The following is an overview of the various parameters in a conference template. There are quite a number of settings, addressing a vast array of possible use cases. This page serves as a reference, although most users never need to use most of these settings.

Date/Time & Duration

Date/Time & Duration

1. Duration: The template has just one field for conference duration in minutes.

This setting does not constrain the actual duration of the conference. It’s only used when sending meeting invitations. It determines how long the conference will appear when added to the participants electronic calendar.

Settings - Part 1

Settings – Part 1

(2) Template Name: A label used to identify this template. Usually something related to its purpose. For example, “Marketing Committee.”

(3) Account: The account that will be charged for meetings held using this template. This is especially handy if your organization uses multiple sub-accounts to track usage by project, department or region.

(4) Conference Code: The numeric code that you would use if you’re creating a conference that needs to be broadly accessible by people who are not explicitly registered with ZipDX.

(5) Participants: This is where you can explicitly add people to the conference. They are typically added using their email address. People invited in this manner will get an email invitation from the system.

Since the system knows about them in advance of the conference they can be assigned to any of the various roles. Anyone who is to be a host, interpreter or auditor must be explicitly invited to the conference so that their role can be defined.

(6) Role: Sets the role for each person invited to the conference.

Roles impact what a person is allowed to do. For example, when a lecture mode is used hosts are able to engage in the conversation while participants are automatically muted.

Here’s a description of the various conference roles.

(7) Status: Indicates if the person is known to the system. If they are already in the system their status will be: Registered, Preregistered or Incomplete.

Those not entered in the system will be shown as “Not Listed” with a pre-register link offered. This allows you to add their contact details to the system.

(8) Participants can invite others: Determines who can invite other people to participate. The options offered are:

• Yes, all participants can invite others <default>
• People designated as hosts can invite others
• No, only organizer can add/remove people

Settings - Part 2

Settings – Part 2

(9) Meeting Type: Determines which aspects of ZipDX should be exposed to participants. The options offered are:

• Audio & WebShare
• WebShare Only
• Audio Only

(10) Project Tracker: Is a text field where the organizer is free to put information about the conference. It’s typically used to track usage of ZipDX relative to specific projects.

(11) Default Organizer: If the organizer has more than one email address in their ZipDX profile this is used to select which one is used as the organizer for conferences created using this template.

For example, I have two email addresses in my ZipDX profile; one for work and one for personal use. If I select my personal email address as the default organizer then invitations to the conferences created by the template will appear to come from my personal email account.

(12) Spontaneous Conferencing: This setting determines if this template can be used to create entirely ad hoc conferences. The options offered are:

• Not Allowed <default>
• Allowed by me and any other listed participants
• Allowed by any caller

Spontaneous conferencing is only possible when the conference template has a conference code.

When spontaneous conferencing is enabled the conference does not need to be created in advance. The conference is automatically launched when the appropriate person dials in and enters the conference code.

With the spontaneous conferencing setting set to “Allowed by me and any other listed participants” the conference can only be launched by the owner of the template, or someone specifically listed in the template.

With the spontaneous conferencing setting set to “Allowed by any caller” the conference can be launched by anyone who knows the conference code.

(13) Auto-generate code: This setting allows the system to automatically generate a conference code each time that the template is used. The auto-generated code can be set to  8-12 digits in length.

When enabled this ensures that a every conference has a unique code. The use of the conference code allows the organizer to distribute simple connection details; just a phone number and a conference code.

The fact that the code is constantly changing ensures that no-one legitimately present at a past conference can clandestinely join a future conference.

(14) Template Share: Allows a conference organizer to share a template with others in their organization.

The options offered are:

• Do not share this template with other account members <default>
• Share this template with other account members

Audio Features

Audio Features

(15) Play Entry and Exit Chimes? – Determines if a chime sounds when participants enter or exit.

(16) Announce Participant names? – Determines if each participant is announced as they join/leave the conference.  The options offered are:

• No, do not play names. <default>
• No, but record them for using in host functions.
• Yes, play names when arriving or leaving.

