How to Set Up a Conference Bridge

Setting up an audio or video conference bridge is an excellent business tool, particularly for satellite office setups.

In telecommunications, an A/V conferencing bridge is a tool that connects multiple endpoints together into a single conference call. They are commonly used in businesses and government. There are audio and video conference bridges that are able to connect multiple video conference units and audio together that are located in different areas, whether they are in different parts of a building or different parts of the world.

Instructions

1. Access the conferencing bridge software and type in the title of the conference you are setting up, the date, as well as the start and finish time the conference should be scheduled for. If needed, add a buffer time.

2. Add video participants to the conference by looking under "Endpoints and Rooms." Check off the video conference rooms that are needed from the database.

3. Add the appropriate ISDN or IP numbers associated with the video conference units. This is the network address that will connect to a specific unit. Do this if the information is not currently in the database.

4. Look under "Templates" and check off the telephone number and any codes associated with the number.

5. Click "Save Conference" to fully set up the conference on the bridge.

6. Click "Monitor" to view the connectivity of the audio and/or video calls that you have set up on the bridge.

Tips & Warnings

• A buffer time connects the meeting before the scheduled start time. For example, if a conference is starting at 10:00 AM, add a five minute buffer to have it connect at 9:55 AM. This gives time to test connections.

• Different makes of bridges will have different operating protocols needed for setting them up.

References

• Tandberg: Scheduled Conferencing
• Buyerzone: Conference Call Bridge

Resources

• Conference Bridges: Your Connection to Effective Communications