Initiating a conference call includes receiving a conference call request message from an initiating user specifying a plurality of other users and determining an availability of the other users to receive conference call invitations. A conference call is initiated between the initiating user and one or more of the other users that are determined to be available. The availability of one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is monitored and interaction with a conference call invitation by one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is enabled upon their monitored availability changing from unavailable to available. The interaction with the conference call invitation by the other users is conditioned on whether the conference call is still in progress.

A computer-implemented method for managing calls in a collaboration environment is provided. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a call into a collaboration session of the collaboration environment. The method also includes identifying, by the processor, a user from a plurality of users associated with the collaboration session, based on at least one of contextual information regarding the call and information regarding the plurality of users. The method further includes providing, by the processor, an interface on a device associated with the identified user, wherein the interface enables the identified user to instruct the device to handle the call within the collaboration session.

An information processing system including a video device for displaying a video and a wireless terminal for communicating with the video device and communicating with other apparatuses via a network, wherein the video device transmits video information captured by a camera and sound information collected by a microphone when reception from the wireless terminal of information pertaining to a video to be displayed is detected, and outputs the received sound information using a speaker. The wireless terminal transmits information pertaining to the video to be displayed to the video device, the other apparatuses receive the captured video information and collected sound information via the network, and transmit information pertaining to the video to be displayed and information pertaining to the sound to be outputted.

A conference device includes a physical control button having multiple underlying pressure zones; a configuration unit, adapted to visualize a number of active functions on and/or around the control button based on a chosen usage application, wherein the number is at most equal to the number of the underlying pressure zones; a control unit adapted to control one or multiple components on the conference device. The pressing of the control button at the position of one of the pressure zones results in a control which depends on the chosen usage application.

A telephone call is elevated to a virtual meeting while maintaining the telephone call as an audio channel of the virtual meeting for an audio-only caller. During a telephone call, one of the participants of the telephone call requests to switch the telephone call to a virtual meeting. To enable an audio-only caller participating in the telephone call to switch to the virtual meeting, a message is transmitted to the phone device of the audio-only caller. Responsive to an interaction with the message at the phone device, the phone device is connected to the virtual meeting in which the telephone call is maintained as the audio channel at least for the audio-only caller. The specific form and content of the message is based on whether a client application associated with a web service used to implement the virtual meeting is installed on the phone device.

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for improving establishment and broadcasting of communication among mobile computing devices. For example, a method comprises determining a first user accesses a mobile application on a first mobile device of the first user; determining a second user accesses the mobile application on a second mobile device of the second user; and initiating the audio conversation between the first user and the second user, wherein the audio conversation is streamed to a third user who accesses the mobile application on a third mobile device of the third user.

An apparatus and mechanism to manage multi-modal real-time or quasi real-time sessions such as voice, video, instant messaging, or web-conferencing across multiple devices through a simple subscription to a session management service. A user can subscribe to the service from many devices (e.g. mobile device, desk phone, personal computer, internet appliance, internet TV, communication terminal, etc.) and through the service seamlessly move sessions back and forth between subscribed devices. In a preferred embodiment, a user utilizes a “virtual slider” in a simple “two touch” procedure to effectuate the movement of a communication session from one device to another device via the service.

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.

One or more embodiments of the present specification relates to an online interview method and system. The method includes: establishing communication connection between an interviewing terminal and an interviewed terminal through a network; and acquiring communication information between the interviewing terminal and the interviewed terminal. The communication information includes one or more types of audio information, video information, and text information. The interviewing terminal includes one or more of a first host terminal, a second host terminal, and a text processing terminal. The first host terminal is configured to host an interview, and the first host terminal displays an interview outline and/or information of the interviewed terminal. The second host terminal is configured to host the interview and/or participate in the consultation of interview questions. The text processing terminal converts the audio information and/or the audio information in the video into corresponding text information.

A method, system, device to play context-based announcement to specific participants during an active communication session. The method includes receiving a context-based announcement for a participant while the participant is in the active communication session. The method also includes monitoring the communication session, to determine a time when the context-based announcement should be played to the participant. The method further includes playing the context-based announcement to the participant at the determined time. The method may also include displaying to the participant a visual alert associated with the context-based announcement, the visual alert may include controls that allows the participant to select when the announcement is played.