BerlinPacific.com Blog

We found several free services which really do work. Usually free means it is second rate and unacceptable - but we know professionals using these free and convenient services for collaboration and communication.

1. Free Web Conferencing
2. Free Faxing
3. Free Large File Transfer and Private File Sharing
4. Free Audio Conferencing

Free Web Conferencing with Mikogo
Free Screen Sharing Tool - good for web conferences, remote support, etc.
http://www.mikogo.com/
Benefits include

* Free.
* You need an account to share your screen, but the other people don’t need one, nor do they need to install a program.
* It plays well with firewalls and only requires running a small program (no installs.)

Free Faxing with efax GotFreeFax
Amazingly some companies still insist on sending or receiving faxes - and they refuse to use e-mail. What do you do if you’re on the internet but nowhere near a fax?
To fax for free http://www.gotfreefax.com is a good site. To accept faxes occasionally you can get a free efax account.

Free Large File Transfer and Private File Sharing
What do you do if you have a large file that is over ten megabytes and too big to e-mail? One option is to use
http://www.zshare.net
This free site allows you to upload your file. It gives you a link you can e-mail to anyone to download the file.

Free Audio Conferencing with FreeConference

This last one is controversial - but we’ve noticed people are using it a lot.
You really can do conference calling for free - for now - but only if you’re ok with using a regulatory loophole to get free service. Also participants must not mind paying the long distance charges. If that’s all true then the way to go is -
http://www.freeconference.com/
We’ve noticed many people are using this service in particular. There are similar services if you do a search on the web.
If you want to do inexpensive conferencing where participants call an 800# and there are no ethical grey areas, e-mail us and we’ll get you low rates with national vendors. There’s no free 800# conferencing.
With FreeConference.com you do have to pay high rates for 800# conference calls and there’s a low fee for web conferencing which works.
For a more in depth discussion of why the conferencing is free and why it may not last -
http://berlinpacific.com/blog2/2009/09/23/can-free-conference-calls-last/
Unlike the rest of the services we mention - this one appears to be free because it exploits a regulatory loophole. This may pose an ethical dilemma, and we can’t recommend using the service. In fact if you like your long distance provider, you definitely shouldn’t use the service.

A lot of people are using FreeConference.com and other services where you can make free conference calls - if participants are willing to pay for the long distance. The services really work - so what’s the catch?

It isn’t clear if Free Conferencing Services are viable long term. They make their money by charging the long distance carriers a lot of money per minute. They can do this because there is a regulatory loophole whereby local carriers in rural areas can charge long distance carriers high fees for terminating call to rural areas. Someone realized they’d make themselves and the rural carriers a lot of money, if they could drive traffic to them. They then set up equipment at the carriers facilities and started advertising free local calls and at one point free international calls and sex lines. At some point though loopholes do get shut down, and this might be seen as a clear case of abuse. On the other hand it isn’t clear how they’ll be able to shut down the loop holes without uprooting regulations.

It is possible that someone will set up VoIP conferencing and use free conferencing as a loss leader to upsell better services. Certainly the Free Conferencing Services overcharge for toll free conferencing. VoIP conferencing is a business model that could last.

For a reprint of a Wall St. Journal article - go here.
http://publicutilities.utah.gov/news/how2guysiowaconnectiontookbigtelecomsforaride.pdf

Apparently MagicJack blocks calls for FreeConference.com - more evidence that FreeConference.com feeds off of high call termination rates.
http://rickyspears.com/blog/2009/08/magicjack-hijacks-my-free-conference-calls-to-218-339-2500/

Update 1
Apparently one large hosted voip provider we know is now blocking calls to free conferencing providers from their customers. They have to pay an order of magnitude more to terminate calls to these providers. They surely won’t be the only ones blocking calls.