A conference system including a first communication apparatus, a second communication apparatus, and an information processing apparatus is provided. The information processing apparatus includes a memory storing a program and a processor configured to execute the program to implement a process of managing a conference area of a conference. When the processor receives a participation notification to participate in the conference from an information terminal via the first communication apparatus having a first communication range that covers the conference area of the conference and receives a notification from the second communication apparatus that the information terminal is located within a second communication range of the second communication apparatus, the processor implements a process of extending the conference area of the conference to include an extended area covered by the second communication range of the second communication apparatus.

A telephone call processing apparatus for a telephone system includes an exchange for receiving incoming telephone calls and switching said calls to selected respective agent workstations. The apparatus includes a routing function for connecting an incoming call from a caller to an agent workstation, and initiating a call from said apparatus to an external application platform, said call including data to enable a transaction call to be set up between said caller and said external application platform. A holding function maintains a call leg connection with said agent workstation whilst said call from said apparatus to said external application platform is initiated. A connection function connects a call from said external application platform to said agent workstation and establishing or maintaining a connection between said caller and said agent workstation for use whilst said transaction call is connected.

A system for managing a conference call, the system comprising a call answering server configured to receive a call from an attendee device that has been forwarded from a host device, identify a conference call associated with the host device for the attendee device to join, receive a request from the attendee device to join the conference call, and connect the attendee device to the conference call.

Techniques are described related to enabling automated assistants to enter into a conference mode in which they can participate in meetings between multiple human participants and perform various functions described herein. In various implementations, an automated assistant implemented at least in part on conference computing device(s) may be set to a conference mode in which the automated assistant performs speech-to-text processing on multiple distinct spoken utterances, provided by multiple meeting participants, without requiring explicit invocation prior to each utterance. The automated assistant may perform semantic processing on first text generated from the speech-to-text processing of one or more of the spoken utterances, and generate, based on the semantic processing, data that is pertinent to the first text. The data may be output to the participants at conference computing device(s). The automated assistant may later determine that the meeting has concluded, and may be set to a non-conference mode.