Conference Calls Made Simpler

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We're halfway through our "virtual office" experiment here at Inc., and online collaboration tools have been crucial to keeping us connected. That's one reason I was particularly intrigued by a new click-to-call teleconferencing feature introduced by PBworks, a company that helps coworkers collaborate using wikis and microblogging.

The new voice collaboration features lets users make conference calls on the fly simply by clicking the names of contacts. The service does all the dialing, contacting invited parties on their regular phones, so there's no need to set up calls in advance and e-mail everyone with dial-in info. Another plus: You can record each call and e-mail a link to the recording to meeting participants.

The service, which is currently in beta testing, is available to PBworks' business and legal edition customers, as well as those using a free trial of the business edition. It will be free during beta testing, with a cap of 200 call minutes for free trials. After beta testing ends, business and legal edition customers will receive 200 minutes a month at no extra charge. Heavier users can purchase a calling plan starting at $5 a month per person for 300 min

The Goods is focused exclusively on products and services for business owners. We won't ignore the latest netbook or the hottest smartphone, but we'll also examine the services, software, and Web-based tools that can help make your business succeed. Nadine Heintz, a senior editor at Inc., edits The Goods, as well as Quick Hits. Send suggestions, comments, and deals to nheintz@inc.com.