Conference bridge - MICB or hosted service?

[NastyNed2]

Due to large construction projects involving multiple vendors and architects in multiple states, we feel ourselves in need of a conference bridge. Based on your collective experience, would you recommend we install our own bridge or purchase conference bridge services from an outside vendor?

I have a rough 2006 estimate of $1000 per port for an MICB (we would need somewhere between 20 and 30 ports). At the per minute rate we were paying in 2003 when I left the nuclear plant, it would not take very long at all to pay for a $30K MICB!!

I have an Option 61C, Succession 3, CallPilot 4, and several Option 11 with various versions of software.

 

[tnphoneman]

It all depends on the truning you have in place already. Do you have enough to handle the increased traffic or will you need to add more trunks. This would increase your monthly reoccuring cost.

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[NastyNed2]

We have ample tie line capacity between the switches I mentioned above. Several of the folks would be calling in from off of our system; e.g., from their offices or cell phones.

 

[johnpoole]

if a large portion of the calls are on network then the micb would be my choice... then anyone off net and ld will be paying there own toll, unless you point a 1800 to the micb..

i usually perfer on net additions and apps since i can control those via software..

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[NastyNed2]

Yikes! I googled the following words "hosted conference bridge services" and the first hit after a couple of advertisement links was this Tek-Tips thread. Scary how stuff shows up in the internet and how fast it happens.

I see prices have come down since my previous job, but our preference is still to have our own MICB.