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A new and interesting telephony application is now online at j2 Global Communications' web site. Don't confuse this with the proliferation of "Voice over IP" services that use the Internet to transmit voice calls. jConnect offers a suite of telephony services but the one I find to be especially interesting is its ability to let you create and manage conference calls.

Most business phones let you conference two or three calls and most phone companies offer some sort of three-way calling service. But setting up a conference call still requires the services of a conference call operator and takes some doing before it can be arranged. But jConnect makes it simple, puts you in control at all times and makes it happen from your computer's Internet browser screen.

Here's an example of how you would create a conference call with jConnect. After logging in to your jConnect page, you are presented with an address book that contains your list of names and phone numbers. Clicking on a name initiates jConnect to first call your phone. It then proceeds to call the other person's phone and you have a connection. From there, it's just a matter of clicking on more names. As you click on each name, a check mark appears next to the name while that person is called and added to the conference call. Currently, you can click on up to six names for a total of eight people in a conference call.

jConnect makes it easier to set up the call, you'll have a lot more control over everyone in the conference plus you'll have some additional abilities not possible with a conference call operator. As your call progresses for example, you can drop callers and add new ones on the fly with a simple click of the mouse. If you want to call someone that's not in your address book, simply type in the phone number and the connection is made. But let's say you want to discuss something that you don't want one or more of the callers to hear. A click of the mouse lets you put anyone in the conference on hold. Another click lets you bring any or all of them back into the discussion after the private moment is over. Another option lets you place callers in a "listen only" mode where they can hear what's going on but cannot be heard by anyone else in the conference. This is especially useful if a caller is using a noisy cell phone or there's some other objectionable background noise coming over their phone. Placing a caller in this mode allows them to hear while sparing the rest in the conference from the noise. And since it's all graphically displayed on your computer's screen, it's easy to see everyone participating in the call and who's listening with a glance.

jConnect conference calling can place calls to any land or cell telephone. If your cell phone is equipped with Internet services, it is possible to initiate and control conference calls via your cell phone without the need for a computer and web browser. jConnect's comes in three versions. The Free, Lite ($4.95 a month) and Premier ($12.50 a month) services offer an expanded range of email and faxing telephony services. Remember that all phone calls are being placed over ordinary phone lines and it is the jConnect service that places the calls. You manage the conference call via their web site. jConnect charges around 10 cents a minute per caller for long distance calls but be sure to contact j2 for more specific details and long distance charges. If you do a lot of conference calling or find yourself avoiding them because of all the hassles associated to setting one up, you should check out jConnect.

www.j2.com