What Is a Conference Bridge, and How Does It Work?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in flexibility at work, people now work closer together, and ways to keep everyone informed are crucial. Management communication tools are critical in an organization to ensure cohesion and productivity. How about we let everyone know that we are all in it together and shall interact with one another frequently, no matter the location?

Conference bridges make conferences much easier and offer perfect audio conferencing, which makes working with a team comfortable regardless of the positions of the co-workers.

Improve the efficiency of your business communication and work processes through a unified and effective system that helps in business meetings, distance-team training, and teamwork activities. A conference bridge is a device that connects multiple lines in a way that enhances and eases group communication.

Let’s delve into the main topic conference bridge without any further delay.

What is a Conference Bridge?

The conference bridge works like a conference call, where all the parties are connected for a single telephone conversation. It is a piece of equipment or product that enables the connection of many people for a conference call.

The most basic model of a conference bridge entails identifying a conference dial-in number that connects the users to a virtual conference arena. This feature enables the calling of many participants, by the tens and up to hundreds, distinguishing it from the three-way calling feature provided in most phone systems, which allow only three lines.

A conference bridge is enabled to serve as a telephone and interface with many participants. The buyer also includes various software-related features. For example, when organizing the call, the callers are required to enter a secret word. Every company may have a separately owned conference bridge or use a conference calling service host they pay for.

How Does Conference Bridge Work?

A conference call bridge is a communication solution that establishes a virtual meeting space for individuals to engage in discussions via a telephone call. This system is accessed by dialing a specific phone number, which may be a toll-free, local, or international number, and entering a unique code to enter the central meeting room. Participants may join the conversation using a mobile phone, landline, or desktop, and also have the option to connect to the meeting via a provided link using a smartphone or computer.

To answer the question of what is a conference bridge and how it works, here’s a breakdown of the three-step process of joining a conference bridge call:

1. The meeting organizer initiates a meeting, automatically generating a phone number for participants to dial in. The organizer also shares the meeting link or code with the participants.
2. Attendees should utilize the virtual meeting link or code to connect and participate in the meeting.
3. The host has opened the doors to the meeting, giving participants the green light to start interacting in the digital space.

In essence, a conference bridge is a central hub for managing the communication of multiple participants in a single call, making it a vital tool for businesses and organizations that need to hold regular group meetings.

How to set up a conference bridge?

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select a Conference Bridge Provider:

When evaluating video conferencing providers such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, etc., it’s important to consider your specific needs, such as the number of participants and desired features.

2. Create an Account:

Go to the provider’s website. Sign up for an account, often requiring basic information and payment details if it’s a paid service.

3. Access Conference Features:

Log in to your account. Navigate to the section for creating a new meeting or conference call.

4. Schedule the Meeting:

Choose the date, time, and duration of the meeting.

Enter the email addresses of participants (if required).

5. Generate Access Information:

The system will provide a unique dial-in number, PIN, or meeting link, so note these details, as participants will need them to join the call.

6. Distribute Access Information:

Send the dial-in number, PIN, or meeting link to participants via email or calendar invites.

7. Test the Setup:

Conduct a test meeting to ensure the audio quality is good and all participants can join without issues.

8. Join the Conference:

At the scheduled time, dial the number or click the meeting link and enter the PIN if required. Ensure that all participants have joined successfully.

Benefits of a Conference Bridge

There are a few benefits that conference bridges can offer businesses. The biggest advantage is driving efficient collaboration. If more than a few employees need to discuss a project, conference bridges make it easier for them to meet quickly.

Adopting this tool eliminates travel, making the conference bridge very economical. Thus, it eliminates traveling costs by providing a worldwide web environment that is cost-effective for daily meetings. 

In the same way, it contributes to the accessibility of participants from different places and enables them to attend the conference easily. This geolocation flexibility is actually for global teams and clients who should be connected despite the physical meetings.

Another advantage of a conference bridge is its efficiency. The possibility of communication in real time helps in fast decision-making and promotes efficient cooperation between participants. 

