Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.smallbusinesscomputing.com
LeaderPhone, a new Web-based conference calling service, promises to increase employee safety on the highways by allowing “no-dial” calls to be set up during commute times. Combined with a “hands-free” cell phone, workers may improve their efficiency without putting themselves or other drivers at risk.
LeaderPhone may also make telecommuting a more realistic option for workers. According to the company, at home employees were often limited in their interactions with co-workers due to a lack of phone lines. Now, with a computer hooked up to the Internet, and a separate, single phone line, workers may be able to collaborate with up to 30 of their peers at one time from home.
- LeaderPhone is designed to offer the following features:
- Workers can schedules calls in advance via the Internet
- Controls are accessible from any wireless Palm PDA
- The system can call out to participants simultaneously, eliminating the need to wait for everyone to get online, or it can let participants call in and be added at any time
- The coordinator can add a personal introductory message before calls – without operator assistance or distracting dialing
- Users can send email reminders with the agenda automatically prior to calls and written summaries of conference call sessions afterwards
- Allows for up to 30 participants at once on a conference call.
LeaderPhone costs as low as 16.8 cents per minute per leg (24 cents per minute base rate), and employs 1-second billing rather than the common current practice of rounding up to the nearest next minute.
For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.leader.com.