Only Rondee gives you a convenient way to schedule calls on the web, a universal access number 619-2-RONDEE (619-276-6333) you can put in your speed-dial, and your very own virtual meeting space where registered users don’t need to remember random codes.
And, besides being free, Rondee also includes convenient web-based scheduling.
Inviting more people to a Rondee conference call is possible, provided the organizer has allowed this. It is an option that the organizer selects as part of the Rondee setup process. Remember: your PIN only works for you, so if you want to invite someone else, be sure to visit Rondee (just click on the link in the email you received) rather than forwarding that email.
The following post is by Dr. John Rachow. John serves on the national board of Physicians for Social Responsibility (hence his use of Rondee for conference calling) and recently investigated options for converting Rondee audio files.
“I tried The FreeAudioConverter at the brothersoft site. Despite the description of the program it does not seem to support .gsm. Further during installation, I am told that the product will not work full featured unless I install their (purportedly free) security suite software, System Guard. It got more complicated and invasive after that. I unloaded it all.
I had tried FXBear Audio File Converter (I had purchased it earlier in the week). It does not successfully convert gsm files as it claims to do. Since I purchased the software ($38) I have queried their support people. The FXBear interface is certainly simple and it did look like a good solution.
Last night I searched further and found NCH Swift Sounds (Australian based company http://www.nchsoftware.com) and installed their free Switcher audio file converter. With this product, I stopped looking. The link is:
Rondee audio file converter application
Installation is super fast and simple It is a compact program (553 KB) with a sophisticated looking but easy to use interface. It works fine, converting the Rondee .gsm file to other formats quickly, including .mp3
They also have a free audio file editor, WavePad. that that allows editing a wide variety of native audio file formats including .gsm. WavePad allows you to save the file in any of a wide variety of formats (allowing you to set all the sampling and bandwidth parameters unique to each format in the process). Editing options include applying a variety of effects (noise reduction, equalizer, volume, band pass, echo, flange, and others) In effect, Wave Pad also can be used as a file converter as well as an editor. Switcher only does one thing, convert formats and has a more very simple interface.
NCH has versions for both Window and Mac. They have a Linux version for WavePad and the Linux version for Switcher is coming.”
If you saw Bob’s Ezine post a few days ago on free conference calling you noticed the broad array of potential applications that are now being employed. The ‘Listen Only’ feature launching soon will continue to expand your range of options in using Rondee
Folks sometimes ask, “I get that Rondee doesn’t charge - but how can you afford not to charge?” There are indeed providers that do not charge for their service because they have placed their bridge lines in remote and rural areas which are theoretically eligible to receive high interchange tariffs from larger telecom companies. One problem for users is when these companies get sued and their service interrupted by the same carriers who resist paying these tariffs (one cause of the busy tone issue you’ve probably seen press about).
We obviously have not gone this route - our bridge line is in the major metropolitan market of San Diego and so our users are not exposed to the risks mentioned above. So our business model is premised on developing a healthy and growing base of customers who find value in the Rondee conference calling service and then providing for those users who want to pay for special services such as toll-free premium access or transcription.
Recently a few of you have posted questions on this topic and I’ve had several users email me about it as well. Rondee does not charge you for use of the service. When you call Rondee, you are calling our 619-276-6333 bridge line in San Diego (619-2-RONDEE). These calls cost you no more and no less than any other regular long distance call you make from your home or office phone. If making a call to a 619 area code normally costs you 2 cents a minute, a Rondee call will cost you 2 cents a minute. To be clear, you will not pay us the 2 cents, you will pay your phone company the normal 2 cents. If you have a flat rate plan with your phone company where you pay $25 to $50 a month for all the calls you want, Rondee calls have zero incremental cost. For a cell phone user, calls to Rondee will be exactly like any other call you make: they will deduct minutes from your plan but there will be no special charges for calling Rondee.