Before you can host a conference, You will need to create a Conference Group which is a group of settings and permissions the conference uses to work correctly. You can change the group that a conference uses, but a conference cannot use multiple group.

In the VoIPOffice go to Conferences > Groups > Add Group. You will see the following form.

The group allows you more control over what happens in the conference. You can also set up more than one group but a conference can only use one group at a time.

Announce user join/leave w/review:

If this option is checked/enabled, all new conference members will be asked to say their name and press the '#' key before they enter the conference. After user presses the '#' key they will be presented with the following menu:

• 1 - press 1 to accept your name and enter the conference
• 2 - press 2 to listen to your name
• 3 - press 3 to re-record your name

This name will be recorded and played to other conference members when caller joins/leaves the conference

Announce user join/leave: 

This gives an announcement to other conference members that someone has joined/left the meeting.

Quiet mode:

If this option is checked/enabled, conference members will not hear the enter and leave sound.

Record conference:

This option will record the conference, so that you can download the recording.

NOTE: You can download the recorded file in Conferences: CDRs, by selecting a conference and clicking on the Listen button

Enable music on hold:

Enable MoH (Music on Hold) if there is a single member in a conference.

Present menu:

Returns the conference options once * is dialled while in the conference.

Announce number of participants:

Announces the number of conference participants to a new conference member. e.g. 'There is currently only one other participant in the conference'.

Dynamic Conference: 

Dynamically adds a conference.

Dynamic Conference with PIN prompt: 

Allows the first user that calls the conference, to set the PIN number for that conference during the call. All other callers will have to provide that PIN to be able to enter it.

Set talker detection: 

Enable the talker detection which is sent to the manager interface and conferences list (for advanced users).

Close the conference when last marked user exits:

Closes the conference once the last marked user exits, no matter how many participants are still active in the conference conversation; their calls get immediately dropped.

Wait the marked user before allowing anyone to talk: 

Disables the conference conversation until the marked user enters the conference. This might be the Conference host.

Set talker optimisation: 

Treats members who are not speaking as being muted, meaning no encoding is done on transmission and received audio that is not registered as talking is omitted causing no build up in background noise.

If you wish to allow all the extensions access to this conference, click 'Enable All Users'. However, if you wish to limit the members to a chosen few, you will need to add these users to the group.

To add a new extension click the green + sign.

The search box will appear. Enter the extension you wish to add and click the search icon. Click the extension to add it to the conference.

You can add as many extensions as you want, but you cannot add external users.

When you have added the members, it will look like this:

You can provide different members various permissions and priorities.

Admin: Sets the admin conference mode. Conference calls coming from the extension will be treated with admin privileges.

Marked: Sets the marked conference mode. Conference calls coming from the extension will be treated with less than admin, but higher than regular conference participants privileges.

Talk-Only: Sets the talk only conference mode. Conference calls coming from this extension will be allowed to talk only (no voice will be heard on the UAD/Phone).

Lstn-Only: Sets the listen only conference mode. Conference calls coming from the extension will be allowed to listen only (no voice will be sent from the UAD/Phone).

Exit-#: Users will be allowed to exit the conference by dialling the '#' key.

Exit-Digit: Users will be allowed to exit the conference by dialling any digit.

When your group is complete, it should look like this. As you can see, 1001 has admin access, and both are 'Marked'. Shirley can only listen to Dave speak, but cannot be heard herself - hopefully Dave is interesting! Click Save to complete the group. Now we have to create a conference in order to use our new group.