High Speed Conferencing by Vapps

I can already make conference calls using Skype. What is Highspeedconferencing.com? What does this service cost?

Highspeedconferencing.com is a service for the Skype community to have multi-party (that is, more than five people on at a time) conference calls using Skype and regular phones.

If you use Skype, it is completely free and you can talk as long as you want for no cost.

If you are using a regular telephone the following access numbers are available:

Country Code PLUS Premium Cell Phone?

US 1 605-475-8500 605-475-8590 Yes

UK 44 0870 738 0760 0870 738 0763 Yes

Austria 43 0820 4000 1572 0820 4000 1574 NA

Spain 34 0902 88 60 48 0902 88 60 51 NA

Germany 49 01805 00 76 46 01805 00 76 49 Yes

France 33 0826 100 275 0826 100 277 Yes

Belgium 32 070 35 9987 070 35 9989 Yes

Switzerland 41 0848 560 152 0848 560 195 Yes

Ireland 353 0818 270 032 0818 270 034 No

Italy 39 0848 390 172 0848 390 175 No

Netherlands 31 0870 001 931 0870 001 932 Yes

**International users may need to remove the leading zero to connect to the conference line.

Below is a list of call rates per minute for our international access numbers. High Speed Conferencing does not set the rates for these numbers, and prices may vary depending on the network used. Users should contact their network provider to confirm these rates.

Country Number Range Peak Time (8am-6pm) Evening (6:01pm-7:59am) Weekend (12:00am Sat.- 11:59pm Sun.)

UK 0870 7.9p 3.9p 1.5p

Germany 01805 14 Euro Cents 14 Euro Cents 14 Euro Cents

France 0826 15 Euro Cents 15 Euro Cents 15 Euro Cents

Belgium 070 17.4 Euro Cents 8.7 Euro Cents 8.7 Euro Cents

Switzerland 0848 7 Euro Cents 6 Euro Cents 4 Euro Cents

Ireland 0818 8.1 Euro Cents 4.3 Euro Cents 1.3 Euro Cents

Italy 0848 14.3 Euro Cents 8.2 Euro Cents 8.2 Euro Cents

Where can I find information about your Premium service?
You may click here to view information on how to sign up for our Premium service and to learn how to use the conference recording and hand raising features.

I notice that you are offering a Toll Free service. Where can I go to view more information about it?
Go to Toll Free to view more information regarding the features available and pricing. You can also fill out the secure form and a member of our team will contact you regarding your new Toll Free account. If you already have a PLUS account and wish to keep your same conference room number and moderator PIN, then sign into your PLUS account, click on the "Toll Free" link, and fill out and submit the secure form.

I've noticed that after the end of 2006, Skype will start charging for US and Canada calls. Will it now cost us to access conferences with Skype?

Conference calls using Skype will still be free because we use special Skype numbers for both the moderator and participants that allow access into conferences without the need to have SkypeOut credits.

Can a calling card be used to dial into a conference?

Yes, calling cards can be used to attend a conference. Just dial the calling card number, input the passcode on the card, and then dial the conference number given to you. Depending on the calling card used, you may have extra minutes deducted from your card for calls made from a pay phone.

Can a cell phone be used instead of a land line to attend a conference call?

Yes, a cell phone may be used to attend a conference call if a land line is not available. Note that this is only available on some of our international access lines (see the access number table above) and the quality of the conference call may be reduced when using a cell phone compared to a land line telephone.

Sometimes there is background noise/distortion/echoes in the conference. How do I get rid of it?

Sometimes there is one participant who introduces unwanted noise into the conference. The best way to get rid of this is to use the WEB CONTROLS to Mute that participant. In order to use the web controls, you have to register for a HIGH SPEED PLUS+ account and then sign in to the web page. Once you are signed in, go to CONFERENCE CONTROLS. From this page you can see all of the participants on the call. You can either mute them one by one until you find the bad line or you can select MUTE ALL and then umute the participants. Sometimes the remedy is just as easy as the participant hanging up and calling back into the conference from a quieter area with good reception. Skype™ users should use headsets to reduce the occurrance of echo during a conference.

Does the number of participants affect the quality of the conference call?

As the number of participants increases, so the does the probability of unintended participant error. Things like background noise, unmuted lines, and type of phone used can affect the quality of a conference call.

When I click on the High Speed button to start a call, I am taken to a window asking me if I want to start a Skypeout call. Is this still a free call?

YES. Click continue. You can disable this window by clicking the check-box at the bottom.

How do I use the service?

The HIGH SPEED service is meant for quickly arranged conferences and for people who do not want to register. You will need a single use conference room number which you can get here before calling the service.
The HIGH SPEED PLUS+ service requires registration and is meant for people who are going to be using the service often. We provide you with a unique conference room number and web controls so you can see who is on the call and do things like mute/unmute callers and lock/unlock the conference. NOTE: We do not SPAM or sell email addresses. They are just for record keeping and to email you information about the service.

How many participants can attend a conference at one time?

Currently, up to 500 people can attend a conference call at one time.

Is there a maximum amount of time a conference can be in session?

No, there is no maximum amount of time a conference call can be in session.

If a participant calls in before the moderator, what happens?

Depending on the preferences of the moderator, three different things may happen. One, the participant may be prompted to call back at a later time. Two, the participant may be placed on hold until the moderator arrives, at which time the participant would be placed into the conference. Lastly, the participant may be placed directly into the conference without having to wait for the moderator.

How does it compare to other teleconferencing services?

Highspeedconferencing.com has the same features and more as traditional teleconferencing services but highspeedconferencing.com is free. This includes the ability of each participant to mute and unmute themselves while the Moderator can lock and unlock the conference and mute all the participants.

Do I have to make a reservation ahead of time?

No. Highspeedconferencing.com is completely reservationless. Simply schedule a time with your team, distribute the Skype # and conference room number and begin conferencing. It’s that simple. For more detailed instructions, click here.

How much does it cost?

The service is completely free. Skype users pay nothing, nada, zilch and regular telephone users have to pay for the long distance/national rate charges to reach the service.

Are you going to be adding any new features to the service?

Absolutely. Already we've added web controls for the host and local phone #'s in more countries. We've added a Premium service that has all the features of our free PLUS service, with the added features of conference recording and hand raising. We recently added a Toll Free service where the host can pay for the calls of their participants. With free Skype™ access, a US toll number, and a US toll free number, the host only pays for those who dial the toll free number!

Whose service is this?

High Speed Conferencing is a service provided by Vapps for Skype as part of the Skype Voice Service Program. Vapps is responsible for creating and maintaining the equipment that makes the conferencing possible, and is a leading provider of VoIP audio-conferencing services to technology providers and large enterprises worldwide.