TODAY'S BUSINESS TOOLS:

With the rapid growth of telecommunications technology, businesses of every size and shape are learning new ways to work. In recent years, conference calling has become a very cost-effective way to communicate with clients while cutting down on travel expenses.

Conference call vendors use sophisticated telecommunications equipment to provide better digital sound while creating a "bridge" between multiple phone lines. Their technology can also make it possible for only one person's voice to be recorded at a time (when one person is speaking, everyone else participating in the conference call is forced into "listen mode"). This feature makes it possible to produce a much clearer transcript of a conference call than if several people are talking simultaneously.

Although some businesses have tried taping their conference calls so that they can listen to the tape after the conference call is completed, they have discovered that getting the conversation transcribed accurately (and within a limited turnaround time) can be a major stumbling block.

Alert & Oriented Transcription Services can solve this challenge by having its digital dictation system patched into the "bridge" built by the conference call vendor's operators. Because the recorded dictation is available to us for transcription as soon as all participants in the conference call hang up the phone, transcripts can now be completed within a much shorter turnaround time.

When delivered in soft (electronic) format via e-mail, these transcripts can dramatically speed up the editorial process for research projects, editorial assignments and other uses.

The following scenarios demonstrate how this exciting new application can be used to increase productivity and generate new income.