In a world where communication has never been more important,
companies are increasingly looking for new ways in which to keep in
touch, both within the organisation, and externally with customers,
suppliers, and strategic partners.
The telephone is, perhaps, the most commonly used way of
communicating on a day-to-day basis, but many companies overlook
some of its more advanced possibilities – such as audio
conferencing – something which has really come to the fore in
recent years thanks to a new generation of user-friendly products
such as Global Meet Me, available from Manx Telecom.
While email is, of course indispensible, there is, at times, no
substitute for personal communication – talking to people – and
Global Meet Me is currently playing a key role in many
companies.
With Global Meet Me from Manx Telecom you can have an instant
audio conference with people in up to 40 separate locations,
anywhere in the world. You can make a Global Meet Me call from any
phone – at home, in the office, or even using a mobile.
There’s no additional equipment or software to install – and even
better – no contract or subscription fees – you just pay for the
time you use.
Global Meet Me uses local dialing access numbers, which means
that for most international calls, there are no international
calling charges, something which can result in huge savings for
many companies. Global Meet Me is simple to use, easy to set
up, and is available 24/7. No prior booking is required, and
conferences can be established in the time participants take to
call in. It's even possible to record your call and download the
recording after your call ends.
Global Meet Me is available from a number of telecoms companies,
but Manx Telecom currently offers a great deal; charging just 8p ex
VAT per participant, per minute – considerably lower than most
others. For example, a one hour conference involving eight
participants in eight international locations with each using a
local dial number would cost just £38.40 ex VAT.
One Isle of Man based company currently using Global Meet Me as
an integral part of its operation is Microgaming. Microgaming
develops and deploys award-winning software for the online gaming
industry. Currently, its products and solutions power over
120 market leading online casinos and more than 40 poker rooms and
bingo sites, worldwide.
Microgaming released the world’s first true online casino
software over a decade ago; since then the company’s growth has
been phenomenal, with its software gaining a preeminent position in
the global gaming industry. It launches an average of
four new games every month and delivers the highest number of games
within the industry. It also has the largest portfolio of
products in the market – over 500 unique games – all with class
leading graphics, all offering an unrivalled player experience.
Microgaming also powers the world’s largest Progressive Jackpot
Network, and has paid out over €265million in prizes, and created
14 millionaires, to date. In May 2009, it created the biggest
ever online jackpot winner with a single payment win of €6.37m.
The company’s achievements were recognised last year when it was
the winner of the 2009 Isle of Man Newspapers Award for Innovation
and Independent Thinking.
For Microgaming, Global Meet Me has many advantages, “Our
operations are on a truly global scale,” says Peter Astell-Burt,
Head of Internal IT, “with offices and clients in almost every
hemisphere. Our business is also highly collaborative and
it’s important that everyone keeps in touch, whether they are
travelling, or based in another office. Currently, we
estimate that up to 40% of Microgaming’s employees use Global Meet
Me, with some teams using it almost every day. They find it a vital
tool to aid their job.”
Peter had no doubts about the difference Global Meet Me has made
to the business. “Undoubtedly, its ease of use and accessibility
has meant that keeping up to date and in touch within the company,
and with clients, is simple. Global Meet Me hasn’t changed
the way we work; however, it has enabled us to work more
effectively. With Global Meet Me you can have audio meetings with
all the people that matter in any given situation, which speeds
decision making, keeps teams together, and saves time and
money.”
For many companies audio conferencing also helps save costs and
cut their carbon footprint.
“These are challenging economic times,” said a Manx Telecom
spokesman, “and for many companies audio conferencing can be a
viable and cost effective alternative to business travel. A
conservative estimate of one overnight trip to or from the Island
(return flights, hotel accommodation, taxis, meals, airport
parking, etc) can easily come in at around £300. Multiply
that by two or more people travelling to the meeting and you can
see how the costs mount up. Multiply it across the year, and
business travel soon becomes a considerable part of any company’s
annual spend – and that doesn’t take into account the unproductive
time spent travelling. Cutting down on travel also has the
huge bonus of being ‘greener’ and helps companies minimise their
impact on the environment.”