Break-Out Rooms
By studying how people behave at physical conferences we are able to extend ZipDX in ways that make the virtual environment of a conference call more like a physical gathering. Consider for example a corporate training event; the entire group of attendees may meet to hear a keynote presentation or discuss matters of concern to all. Later attendees break into smaller group to have various discussions in private. A ZipDX conference call allows this to happen in the virtual environment of the conference call.
Every ZipDX conference features a main conference room and 9 additional “break-out” conference rooms. These break-out rooms, designated 0 – 9, allow participants to engage in private conversation, separate from the rest of the group. Everyone joins the same conference call, yet the group can split up into smaller teams for private, parallel discussions, reassembling as the entire group later on.
The host can move one or multiple participants into a break-out room. Participants can also move between rooms on their own using the web-based conference dashboard or shortcut keystrokes on their phone. The host can return all participants into the main conference room (#0) when appropriate.
Some of the break-out rooms have special functions. For example, room #9 is the waiting room. Attendees initially joining a call may be placed into the waiting room until the official start of the call by the host. While in the waiting room they may be automatically muted and hear a pre-recorded message.
Please see our knowledgebase for details about the use of Breakout Rooms.
Does just 9 breakout rooms feel a bit constraining? Our new Extended Breakout Rooms capability provides 48 private breakout rooms to accommodate the most ambitious online training requirements.
One-Way Glass
Room #8 features a special capability known as “One-Way Glass.” This capability is designed around the needs of market research companies conducting consumer focus groups via telephone.
While there is a conference ongoing in the main conference room, another group can assemble in room #8. People in that room can hear the main conference, but cannot be heard in the main conference room. In essence, they monitor the main conference without risk of interfering with it’s discussion.
Further, participants in room #8 can talk amongst themselves. While there is discussion in room #8 the system automatically reduces the level of the sound from the main conference. When discussion in room #8 stops the sound from the main conference is automatically restored to normal level.
This one-way glass feature allows market research companies to conduct focus groups, allowing their customers to monitor the activity of the focus group in real-time, with no chance of accidental interference in the research process. In another application, human resources staff can interview candidates for a new job, while senior managers look on, able to discuss the candidates amongst themselves without impacting the interview process.
Please see our knowledgebase for details about the use of One-Way Glass