Due to the lack of limitation in the number of participants that can share a meeting, it caters for meetings of different capacities, ranging from a small group discussion to a conference meeting. This scalability helps businesses maintain a standard means of meeting execution to avoid consistencies and unreliable communication and interaction.

Tips for a successful conference call

Here are some tips for a successful conference call:

• Send Reminders: Send reminder emails or notifications to participants.
• Check Equipment: Ensure all participants have functional microphones and speakers.
• Mute When Not Speaking: Encourage participants to mute their lines when not speaking to avoid background noise.
• Record the Meeting: If needed, use the recording feature to capture the meeting for future reference.

Top 5 Conference Bridge Solutions

Choosing the right conference bridge solution can be challenging. However, we’ve covered it into the top 5 best options. So, before making a choice, you can review our top 5 picks and select from there.

Here are the top conference bridge solutions:

1. GoTo Meeting

GoTo Meeting is a simple online meeting software designed for flexible work. You can have a safe and secure virtual meeting with GoTo Meeting. It is a web conferencing tool developed by GoTo.

Pricing and plans: 

• Professional: $12 user per month
• Business: $16 user per month

It is fully loaded with features such as:

2. Zoom

Zoom is a user-friendly video conferencing tool that enhances business communication and improves interactions with teams and clients. It helps you streamline communication, connect people, improve productivity, and collaborate better with teams. 

Plans and Pricing: 

• Basic: 1 user (Free)
• Pro: $12 user/month
• Business: $18 user/month

It offers various features such as:

• Video conferencing
• Audio conferencing
• Screen sharing
• Live streaming
• Security
• Integrations
• Call recording
• Whiteboard
• Breakout rooms

3. Google Meet

Google Meet is a well-known video conferencing tool that allows you to connect with people or your teams virtually over the Internet. Google developed it to facilitate online meetings and collaborations and offers various advanced features.

Pricing and plans: 

• Business starter: $6 USD per user per month
• Business Standard (most popular): $12 USD per user/month
• Business Plus: $12 USD per user/month

Features of Google Meet:

• Video and voice conferencing
• Dial-in-access to meetings
• Single sign-on access
• Noise cancellation
• Call recording
• Auto-transcribe video calls
• Digital whiteboards
• Breakout rooms
• Polls and QA

4. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft teams is a popular conferencing bridge service provided by Microsoft. It facilitates efficient corporate communication and interaction and supports remote work. With its advanced features such as PowerPoint Live, Microsoft Whiteboard, and AI-generated meeting notes, meetings can be more impactful.

Price: 

• Microsoft Teal Essentials (Most Popular): $4.00 user/month
• Microsoft 365 business basic: $6.00 user/month
• Microsoft 365 business standard: $12.50 user/month

Features:

• Video conferencing
• Custom backgrounds
• Webinars
• Accessibility
• Hot desking
• Screen sharing
• Video calling
• VoIP conference call
• PBX
• Instant messaging
• File sharing
• Meeting apps

5. WebEx

WebEx is a popular cloud-based communication and collaboration tool by Cisco. It is well known for its user-friendly and easily accessible interface. You can join meetings from any device, such as a computer, phone, or tablet, without software downloads. 

Pricing and plans:

• Webex meet: $144 user/year ($12/user/month)
• Webex suite: $270 user/year ($22.50/user/month)

Features:

• Messaging
• Webinars
• Visual voicemail
• AI assistant
• Advanced noise cancellation
• Unlimited whiteboard
• Local meeting recording
• Screen sharing
• Business phone number
• Call recording

FAQs

How to use a conference bridge?

Using a conference bridge involves several steps such as meeting organizer, participants, meeting ID, joining the call, and internet connection.

How Does a Conference Bridge Work?

When you dial into a conference bridge, you’re connecting to a centralized system that manages and merges the audio from all participants. Each participant calls a designated number and enters a unique access code to join the meeting.

What is the difference between a conference bridge and a conference call?

A conference call is a method of connecting people at different locations using telecommunication technology. Meanwhile, a conference bridge is a specific technology or equipment that facilitates this communication by connecting the participants into a single virtual meeting space.