Service Provider, PABX or Both?
PABXs are excellent for unscheduled three to four way meetings. If you have multiple moderators and need to schedule meetings in advance, a service provider is normally better. The service is easy to use, there is support out of hours and the participants will spend less time waiting as all lines are dialled.
Companies often begin conferencing in a small way by using a PABX since it is easy to use and free. Once the use of conferencing grows, the shortcomings of the PABX start to get in the way of meetings.
When the conferencing needs of a company are beyond the capabilities of a PABX the time comes to transfer to a conference service provider. Users who have done this never successfully go back to using a PABX.
The following highlights some of the key differences:
| PABX | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | The conference moderator must be in the office even if the call begins at midnight. PABXs are difficult to use above 4 lines as the dialling process is time consuming. | The moderator can be anywhere in the world as long as there is access to a telephone. |
| Organising the meeting | The moderator needs to know all of the telephone numbers for the meeting. This is particularly difficult with mobile staff and when meeting rooms are changed. | The moderator emails telephone numbers and security code to each participant. |
| Capacity | If there are multiple groups using the PABX for conferencing then capacity can become a problem. In this case the PABX will either need to be upgraded or a scheduling system will be needed to allocate use. | Most CSP's offer simultaneous connection of around 30 lines. |
The user experience |
PABX conferencing is characterised by frustration caused by lots of waiting as all of the lines are dialled. | The meeting begins as soon as the moderator joins. It can be up and running in under a minute. |
| What happens when a user needs support? | The I.T. helpdesk team may be able to provide basic support but not always out of hours. | From within the conference, anybody can press * 0 to summon help. |
| Cost of usage? | Perceived to be free by users but in practice the cost of keeping five people on hold for ten minutes whilst trying to connect the last participant will far exceed the cost of using a service provider. | Charged per minute/second and judged by the world’s largest corporations to be better value than using a PABX. |
| Sound quality? | PABXs normally experience deteriorating sound quality above five lines. | Sound quality is not related to the number of lines and is as good as a point to point conversation. |
| What happens if a participant puts the line on hold? | All meeting participants hear the music-on-hold and the meeting comes to a halt until the music is removed. | Users can mute their line before putting it on hold. No music is heard by other participants. If the moderator is using the online web management interface they can see which line is causing the noise and mute or disconnect it. |
| What if a user on a mobile phone is calling from a noisy location like an airport? | All users hear the noisy background and cannot hear each over. The meeting is not as effective. | Users can mute themselves to reduce background noise and the moderator is able to mute all other lines. |
Using a service provider was once expensive but with the new breed of budget providers like HotAir Conferencing, things have changed.
Does your organisation want conferencing usage to grow?
The answer is normally "yes" to this because conferencing allows organisations to reduce travel costs through better information flow and decision making.
The very people who have the most influence in increasing conferencing use are often the same people whose responsibility lies in reducing costs across the board, including conferencing which creates a catch 22 situation.
Upgrading a PABX will appear to put a cap on conferencing expense but will increase costs through the wasted time of staff or through users needing to find their own service providers and not putting the cost through I.T. budgets.
Should I upgrade my PABX?
The benefit of a service provider is that you are not locked in, you can always change your tactics. If you buy hardware you are stuck with it. Most organisations will try a service provider and compare it with using their PABX. After 11 years in the conferencing industry, this writer has never seen an organisation successfully to go back to using a PABX.
