Teleconferencing

HSU's AT&T Reservationless Teleconferencing Service enables you to meet virtually with individuals in other locations; there's no need for everyone to travel to the same physical location any longer, so those meetings can be much more cost-efficient. It can also serve as an audio channel for web-based meetings and classes.

The service can be used alone or in conjunction with Elluminate, HSU's web conferencing system, to provide an alternative to the computer and web-based audio channel commonly used for web conferences. It's a useful alternative to have when data lines get overloaded with presentation materials or a very large number of people is attending an online meeting.

If you're meeting with eight or fewer people and have a desk phone with a conference call option, you don't need to use the AT&T system.

A landline is preferable to a cellphone connection for teleconferencing, as there is a lower likelihood of the line being dropped or excessive interference impacting the quality of the audio.

Use a dedicated conference speakerphone such as a Polycom, with extensions if necessary, if you have multiple speakers in the same physical location. TNS has a small supply of conference phone systems available for checkout.

Before the call:

Prepare an agenda, so you will have a productive meeting.
Advise participants of the date, time, dial-in information, and planned duration.
Let participants know that you will start the call promptly.
Provide all materials to participants prior to the call.

During the call:

Do a roll call.
Seat key participants near the speakerphone.
Ask participants to speak naturally, identify themselves while speaking, and pause for others to comment.
- Direct questions/comments to specific individuals or locations.
- Encourage participation and stimulate discussion.
- Spell out unusual terms, names, and numbers.
Mute speakerphones when not in use. If a mute button is not available, use the touch-tone features on the keypad.
Avoid putting phones on hold. “Hold music” could disrupt your conference.
Summarize next steps, deadlines, and action items clearly.
Choose a date and time for your next conference call while everyone is still on the line.

After the call:

Follow up on key decisions and action items.

Additional resources for using teleconferencing with Elluminate

Faculty and staff may require assistance in aligning teleconferencing with the Elluminate web conferencing system.
All AT&T-specific teleconference support issues should be referred to AT&T at 1-800-526-2655

ITS Telecommunications has set up an AT&T Reservationless teleconference account for each campus department.

Faculty and staff should contact their Key Advisor to obtain their teleconference access information - dial-in number, Host Code, and Participant Code. Your Key Advisor can also set up an additional account if you need one.

Note: when ordering a teleconferencing account with AT&T, it's important to specify that you want an AT&T Reservationless account, not an AT&T Connect account, or your call will be significantly more expensive!

Standalone teleconferencing:

Prior to the call, advise participants of the date, time, dial-in information (dial-in number and Participant Code), and planned duration.
A few minutes prior to the call start time, dial in and enter the Host Code when prompted.
Mute all lines (optional)
At the start of the call, make sure everyone is familiar with the controls

Access Menu Options	**
Specialist Assist	*0
Specialist Join the Call	00
Dial Out to Participant	*1
Begin/End Conference Record	*2
Change Entry/Exit Announcement	*3
Lock Conference	*4
Unlock Conference	*5
Mute Individual Line	*6
Unmute Individual Line	*7
Conference Continuation w/o Host	*8
Participant List	*9
Participant Count	*#
Mute All Lines Except Host	##
Unmute All Lines	99