Dear Santa, I am a simple conference user and I desperately need help.

 

Simple things make a huge difference. Why do I have to memorize my conference access information (phone number, passcodes, urls) so I can type it into my meeting notice when I’m scheduling a conference? How absurd is that in this day and age when for years I’ve been able to push a button on my phone to auto dial someone, and my car can park itself, and I can make one cup of coffee in the flavor I prefer, and my bridge calls me back when I want to join a conference? Don’t get me wrong, I love these features, but I bet I spend more time looking up my conference information than any of these save me. In fact I would give up the car parking feature if I didn’t have to memorize my conference information, that’s how strongly I feel about this!

 

And then there are those darned typos. Nothing is more frustrating (and embarrassing) than to start a conference, audio or web, and no one joins because I typed in the wrong phone number. And of course no one can call me to tell me because I’m on the phone waiting for them to join the conference.

 

Oh, yes there is that totally useless card I received from my service provider that I can never find when I need it. And if I do find it how much time have I wasted? And again what about that typo (I’m a lousy typist as you can tell, thank you spellcheck for saving me from many awkward mometsn)?

 

And then there is that button I can put on my Outlook screen that opens an appointment window with the information already on it. But it’s not often correct, what if I’m doing an audio and a web conference one day, and just an audio the next, and then just a web the next? Besides that, it’s not the way I schedule a meeting. A conference call is no different than any other meeting so why can’t I use the same process. Half the time I’ve already filled in a standard appointment form to schedule the conference meeting when I realize, “OMG I was supposed to push that other button because this is a conference meeting and its different” (but its not)!  So now I either start over or look up the information and triple check it for topys. And besides that (again), sometimes I prefer sending emails rather than meeting notices. It’s so much friendlier. How come they didn’t give me a button for emails?

 

That poor guy who is new to conferencing, gottta feel sorry for him. I’ve been doing this for years, he must be really frustrated. I imagine he’s thinking “I better write this down, first I have to look up the telephone number for the call, my passcode, and the url for the web conference (hope he has the same passcode for both). Then I have to send a meeting notice or email and type that information in (accurately). Oh yeah, I better tell the participants to test their system ahead of time otherwise the meeting won’t start for ten minutes (where the heck did I put that note on the test url). I sure hope everyone is available, I don’t want to have to do this again.” Then if the poor guy had a typo on his first call he’ll probably never use the system again.

 

I have to admit it is so much easier than it used to be, remember trying to make a reservation for a conference call a week out, coordinating everyone’s schedule, including the conference center? And if you wanted to have one tomorrow you didn’t even try, you just daisy chained three ways (ah those were the days). Most of you probably don’t remember those days, count your blessings.

 

Seriously though, why can’t I have an integrated solution, one that allows me to schedule a conference call the same way I schedule any other meeting? Why can’t I go to an email form, press a button and get the web conference information added, press another and get the audio information added? And how about, since I’m in an email, take my schedule information and add the meeting to my calendar, and attach an iCalendar file to my email so the participants can easily add it to their calendar? And do the same on an appointment form so I can use that seamlessly. Man life would be so easy; I might actually have time to park my car myself. Wouldn’t that be great?

 

Thank You Santa,

 

Frustrated Moderator

 

 

Dear Frustrated

I use JCS Collaboration Addin for Microsoft® Outlook®. It does all that for me. Check it out at http://jcstechnologies.com/Index_files/EmailLogo1.htm. Or better yet tell your service provider to give it to you for free. Send them to http://www.jcstechnologies.com/Index_files/CspOADetails.htm for details.

 

Santa

 

AKA John Svercek

President

JCS Technologies, Inc.

813-641-2162

All I Want for Christmas is a Little K.I.S.S.

from My CSP!