Conference Bridge

Conference Bridge

A Conference Bridge is an 'extension' that can be used to connect two or more callers together in collaborative group conversation. A Conference Bridge is preferred when more callers are required is beyond the capabilities of the phone model in use. It is also a much simpler conferencing method than the N-way Conference, aka Local Conferencing) capability on most phone models.

You do not have a Conference Bridge by default. Contact Penguin to have a Conference Bridge created for your organization.

By default there is a PIN for security to be admitted to the Conference Bridge. The PIN is a random number that will be provided to you after your Conference Bridge has been created.
Contact Penguin Support to change or remove the PIN.

If there is only one caller in a Conference Bridge, they will hear hold music. The hold music will continue until another caller joins the Conference Bridge.

Join / Enter The Conference Bridge

To enter the Conference Bridge:
1. Dial the Conference Bridge's extension
2. Enter the security PIN (if PIN is enabled)
3. You are now in the conference

Transfer A Call To The Conference Bridge (Method 1 - preferred)

To transfer an existing call to the Conference Bridge:
1. Press the Transfer button on your phone
2. Dial the Conference Bridge's 'extension'
3. Press the B-Transfer / Blind Transfer button on your phone
4. Enter the security PIN (if PIN is enabled. You and the transferred caller may both be required to enter the PIN)
5. The caller that you transferred is now in the conference (your phone is not in a call with the conference or the original call, callers already in the conference will hear an join beep.)

Transfer A Call To The Conference Bridge (Method 2)

To transfer an existing call to the Conference Bridge:
1. Press the Transfer button on your phone
2. Dial the Conference Bridge's 'extension'
3. Press the Transfer / Assisted Transfer button on your phone
4. Enter the security PIN (if PIN is enabled)
5. You (not the caller you are transferring) are now in the conference. Announce that you have caller X that you are going to transfer into the Conference Bridge.
6. Press Press the Transfer button again
4. The caller that you transferred is now in the conference (your phone is not in a call with the conference or the original call, callers already in the conference will hear an join beep.)

As you can see, transfer method #1 is preferred in most circumstances because it is more simple with fewer steps. Transfer method #2 would be used if it is desired to have any discussions prior to allowing the transferred caller into the conference.

Conference Bridge Controls

Each caller in a Conference Bridge has some basic audio controls applicable only to themselves. Generally these controls are not needed, but they do allow for adaptations to help with background noises for each caller, particularly for callers that are not using Yealink phones, which have automatic noise mitigation.


Dial
Control
Range
1
Decrease your talking volume
default = 0, range = -4 through +4
2
Reset your talking volume
default = 0
3
Increase your talking volume
default = 0, range = -4 through +4
4
Decrease your listening volume
default = 0, range = -4 through +4
5
Reset your listening volume
default = 0
6
Increase your listening volume
default = 0, range = -4 through +4
7
Decrease your talking volume threshold to be heard
(Decreasing allows the caller to speak more quietly to be heard)
default = 0, range = 0 through +9
8
Reset your talking volume threshold to be heard
default = 0
9
Increase your talking volume threshold to be heard
(Increasing requires the caller to speak more loudly to be heard)
default = 0, range = 0 through +9

Each caller in a Conference Bridge has the same level of controls. No caller is elevated above any other in their level of controls. That is, no caller is a Conference Bridge administrator or moderator. All callers have participant-level controls only.

Leave / Exit The Conference Bridge

Any caller can simply hang up to leave the conference. Callers still in the conference will hear an exit beep.






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