BT Enhances Audio Conferencing Through BT MeetMe Suite of Applications

QUINCY, Mass., Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- BT Conferencing, a leading global provider of audio, video and web collaboration services, has today launched a suite of applications that will significantly enhance the user experience in everyday conference calls.

Available immediately, the new applications enhance the management and control of audio conferencing meetings, both in the office and on the move. Developed in partnership with business conferencing services company Ring2, the applications give the chair person greater visibility, security and control over their BT MeetMe meetings from their smartphones or PC. In particular they can:

• Receive call start alerts to notify them as soon as the first invited participant joins
• Quickly add new participants to a call, by dialing out to them from the address book on their smartphone or computer
• Monitor call participants joining or leaving the call
• Mute or unmute participants at any time
• Record the call

Aaron McCormack, CEO for BT Conferencing, said: "Gone are the days of familiar conference call issues, such as not knowing who is on your call, not being able to add participants easily, or not being able to mute the participant with distracting background noise. With these new capabilities, BT Conferencing is able to empower customers with even greater control and management of their conference calls."

The three individual applications available, which all use Ring2's Conference Management Solution, are:

BT MeetMe Mobile Controller, which enables users to manage and control audio conferences from a BlackBerry™, or Windows Mobile™ Phone. Versions for the iPhone™ and Android OS will be available later this year. As soon as the first participant joins a call, the application triggers an alert on the device that prompts the chairperson to either join or monitor the call. While in the conference call, BT MeetMe Mobile Controller turns a Smartphone into a "remote control" for the meeting. This allows the chair person to add, remove or mute participants. For the conference participants, this means less disruption and a more productive meeting.

BT MeetMe Desktop Controller, is accessible from any flash enabled browser and provides the same benefits as Mobile Controller. A call start alert will also be triggered for the chairperson as soon as the first participant joins the call, and similar participant control options are available.

BT MeetMe Add-in for Outlook, enables users to quickly and easily schedule conference calls through their Outlook email by automatically inserting BT MeetMe dial-in numbers and the relevant participant passcode in an Outlook invitation.

All the applications are available to download at http://www.btconferencing.com/desktop-controller/downloads.

New and existing BT MeetMe customers can also download BT MeetMe Mobile Controller by visiting m.btconferencing.com/controller directly from their Smartphone.

Notes to Editor:

About BT Conferencing

BT Conferencing is a leading global provider of audio, video and web collaboration services. BT is the foremost player in the UK's growing conferencing services market and the leading supplier of video conferencing services worldwide. Its partnerships with top technology companies and equipment vendors ensure it always has the best and latest solutions to offer its customers.

About BT

BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

In the year ended 31 March 2010, BT Group's revenue was 20,911 million pounds Sterling.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt.

About Ring2

Ring2 is a business conferencing solutions and services company. Its multi award-winning technology for Outlook, smartphones and the web brings an enhanced level of access, visibility, security and control to everyday conference calls, and naturally leads the way to effortless richer collaboration. Ring2 sells it solution as a service directly to the enterprise market and also licenses its technology to other major service providers. Ring2 is a BlackBerry® Alliance Select Member and is a technology partner of Alcatel-Lucent and Avaya.

For more information visit www.ring2.com.

SOURCE BT