At any setting other than the default the system will prompt each participant to record their name as they connect.

(17) Waiting Room active? – Determines how participants are handled if they join the conference prior to the scheduled start time. The options offered are:

• No, conference starts without host. <default>
• Yes, until host arrives.
• Yes, host must move participants into meeting.
• Yes, only for those using a conference code or duplicate identity.

The last option is appropriate for conferences where call security is paramount. When set this way participants explicitly invited to the conference join the meeting immediately.

If a second instance of a participant joins the call, as might happen if someone shared their PIN, that person is not immediately joined to the call. They are instead held in the waiting room. This gives the host an opportunity to move to them to a breakout room to verify their identity.

Similarly, someone joining the conference using a conference code is held in the waiting room. This keeps them out of the conversation until a host can verify their identity.

(18) Conference time without host? – Defines how long a conference is allowed to run without a host. This only applies to spontaneous conferences.

Conferences created in advance, either via the web portal, Google or Outlook calendar, are allowed to occur entirely without a host.

(19) Start with all Participants Muted? – Sets which lecture mode, if any, will be used for the conference. The options offered are:

• No, participants are not muted. <Default>
• Yes, participants are “soft muted” and can unmute themselves using *6.
• Yes, participants are “hard muted”; only a host can unmute.

(20) Participant Dashboard access – Determines if participants can access the web-based conference dashboard. The options offered are:

• Normal: see status of all in Dashboard, control self. <default>
• Limited: see Hosts; control self (no roll call or room changes.)
• None: No Dashboard access.

(21) Host Advanced Start – Sets the system to allows Hosts and/or Interpreters to join in advance of the scheduled start of the call. This allows them time to be prepared when the other participants begin to join the conference.

• None <Default>
• 2 – 60 minutes advanced start permitted.

(22) Record Conference? – Determines if the conference will be recorded automatically when the conference begins. When enabled participants joining the conference hear an announcement that says, “Warning, this conference is being recorded.”

Note also that the conference recording includes any WebShare or SlideShow visuals that may be used.

(23) Transcribe Conference? – Determines if the conference will be transcribed. The options offered are:

• No <Default>
• Yes, with Scribble. (extra charge ¢)
• Yes, with Scribe. (extra charge $$)

“Scribble” is automated, real-time transcription.

“Scribe” is two-pass transcription where the results from Scribble are passed to professional transcriptionists for editing and correction. Delivery of a corrected transcript typically takes 48-72 hours.

Note that when Scribble is enabled the Scribe processing can still be ordered once the conference is completed.

(24) Transcription access (if activated) – Determines who has access to the transcript. The options offered are:

• Only the Organizer.
• Conference Participants. <Default>
• Anyone with the link.

(25) “Call Me” override – Determines how the system will behave with respect to dialing out to participants. The options offered are:

• Normal Call Me Settings apply. <Default>
• Disabled for Organizer and participants listed in template.
• Disabled for participants NOT listed in template.
• Disabled for entire meeting.
• Organizer completely opted out of meeting.

(26) “Multilingual / Rooms” – In the case of conferences in a single language, determines how many breakout rooms will be supported. Alternatively, this enables multilingual conferencing, allowing the language channels to be configured. The options offered are:

• Monolingual / 10 Rooms <Default>
• Multilingual Over-The-Phone / Up to 8 Languages
• Multilingual Extended Venue / Up to 8 Languages
• Monolingual / 50 Rooms
• Multilingual Over-The-Phone / Up to 48 Languages
• Multilingual Extended Venue / Up to 48 Languages

 

(27) Multilingual Language Configuration – When multilingual conferencing is enabled (as shown above) some additional settings are exposed.

• The languages are defined using ISO standard 2-digit language codes.
• TalkThru level is selected (off, minimum, soft, medium, loud)
• Feedback level is selected (off, minimum, soft, medium, loud)

For more detail about multilingual settings see our article about Creating A Multilingual Conference.