Ninety percent of people who participate in conference calls find things to keep them busy besides following the discussion, according to a new survey from audio and video conferencing company Raindance Communications.

Conference calls are generally an underused tool for remote work and workers - but, they have high value, low cost, and are quick and easy to set up.

Keep Things Quiet - Conference calls can be noisy enough without having lots of distracting background noises. Close your door, use a phone in a quiet area, hide under your jacket, or do something to keep out the noise. Also, avoid rustling papers, chewing your lunch noisily, slurping coffee,snoring, typing, or creating other sound effects. If possible, turn off call-waiting or paging so these tones won't interrupt.

Many people look forward to a conference call with the same enthusiasm as a trip to the dentist. That's because most people have had mediocre or downright terrible experiences with most conference calls - and that isn't surprising because there ARE so many mediocre or downright terrible conference calls that go on every day.

Web Visuals is a one-stop web conferencing solution that allows you to plan and execute your meetings and engage face-to-face with your audience-all in a manner that is simple and convenient to use in your everyday business.

Log into your Web Visuals account and schedule your meeting, sending invitations to your participants at the same time.

Businesses use conference calls daily to meet with remote parties, both internally and outside of their company. Common applications are client meetings or sales presentations, project meetings and updates, regular team meetings, training classes and communication to employees who work in different locations. Conference calling is viewed as a primary means of cutting travel costs and allowing workers to be more productive by not having to go out-of-office for meetings. Conference calls are used by nearly all United States public corporations to report their quarterly results. These calls usually allow for questions from stock analysts and are called earnings calls. A standard conference call begins with a disclaimer stating that anything said in the duration of the call may be a forward looking statement, and that results may vary significantly.

Conference calls can also be used for entertainment or social purposes, such as the party line or a group call. People call in to a specified telephone number, and are connected to conversations with other callers. This serves as a way to talk to and perhaps, subsequently, meet new people. However, conference calls are most commonly used by businesses. Integrated communications environments are also valuable components of solid business strategies as they can contribute significantly to increased productivity and savings of both time and money. By providing a simplified and straightforward interface and streamlining the delivery of all types of information, unified communications solutions minimize delays while maximizing interactivity. This allows for more direct and cost-effective connections between business people which, in turn, leads to enhanced effectiveness of communication and increased productivity.

Flat rate services are now being offered which enable conference call users to have unlimited access to a conference bridge at a fixed monthly cost. Because telecommunication carriers offer free long distance bundled with local service, this alternative is gaining widespread popularity for budget conscious businesses and non-profits. In the UK, there are conference services offered on a pay as you go basis where the cost of the phone calls (using 0844, 0870 or 0871 numbers) from each of the participants covers the cost of the conference service. With this service type there is no monthly charge and usually no contracts to sign.