business or large corporation can go to conduct a conference call or to allow other parties to join a conference call or listen in to a conference call.

A conference call is a telephone call in which more than one party can listen in to a telephone call or participate in a telephone call. Conference calls in which other parties join the call just to listen to the audio of the call and not to participate or interact with the call are termed ATC (audio teleconference).

Usually conference call participants are able to access the conference call via their telephone by a conference bridge which is essentially a telephone with the technical capabilities to allow multiple calls on one line.

Conference call centers are usually for individuals or businesses without the technology to conduct these conference calls; they instead opt for conference call centers that are able to give them not only the technology, but support services to make sure that their conference calls go smoothly.

Some of the more popular types of conference calls are when businesses report earnings or press conferences, when an entrepreneur is launching a new product or changing a major system in their business and when an individual or business needs to communicate with their sales staff or other affiliate staff.

It is important to note the environment of a conference call center. Most conference call centers are usually located near large clusters of businesses, either in cities or near corporate campuses in the suburbs. They can also be found near business hotels or airports. Conference call centers are usually centers with small, medium and large meeting rooms, where individuals and groups can conduct their conferences via telephone, these rooms are usually insulated for a quiet and noise free atmosphere, include desks and outlets and Internet access for participants to log on to the Internet or access information via their computer and usually include hook ups for projectors and slide shows. In addition, all conference call centers usually have support staff on duty to help clients with all the equipment and making sure that calls go smoothly.

Besides conference calls, another popular technology that is usually located at a conference call center is video conferencing. Video conferencing is usually the next best thing in meeting another individual or entity physically. Using high speed Internet connections or phone lines and technology such as web cameras, a conference call center can easily set up a face to face meeting via the internet.

Not only does video conferencing incorporate video, but also sound as well, so two or more parties can discuss matters in real time and usually from distances that are great. The obvious advantages of video conference calls is that video conferencing participants do not have to travel long distances to meet with others, reducing lots of time and lots of money usually spent on lodging, food and other expenses.

Usually a conference call center will help set up a specific meeting room facility for a video conference. This usually includes two or more video screens, not only to see the other party, but also to see how you are portrayed from the site. In addition, there are also audio speakers, microphones and usually an input for both parties to receive a video or computer presentation.

As with telephone conferences, it is possible for more than two parties to interact with each other via a video conference. The technique of three or more parties participating in a video conference is called Multipoint Videoconferencing. Multipoint Videoconferencing is when a multipoint control unit (MCU) is used to interlink parties on one video conference. Uses for this technology are for video seminars to sell products and to generate interest in a businesses product, press conferences, political strategy meetings, internal businessmeetings, earning or quarterly reports to stock analysts and stock holders, online classrooms, etc.

For most businesses and organizations conference call centers are an affordable and effective way to communicate with one or many other parties, either with audio or video. With newer technology such as VOIP, audio and video teleconferencing should become much more affordable and easier to use.