Conferencing FAQ

Why are there Conversation, Q and A and Presentation modes for the Glance free phone conferencing?

Glance phone conferences have three ways to control who can be heard. As the Host, you rotate through the modes by hitting *7.

All conferences start in Conversation mode.

• Hitting *7 moves it to Q&A mode.
• Hitting *7 again moves it to Presentation mode.
• Hitting *7 a third time moves it back to Conversation mode, and so on.
• Conversation mode lets everyone speak freely. Choose it for small groups.
• Q&A mode mutes everyone who entered with the Guest Passcode. Each guest can un-mute (and again mute) himself or herself by hitting *6 on their telephone keypad. This is handy for larger meetings or if someone's line is noisy or causing an echo.
• Presentation mode mutes everyone who used the Guest Passcode, but unlike Q&A Mode, they cannot un-mute themselves. This is best for large events, like webinars.

When can I use my free Glance phone conferencing?

Use Glance phone conferencing anytime. Use it during a Glance session or all by itself. You can have up to 100 participants for three hours at a time on each call.

One of my guests got a "busy" signal or an "all circuits busy" recording when dialing my Glance free phone conferencing number. What's wrong?

If a caller cannot connect, his or her long distance carrier may have blocked the call. Have him or her try an alternate phone (e.g., a cell phone) or use a calling card.

My Glance free phone conferencing call had a problem. What should I do?

To help us troubleshoot, please contact us with the following information in the Notes field:

• What date and time did you dial into the call?
• What's your time zone?
• What telephone number did you call from?
• Who provides your long distance service?
• What number did you dial?
• When you connected, did a voice answer "Welcome to Glance audio conferencing"?

Is Glance free conference calling an Internet-based VoIP service?

No. Glance phone conferencing is more reliable than many VoIP or Internet audio services, because you use it with your telephone. After 100+ years, the phone companies have gotten pretty good at making ordinary telephones work.

How secure are Glance free phone conferencing calls?

Your six- or seven-digit passcode is unique. Only those who key in the code can enter your conference.

Additionally, everyone hears a brief tone when someone enters or exits the call. As the Host, you can press *5 to lock (or unlock) the conference, which prevents others from joining. Press *# at any time to hear how many are connected to the call.

How many calls can I make on my free Glance phone conferencing account?

Host as many free Glance phone conferencing calls as you like, one call at a time.

How does free Glance phone conferencing work?

Yourself and your guests will dial a U.S. long distance telephone number that we provide. Each participant is charged by their own long distance provider only for the standard long distance or toll rate they normally pay for a phone call during that time period.

The phone conferencing service itself is provided by a Glance partner, iotum.

How do people control Glance free phone conferencing call options?

During the call, use the phone's keypad to:

• *3 - (Everyone) Toggle music-on-hold off and on

• *6 - (Everyone) Mute or un-mute yourself (Tip: *6 is also *M for Mute)

• *7 - (Host only) Rotate between Conversation, Q&A and Presentation modes

• *9 - (Host only) Toggle entry and exit chimes off and on

• *# - (Host only) Report the number of people on the call

How do people connect to my Glance phone conferencing call?

You will be assigned a permanent Glance Phone Number (located in the USA) along with a Host Passcode and a Guest Passcode. Everyone dials the same Glance phone number. You enter your Host code; your guests enter the Guest code.

Tip: Your Host and Guest codes will have the same six- or seven-digit sequence, but the Host code always starts with * (an asterisk). Both end with a (pound or hash).

Example: *123456# and 123456#

Calls can have more than one Host.

How do I get my own free Glance phone conferencing account?

Each Glance user is eligible for a personal Glance phone conferencing account. To see the assigned permanent dial-in number and assigned permanent pin, login to the My Account area and click the Audio tab.

If it's missing, please send us an email.

How can I limit background noise on my Glance free phone conferencing call?

In any phone conference call, no matter what service you use, clarity will decrease as un-muted participants are added. (To maintain high quality in large calls, use Presentation mode.)

Why does quality degrade? Each open microphone adds background noise. Speakerphones can leak the room's acoustic echo. Poor connections add static. Cell phone users might be in a noisy car or outside in the wind. Cordless phones and VoIP calls can inject electrical noise or add distortion.

If someone puts their handset on hold without remembering to mute the line beforehand (by hitting *6), everyone might suddenly hear their company's music-on-hold.

Do I need to pre-schedule my Glance phone conferencing calls?

No. Just like Glance sessions, you never need to "schedule" a Glance phone conference call.

Can people dial in to Glance free conference calling using Skype or other VoIP services?

Yes. But the quality of their connections may not be as good as a wired telephone and could disrupt call quality.

Can I use my Glance free conference calling number to call from outside the United States?

Yes. You should be able to dial the US-based Glance phone number from anywhere in the world. You will be charged for a standard international long distance call from your phone provider.